The 10 Mar 1910 edition of The Matawan Journal contained a New York Telephone Company advertisement pointing out the value of having a telephone when you travel. The ad wasn't focused on bringing a phone with you, of course, and wasn't even promoting the use of pay phones. No, this was much more basic than that. NY Tel just thought you might travel now and then and find it convenient to have a phone at home so you could call ahead and tell people you are running late.
While travelers still run late a hundred years later, they have many more ways to let people know about their likely tardiness than a quick call before leaving the house. Oddly, though, people are once again deciding whether it is worthwhile to have a phone in the home. In the 21st century, people can use their cell phone or computer to reach out and touch someone. If my cable bill didn't include a cheap land line, I doubt I'd still have one.
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