I lived in a very rural area. I successfully used the phone line for
transmitting and receiving back in 1953 when I was 12 years old. I had
it tuned up for 40 meters cw. I had a novice ticket. I made lots of
contacts and had a lot of fun. I was only running about 20 watts maximum.

I had to stop using it and put up an antenna that did not work as well
when the phone company seemed like they might not like it. One day I
looked out my bedroom window where I was operating and saw a phone
company truck. There were two guys there about a two blocks away with
very long bamboo poles with coils at the top. They were listening with
head phones. I stopped transmitting immediately. I got on my bicycle and
went over to them and asked them what they were doing. My worst fears
were confirmed. They were looking for someone injecting RF into the
phone line. I knew my father would whip me for doing this. He had no
idea that I was using the phone line for an antenna. I have never tried
this again.