Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1877-02-27
MIscELLAREo
THE TELEPHONE.
From .h. Boston Transcript


At noon yesterday, distinguished party
of gentlemen were assembled at the Office of
the Boston Rubber Shoe Company, on Con-
gress street, in order to witness q series Of ex-
periments performed on the telephone be-
tween the inventor, Professor a. Graham
Bell, and his associate, Mr.. Thomas a. Wat
son, ut the residence of Mr.. Converse, at
Maiden, about six miles distant.
The telephone, in its present form consists
of powerful, compound, permanent magnet
to the poles of which are attached ordinary
telegraph coils of insulated wire. In front of
the poles, surrounded by these coils of wire,
is placed diaphragm of iron. A mouth
piece to converge the sound upon this dia>
phragm substantially completes the arrange
ment.
AS is we'll known, the motion of steel or
iron in front of the poles of a magnet creates
a current of electricity in the coils surround
ing tho poles Of the magnet, and the duration
of this current of electricity comedies with
the duration of the motion of the steel or iron
moved or vibrated in the proximity Of the
magnet. When the human voice causes the
diaphragm to vibrate, electrical undulatons
are induced in the coils environing the mag
nets precisely analogous to the fluctuations
of the air produced by that voice. These
coils are connected with the line wire, which
may be of any length, provided the insula>
tion be good. The undulations which are in
duced in these coils travel through the lins
wire, and, passing through the coils of an in
strument of precisely similar construction at
the distant station, are again resolved into air
fluctuations by the diaphragm of this instru>
meut.
The simplicity Of Professor Bells system
will be at once apparent whom it is known
that the Voltaic battery is entirely dispensed
with. All that is required for communica>
ting between the most distant points are the
instruments ard the telegraph wire, the lat
ter taking the place of the speaking tube
and the former that of the mouth. pieces.
The short distance which separated Messrs.
Bell and Watson yesterday must by no means
be considered gauge of the powers of the
instrument, as any effect produced by elec>
tricity over a short wire can, with eqaul fa>
cility be produced over one extending a
hundred, or, for that matter, thousand miles,
provided, of course, that the Insulation be
good.
The experiments yesterday were as follows:
Telephones having been connected with the
private telegraphic line of the Boston Rub>
Der Shoe Company, and the operators at eth.
er end having taken their up station, conver-
sation was at once commenced. Stationed at
the Boston end OF the wire, Professor Bell
requested MIR. Watson to speak in loud tones,
with view of enabling the ientire company
at once to distinguish the sounds.
This was so successful that o smile of
mingled pleasure aud surprise played on the
features of those present. That it, however,
might not be supposed that loud speaking was
essential to intelIigibiity, Mr. Bell explained
that soft tones could be heard across the wires
even more distinctly than loud utterances.
even q whisper being audible. In confirms
tion of this statement, Mr.. Watson commenced
speaking in turn with each member of the
company, aud after the efficiency of this
method had been proved to the satisfaction of
all, he took up a newspaper and informed
tho assemblage that gold had closed the pre-
vious evening in New York at 1865. As
there was quite a number of business men
present, the effect that this practical demon
stration of the value of the telephone pro-
duced can scarcely be exaggerated. Other
passages from the daily journals were then
given, and by this time the desire for conver-
sation having become general, Mr.. Watson
was piled with questions such as, els it
thawing or freezing at Maiden 2" who will
be the next President? etc, etc. It was re-
markable that Mr.. Watson was able to distin-
guish between the voices at the Boston end,
he calling at least one gentleman By name
as soon as the latter commenced speaking.
This went on for some time, until lady at
tie Maiden end sent the company an invita-
tion to lunch per telephone, and an appropri
ate response was made by the same medium.
At length the company were requested to re-
main quiet while lady at the other end con-
veyed to them the sweet strains of music
The assemblage thereupon listened with rapt
attention while a young lady commenced
singing "The Last Rose of Summer" The
effect was simply charming. Possessing, as
the fair cantatrice does, voice Of exquisite
sweetness, the sounds penetrated into the
Boston end of the telephone with distinct
ness equal to that attainable in the more dis
tant parts of a large concert room, and q
unanimous vote of thanks was sent by the
handy little instrument which had procured
for the assemblsge so agreeable an hour.
Among those present were electricians and
gentlemen occupying prominent positions on
our Western railroads, aud one and all ex-
pressed the conviction that the telephone was
destined to achieve the greatest possible re-
suits.
Brass bands are continually disturbing
the community by coming to blows-they
would not do it II so many of their members
did not take horn.
"we've got to economic, or this conn
try is ruined" was the soIilcquy of q St.
Louis husband as he kiDdIed the FIRE with his