Off the Hook

Ask not for whom the bell tolls in and around Hickory Corners, Mich. There is no toll at all for 40 stubborn households. When telephone rates jumped a hefty 54% almost a year ago, subscribers protested by having their phones disconnected. A court upheld the new rates, and telephone company officials have refused to compromise.

The holdouts are discovering that silence is golden. Nerves are no longer frazzled by a shrill ring. Importunate creditors and nagging in-laws must resort to the mails. Meals are not interrupted, and TV ball games can be viewed from beginning to end. Two gas stations in town serve as message centers when needed -- although communication is no big problem in Hickory Corners (pop. 200). As one resident puts it, "We can yell across town."

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