“Bell System”

An artifact that is, I think, getting more mysterious with each passing year. Certainly my own kids have no idea what the Bell System was.

@ffmike Some kind of underground alarm network, perhaps. From WW2, maybe? In case somebody spotted Japanese ships off the coast? (This is the kind of story I used to tell my daughter all the time. She is now really good at detecting b.s.) I also note that the manhole cover is embossed with a lovely geometric design that no one would bother to give it today. A manhole cover, for crying out loud. The attention to detail!