Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-09-29

=. DINaTa
ful grip that allowed This cn,,,-
pany 10 maintain its isolation n Da
market. The facts In the oase n,anr
and interesting. 'Nu
ABOUT Two years ago the average
subscriber OF the Bell Telephone com
pany In this city was dissatisfied with
the service that was being given him
ana much talk passed between the
company and its patrons. The ont.
come OF these difficulties was a meet.
ing OF twelve hundred of the subscrib.
ers At the parlors Of the Continental
hotel, in this city. Here a statement
OF the grievances was made and
explanations were given by officials of
the company, who claimed that the
service was up to the average. The
president of the meeting, w. w. Good.
win, suggested the appointment of A
committee TO draft a resolution asking
Of the Bell company specific state
ment of what the service would be In
the future. No reasonable reply being
made to these requests the COMMITTEES
met and concluded to see what could
be done to improve matters.
About this time a young electrician
who had been in the employ of the
Bell company In New York came to
this city and reported that there was
an old Italian in Cuba who could fur
nish conclusive evidence that he
was the original inventor Of the
telephone, many years antedatlng Ora.
ham Bell in the matter Of filing his
claims in the patent Office at WASH
ingtOn. These reports, following the
statements of other alleged discover
ers, were regarded as ridiculous, but
the matter was placed In the hands
of a party of legal men who made a
thorough research covering many
months. The result of their labor was
| astonishing, and verified the state
ments that had been made. About
this time the matter was placed before
Mr.. Robert Garrett, who gave II over
TO his attorneys for investigation.
They traced the alleged inventor, An
tonic Meucci, to his home in Cuba,
and from numerous disinterested
parties learned he history of his in
ventlon, which was made In
1S49. 1t was conclusively shown by
their report, which was authenticated
by hundreds Of atlidavits, that in 1919,
while experimenting with electrical
currents, he had discovered that the
transmission of electric waves, set in
motion through the medium Of the
human voice, was possible. Working
upon this idea he, by slow degrees, and
with great deal of labor perfected the
details of what was destined to be one
of the most important inventions the
world has ever seen.
The report goes on to show, and all
the statements made are said TO be
matters Of proof, that when the i'm.
portance Of the invention was made
known to the inventor he obtained
money enough to come to the United
States, where he was to file his papers
aud models and reap the reward of his
discovery. Upon reaching New Yorb
he placed the invention in the hands
of a certain party, who was the presi
dent of great telegraph corporation
The merits of the invention wer,
talked over and arrangements were
made by which the Italian was tC
leave his papers and models with the
telegraph official. who was to have his
electrical expert examine them and
determine as to their value.
The matter here rested until 1871
when Meucci fearing trouble with thu
parties who held his papers, appeared
ut the patent office at Washington and
actually filed caveat, in which
he describes his invention as 'sound
telegraphing.n This caveat was foul
time 8 renewed, but owing TO financial
troubles letters patent were not issued
to Meucci. Four years after Grnhan
Bell filed a caveat and applied fol-
patents, which he easily obtained
This latter caveat, IL is claimed, bore {
striking resemblance TO the first in III
specifications, and IL Is further alleged
that Mr.. Bell was the electrical exper
of the telegraph company whose presi
dent had possession of the origlna
models and papers of the Italian.
These reports being 80 well authentl
Gated, a company was organized called
the Globe Telephone Company o
America, with the following well
4 known capitalists as directors ant
stockholders. Robert Garrett, VIM
Keyser, James Sloan, Jr., of Balti
more; Albert PRncoast, Philadelphia
Alan p. Smith, James McHenry, o
London; William l.. Scott of Erie; ID
II. Bates, John II. B. Latrobe ant
Howard Munickhuysen OF Baltimore
The express purpose Of the compan,
was to purchase the interests of Ante
MO Mencci and the claims Of certal
Inventor, George +. Shaw of Chicago
This strong organization resulted i
decisive steps. A sub-company was {
once formed at Baltimore, with car
ital stock of $1,000. 900, and arrange
ments made for the establishment Q
telephone exchange, which is a
| ready under way. A like snb-com
pany, 1t is said. will soon be forme
here and active steps taken to max
competition in a telephone way a
active as the present telegraphic con
: petition.
, TO MY MOTHER.