San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-10-26
EDISON ECLIPSED.
4 Hoosier Imrenfs az Instrument Superior
to the Telephone.

An invention that far outstrips Ed
sons telephone in transmitting sound
and in simplicity and cheapness OF con
struction, has been invented by an In
diana young man, Mr.. Israel d. Jewett
assisted by his father, Mr.. II. d. Jewett
The place where this invention, which
has been called the agophone, came to
light is little village of one hundred
inhabitants. st. Omer, lies two
miles from the railroad town of st. Paul,
in the indianapolis, Cincinnati and
Louisville railroad, about thirty-seven
miles from indianapolis. Father and
son are proprietors of drug store
printing office, musical instrument store,
post-ofl and general repairing shops,
all in the same building. The instru-
ment they have invented is now in
operation between their general utility
shop and their residence, quarter OF
mile away. The difference between
this instrument and Edison's telephone
is that it does not have to be held to
the mouth and shouted into by the
speaker while the listner must hold his
ear to the tube to hear the faint sounds.
In the agophone the speaker stands ten
feet away from the instrument, and his
voice is heard distinctly at the other
end of the line Mt an equal or greater
distance from the instrument. Tho in
vention was inspected by II reporter on
Saturday, who found group OF wonder
ing neighbors gathered to hear and see
the great invention. A conversation
was in progress between the elder jew
EFT, in the store, and his wife at their
residence. Mr.. Jewett was leaning OIL
the counter, three or four feet away
from the little box, which was the in
strument. He spoke in a natural, easy
tone, not especially, directing his voice
to the instrument. The answers came
back with such distinctncss that they
were understood equally as well i'll the
further corner of the store rs at the mouth
of the instrument. Mrs. Jewett was
asked to sing, and the words of "Ovel
There" came with all the sweetness that
would have been heard if the singer
had been in an adjoining room. Mr.
Jewett went home and, Mt the request
of his son, took seat eight feet from
the instrument and played the "Arkan-
sas Traveller on his violin. Every note
was heard distinctly, not only in the
store, but on the street and in the rear
yard, which is separated by another
room from the store. The closing of
door, sweeping the floor, footsteps and
conversation between Mrs. Jewett and
others in her room all were heard in
the drug store The ticking of watch
placed in the instrument was heard at
the other end of the line. The inventor
is reticent about the principles of his
instrument. 1t has no battery and no
magnet unless there is magnet most
artfully concealed. All that can be seen
of the agophone is a little box, open in
front. with black walnut sides, the back
of thin iron plate. About IN inch in
front of the iron plate is as thin pine
board forming a partition across the
box. 1t has an opening about an inch
in diameter, from which a small funnel
of thin copper plate runs back through
the iron end of the box, and closing on
Il small brass wire. The brass wire ex-
tends out about two yards and connects
with copper wire, which forms the con-
Meeting medium. The instrument at
the other end If the line is the same.
Mr.. Jewett does not offer an explanation
of his principle, except to say that the
copper funnel is Il vibrator. He is eX-
ceedingly anxious about securing letters
of patent. and seems afraid to tell too
much before that end is attained.
Limited InteIlig nee Of Insects.