The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-02-21
The Future OF the Telephone.

The possibilities of the telephone
awaken in the public mind degree of
interest unsurpassed even in this pro-
life age of inventions. Only thirty
years have passed away since the tele-
graph took its place permanently
among the triumphant achievements Of
the nineteenth century. This marvel
GUS invention placed Shakespeare 5
suggestion of putting girdle round the
earth in forty minutes among the
propacsies. And this wonderful and
prophetic flight of imagination, uttered
by the great dramatist, has lost much
of its Importance by becoming an actual
fact. But when we reflect that it was
merely an expression of y general aspi-
ration common among the people in
his day, it is still further Invested of its
significance. The opinion was widely
entertained in Shakespeare time that
it was possible to establish immediate
communication between persons far re-
moved from each other. Sir Thomas
Brown, who was contemporary OF
Shakespeare, in his famous book on
Vulgar Errors,' in discussing various
notions then prevalent in regard to the
properties of the lOadstOne, SAYS:
"There is another of better notice
and whispered through the world with
some attention; credulous and vulgar
auditors readily believing it and more
iudicious and distinctive heads not al
together rejecting it. The conceit is
excellent, and if the effect would follow,
somewhat divine, whereby we might
communicate like spirits and confer on
earth with Mcnippus in the moon.
And this is pretended from the sympa-
thy of two needles, touched with the
same loadstone and placed in the cen
ter of two abecedary circles or rings,
with letters described round about
them, one friend Keeping one and
another the other. and agreeing upon
an hour wherein they will commune
cate. For then, saith tradition, at
what distance of place soever, when one
needle shall be removed unto any letter.
the other by a wonderful sympathy will
move unto the same.'
1t will thus be seen that the idea was
by no means uncommon ut that period.
And the widespread interest which has
greeted its realization in our day is NO
doubt largely due to the fact that it is
the accomplishment of desire that
has been cherished for ages. Although
this wonderful instrument gives prom.
Use of great things in the future, it is
at present surrounded with serious de-
fects, which, no doubt, time and ex.
perience will greatly modify, if not en-
tirely remove. The excessive royalty
demanded by the inventors of this USE
full instrument tends to limit its EN-.
ployment, and consequently restricts
the range of experience and observa-
ton necessary to its improvent. Still,
it will serve to stimulate the spirit OF
invention by devising means CT i'm.
provement. Already this has been
manifested in the rapid multiplication
of instruments designed to supersedt
the original one. This spirit Of com.
petition will doubtless result in the
production of cheaper and more per.
feet instruments at no distant day
The main obstacles encountered al
present are the feebleness of the sounds
given off and their liability to become
lost during transmission by contact
with disturbing causes. These obsta.
cles are by no means to be regarded as
insurmountable. When we consider
the enormous Improvements which
superseded the original telegraphic
instruments, there is every reason to be
assured that improvements no less inn
portant will be made in the case of the
telephone. Scientific publications arc
even now largely occupied in giving
prominence to improved methods fol
the utilization of this grand invention
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