Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-07-19
THE DOMESTIC THING

Not many evenings ago, an intelligent
gentlemanly looking individurl presented
himself at our door and asked "if we didn't
want the district telegraph put into our
house." AT the same time he handed over
for our examination a very pretty little in
strument, composed of cog wheels and
somewhat resembling n clock. 1--WE at
tach the instrument TO the wal" he said,
sin some convenient position in your
house, and to it we connect a wine leading
to your roof, where il unites with another
wire that extends tNoue of our district Off
ces on Broadway" Pointing TO a small
knob, he continued: "If fire breaks out
in your house, you just push that lever,
and in three minutes the frcmen will be
here. If thieves break in, you move that
other lever and in three minutes the po-
liceman will make his appearance. If you
want a special messenger to go upon any
sort of business, night or day, you just turn
this little button, and in three minutes the
man will be at your door ready for service.
The signals you thus make are all received
and recorded at out Broadway Office where
we keep force of attendants. in readiness
at all hours, TO execute the requirements
of our C ustomers. Your wife or any other
Intelligent person can make the signals.
We make no charge for putting the instru-
ment into your house or for keeping ii in
order; but you pay us $50 per month for
its use and fifteen cents an hour for the
time occupied by our messenger in doing
your business. When you go away to the
county in summer, you can have an at
tachment put on, so fixed that, If burglars
attempt to break in, an alarm Will be sound
ed at our Office, when our policeman will
quic ky surround the house, and catch the
| thief in the act.'
We rather liked the idea of having such
Il telegraph in the house, gave the order,
and it was promptly put in.
In the course of a week or so afterwards,
thinks we to ourselves, that il our wife and
we, "lers try our telegraph just for fun,
and see whether the telegraph folks are as
wide awake as they pretend, or whether
they are mapping" This was early in the
morning, Just between getting up time and
observation-disclosures business begins-the hour
when night hands go homo and day hands
have not yet come--the time when the
| hiauaSci 10 plObdDlN IOt vi NOW
let's see what this new-fanged telegraph
is good for. So we pressed the knob, and
there followed slight click and a buzz.
We looked at our watch, went down stairs,
took seats at the breakfast table, when we
were startled by ring at the door bell.
messenger from the District Telegraph
Office. Got your signal. Wants to know
what is wanted" was the report that cane
to us. Looking at the watch we found that
just two and half minutes had elapsed
since we gave the signal. We felt little
bit sheepish in being obliged TO tell the
messenger that we had sent for him "just
for fun, to see if he was really awake"
ETC., and as we were entirely satisfied on
that point, he retired, sorry that we had no
real business for him to do.
After breakfast, we went to the compa-
ny's Office where we found Morse paper
recording apparatus, with which the vari-
Gus dwelling houses in the district are con-
nected. Whenever signal is given from
any of the houses in the circuit, gong
sounds in the office, which notifies the at
tendant, and at the same time the telegraph
clock work is set in motion the paper
and upon 1t signal is stamped aud re-
stamped or repeated. Each house instru-
ment gives different signal and the vali-
GUS signals, with the names of the occu-
pants and numbers of the respective dwell
ling houses, are registered or tabuIated on
the wall, like hotel indicator. BY slanc-
ing at the register, the attendant sees at
once from what house the signal has come
also its nature, whether fire has occurred
robbery is going ON, or messenger need
ed. The Office is in connection with The
city fire telegraph and police offices, and
in slant signals are sent thther il required
Taken altogether, this district or domes
tic telegraph is most useful and yaluabl,
institution, promotive of comfort, convent
ence, and safety of families. That it vii
soon come into general use, cannot bt
doubted. The wires are so arranged tina
: In case they are severed, either by design
or accident, an alarm is instantly sounded
at the district Office and the repairs ar,
t quickly ected.-lScientifc american.