Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-03-10

AN OPERATOR IN BOSTON HEARS ms Ac.
DIrNcE APPLAUD IN sALRN, IiGnTEEN
MILES AWAY.
rar TRANSMISSION OF SOUND BIZ TrLs-
GRAPH.

Another possible use Of the electric
wire promises 10 startle the world AMI
revolutionize all accepted ideas in re-
gard To communication with persons ut
a distance. People are not yet done
wondering over the changes in the
world made by the telegraph but IL
seems likely that the difference between
the old methods of communication aud
the methods in use in the present con-
di,ion OF the telegraph may prove real
" less wonderful than the difference
between COMMUNICATION by the existing
tedious. system OF Signals aud commuui.
cation as We shall doubtless have it in
the perfection of the telephone or sound
telegraph. In the first stage Of great
invention we have always, OF course,
the most striking fact in It's history; but
if We had now all our great inventions
in their first stage we should find many
OF them of comparatively little value.
There is no great modern invention
actually in use in the condition in which
it was irst put forth. Iucessant im-
provement aud adaptation to difficulties
to BE- overcome constitute as important
features in the history of the great ini.
plements aud processes ofcivilzaiion rs
the first discoveries themselves. II has
been said that franklin caught tho
lightning, Morse put il in harness, aud
House taught it the English language
"A picturesque aud humorous way sf
stating the truth TO which we refer; that
the successive improvements give q
great invention all its practical valae.
Ii the discovery OF the method CT trans
hitting the sounds of the human voice
through great distance by the electric
wire shall prove. upon ampler cxsmins.
ton, as successful as now appears. II
will revolulionize the now enormous
use of the telegraph. liza banker or
grain dealer, instead Of receiving, M
now, few fragmebtary words from his
agent ia Chicago, can go TO the telc-
graph office and there hold eli easy con-
versation with the agent ia the Chicago
office, distance will DO annihilated in q
way more practical than has been
dreamed of hitherto.
The Boston Globe Of Tuesday, tho
18th. has despatch three quarters OF
column long, which was spoken in Sa.
lem and heard and printed in Boston.
Professor Graham A. Bell, the inventor
OF the wonderful system, gave lecture
about the telephone in Salem, and to II.
lustrate its working capacity he had
the operator il Boston give the audi
ence the news from Washington. Every
word was heard all ever the hall. aud
the spectators were 80 astoDisbcd that
they broke into applause, and what 10
marvellous, the applause was heard in
the Boston office, eighteen miles away.
The Globe says:-"Coughing aud sing.
;aas IL; ;w7sre linen beard, and "a variety Of
questions were then sskedsfrom the Sa.
lem end, and among them, what news
from the Electoral Commissioni' follow
ed by the distinct answer of i dou't
know Of any. But the news came feet
ing along that the engineers of the Bos-
ton and Maine railroad had struck.
General Cogswell asked if trains were
running; thu answer was clear aud dis
tinct that they were not at half past Eve
o'clock. Professor Bell introduced the
Rev. 4 q. Bohes, who said, i shake
hands with you cordially in imagination
twenty miles away The Rev. 4. 8.
Atwood asked, Docs Il rain 7 1t does
not in Boston,, was Mr.. Watson's an.
swer. Professor Gage, the electrician,
then spoke through the telephone, en-
deavoring to have his voice recognised.
This could not be doro. as Mr. Watson
was not familiar with the voice. DR..
Shaje Zsaws was recognised, Mr.. Wat.
son being perfectly familiar with hs
tones. One of the assistants in Boston
then said that Hold the Fort would be
sung in Boston, aud the tuue which fpl.
lowed WAS readily recognised. Proies-
sor Bell closed bis lecture by briefly
stating the. practical uses TO Which ho
was confident the telephone could DO
applied. Hearty applause was afforded
the lectarer as he finished, and tHe pro-
pie focked about the stage 10 largo
numbers TO more closely examine the
wonderful instrument that bad pIsced
them in audible communication with
people nearly twenty miles away. The
lecture and experiment were m unqaal.
lied success. 80