The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-05-13
PREACHING BY TELEPHONE.
How the Same Sermon Was Heard
at Once in Six Cities
and Tovxync

and Towns.
New York Sun: The congrega-
ton of Plymouth church, Brooklyn
was widely scattered yesterday, for
the sermons were transmitted to
various points in New York and
New Jersey through the telephone.
The tIansmitters in the church were
placed under the Mount Olivet ta-
BILE on the platform. The instru-
ments were arranged by Mr.. Charles
E Chinook. the electrician of the
Bell Telephone Company, 30 that
whichever way the preacher turned
his words were caught up, even as
he walked up and down his fifteen
foot rostrum, and carried along the
circuit. Instruments were placed
in the Brooklyn office at 342 Fulton
street, at the home of Mr.. Aired f.
Beach, Nineteenth street, New
York; at the executive Office of the
company, Twenty first street, New
York; at Newark and Orange; at
the home of Mr.. Chinook, Nassau
street, Brooklyn; at the home OF
Robert Brown, Carlton avenue; at
the Nassau-street, New York, office;
at the Jersey City branch office, and
at the home of Mr.. II. w. Pope,
General Superintendent of the
company, at Elizabeth. This was
the first attempt to transmit n ser
mon on such an extended scale, and
was regarded as sufficiently sue
cessful to demonstrate the possi-
bility of distributing sermon to
any number of hearers.
Owing to the necessity of con
cealing the transmitters from the
congregation, as well as to the
drawback of having but one wire,
the sound was not at all times dis
tinct, but was interrupted by in
quiries from various points on the
circuit. When the preacher thumped
his Bible there was a whiz and
whirr that was anything but solemn.
The music of the choir of the
congregation and the soloist were
heard plainly all over the circuit,
but the big organ sounded like a
very diminutive melodeon. The
sermons were rather disconnected,
from the fact that the listeners at
the instruments were constantly
changing, and occasionally the wires
would get crossed or the plugs
pulled out, so that the discourse
would get mixed with messages.
The morning sermon ran something
like this:
"What can be more pitIful Hal
10! Hallo! than The specacle re-
Gently presented at West Point2
I Halo! Chin-referring to Mr..
Chinook, the electrician-dou't
cut me of. How is the young
man treated? There. you've cut
me off again. He was ostracised
by his comrades. Halo, Beach
Halloll Insults were showered
upon him. Put that plug in
little tighter. He works his way
onward. But the detestable preju
dice of those who should have been
his comrades and associates Stop
calling and listen, will you? single
him out Brown, be quiet for per-
secution, and the brutal whirr-r-r!
by the preacher pounding
the table cowardly outrage here
a sound like the clashing of Gym
balls with accounts of which the
have been teeming for
a week, is committed upon him."
AS soon as all the listeners got
quiet, however, the sermons were
heard with distinctness, and when
The number of listeners OF the cir.
cult was decreased, the sound be
came much more distinct than
when the circuit was open for all.
Mr.. Chinook said that with a sep
lrate transmitter and a separate
wire there would be no trouble
whatever in hearing the whole Of
any service without interruption.
The peculiar tone and accent of the
preacher were easily recognizable,
and the sermon might have been
heard by any one OF the $500 per
sons who are in communication
with the Bell Telephone Company.
Mr.. Chinook says that it would be
possible for a preacher to stay at
home and preach his sermon to a
of 10000 at their
homes.