Crank it up!

Came across the excerpt below as I was surfing around for some info. Thats how I learned today why they used to turn the crank thing for making a phone call in the good ol' days!!!

In 1900, the Bell Telephone Company of Canada introduced the first central energy switchboard, or common battery, which eliminated the need for customers to generate the power to make a call by turning a crank on the telephone. That innovation in technology may seem quaint today, but at the time it was the ultimate in customer service. Not only did the new device speed the time to make a switchboard connection and thus alleviate customer frustration – it just might have cured a few aching arms.

Photo courtsey: http://www.atcaonline.com/phone/we317.html

Text excerpt: http://www.informationbuilders.com/applications/bell_can.html