The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-03-14
County and City Official Press.
Wednesday, March ii, 1877.
THE TELEPHONE.

ius IL an instrumen. for transmitting
sounds between distan. places as per
magnetic telegraph. The inventor, Pro-
sessor A. Graham Bell of Massachusetts,.
recently gave lecture at Salem, des-
criptive Of his contrivance, on which
occasion be exhibited some interesting
manifestations Of its wonderful proper
ties. An exchange gives the following
account Of its operation
AN intermittent curren. was frs,
sent frcin Boston by Thomas A. Watson.
Professor Bells associate. This caused
q noise very similar TO horn from the
telephone The Morse telegraph al
phabet was then sent by musical
sounds. and could be heard throughout
tho hall The audience burst into loud
applause at this experiment. A tele-
phonic organ was then put into opera.
ton in Boston. should Aud Ac-
quain,ance be Forgot" and Yankee
Doodle" were readily heard throughout
the hall and heartily recognized. At
this point Professor Bell then explained
how he learned to transmit the tones Of
the human voice. aid paid grateful
tribute to Mr.. Watson. Professor Bell
asked Mr.. Watson for r. song. and
Aud Lang Syne" came from the
mouthpiece of the instrument almost
before his words were ended. M.
Watson xas then asked to make a
speech to the audience. He expressed
himself as having more confidence
eighteen miles away than if he were
present. His speech was as follows
''Ladies and gentlemen. 1t gives me
great pleasure to be able TO addros.
ysn this evening. although am in Bos-
ton aud you are in Salem" This could
he heard thirty-five feet distant-tha,
il. all over the bali--and brought
down the house with loud appar Sc
A system of questioning was then car
ried on and MIR. Watson was asked il
he heard the applause. The answer
WAS, II am not listening; try again.
The applause was given and its receip,
at once acknowledged in Boston
Coughing and singing were then heard
and variety Of questions were then
asked from the Salem end, and among
them: what news from the Electoral
Commission" followed by the distinct
answer of II don't know of any" But
the news came dieting along that the
engineers Of the Boston and Maine
railroad had struck. General Cogcs.
we'll asked if the trains were running;
the answer was clear and distinct that
they were not ut $50 o'clock PROBES
sor Bell introduced the Rev. T. C.
Bolles. who said: II shake han, wit h
you cordially in Imagination twenty
miles away" The Rev. f. :. Atwood
asked, Does 1t rain." 1t does not in
Boston," was Mr.. Watson's answer
Professor Gage, the electrician. then
spoke through the telephone. endeavor-
ing to have his voice recognized. This
could not be done. as Mr.. Watson was
not familiar with the voice. Mr. Shsie
Zeawa was recognized, Mr.. Watson be-
ing perfectly familiar with his tones.
One Of the assistants in Boston then
said that Hold the Fort would be sung
in Boston. and the tune which followed
was readily recognized. Professor Bell
closed his lecture by briefly stating the
practical uses to which he was confident
the telephone could be applied"
It is really an interesting subject OF
as to what various useful and
agreeable purposes such convenient
c"ntrivance-~ talking telegraph, as it
were, may be put. Among other
things, it might enable audiences in
different remote places. to listen. syn.
enormously, to distinguished lecturers
concert performances. and the like
The public halls beirg connected by the
telephone in the same way as the tele-
graph offices arc by the wires. BY thu:
means poor country churches Nigh, en.
JOY the benefit of the best preaching
talen, by getting telephone connection
between their chapels and the metre.
politan pulpit. People in the interior
by this means, could be -wi,nessc,
to interesting trials in court and thu
forensic displays Of the great lights OF
the bar. To carry surmise a little
farther. If we had but bad it n little
sooner. we, out here on Puget Sound.
might have attended the immortal pro-
ceedings Of the Electoral Commission,
aud listened comfortably to the Presi-
dents inaugural address il piovrit racs.
But Imagination might run wild in such
coniectares anu we foIbear,
II there does not happen to occur
some hitch in the operation If this grea,
wonder, which shall remand it to the
same fate with .he "Avisor," and the
various patents for perpetual motion,
and the philosophers stone. We may
predict that it will serve the same par
pose TO the talking and musical world
that the printing press and TELEGRAPH.
do for the writers AMI readers