What were phone numbers like in the 1800's?

Here's an 1888 telephone book for New York City. You can flip through it using the arrows at the bottom and see for yourself: http://archive.org/stream/nynjtelcodir1888newy#pag...

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What's easier for you to remember during the 30 seconds that a commercial airs, a 7 digit number you've never seen or a word or two you already know? This way you can easily recall the number to dial later on if you do call the company. It's just one way to increase the effectiveness of certain marketing concepts.