Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-01-29

organlzsd The company, and managed it
after the manner of men skilled in the de-
velopmsnt of corporate wealth, its financial
success was ASSURED Nobody knows now
much money has been made for the original
stockholders, but everybody knows that
dazzling fortunes have been acquired in
. almost no Tina Bat nobody realizes bet
ter than Mr.. Bell that his telephone is
not yet perfected. Far from it. Il does
not always work satisfactorily, and as a
general thing, for long distances is prac-
tically worthless as yet 1t some times is a
nuisance. as when the user is cut off or in
other ways that suggest themselves to ali
users So Bell is as diligently at work now
as when he was first planning it to see
where the impr ovements can be made.
Other companies doubtless have improve
ments, great ones, but these have been
patented, although the patents avail little,
because all these telephones make use of
the electric current for the trans mission Of
the voice.
There has been Of late unques-
tionably something Of reaction
on the part of the publ especially
in New England, from the high favor
in which the telephone was held. This has
been partly due to the charges, partly to
inefficiency, and partly because many GUS
toners have come to regard these instru-
ments as more of bother than benefit.
In Lowell, Holyoke Stamford and Green
witch .ery serious and org anized opposition
has been developed, SO that large percent.
age of instruments have been ordered out
Some shopkeepers say that their telephones
are nuisances, because people are contin-
ually calling them up on all sorts of foolish,
trivial matters, thereby taking their time,
and often provoking them to unses mly irri-
tation. But the experience of the tel phone
people has been that peope who have once
used the tele phone sooner or later order it
put up again.
There prevails an IMPRESSION among capt.
talists who have given some attention to
money possibilities in telephones, that the
Bell people do lot expect always to defend
their bonanza, so as to keep it monopoly.
Such capitalists profess to think that the
shrswd fnan ciers of the Bell company are
aware that telephoning will be declared
some day as free TO all as telegra phing, and
that all any company can do will be to pro-
tect its instrument by patent. Whether
this is a correct opinion or not, it prevails,
and to it is largely due the willingness of
capitalists to look with favor upon any
telephone scheme. Inventors now have no
difficulty in getting monsyed men to ex-
anime and look into theic telephone inven.
lions, and there are some very superior
ones in the market
A sergeant in the United States 81 gnal
corps invented a field telephone a marvel
of simplicity as well as ingenuity, an in
strument so simple and yet so perfect that
it could be expose1 for weeks to the wealth
er in field or lie buriel in an ash heap
and not be in jured. The signal office made
use of these instruments daily with perfect
satisfaction, but mewhat to the annoy
ance Of the Ball people, who were disposed
to make some fuss about it.
A Washington stove dealer invented a
house telephone, simple little contrivance,
making use of gas and water pipes instead
of wires, attached to which in each room
was a transmitter and receiver But he
was informed that his machine was an in
fringement of the Bell, though he used no
electrical current, and he abandoned his in
tention Of making business of furn ishing
these Instruments in houses.
The simplest telephone in existence, and
one that will probably be left undisturb,d
by the great corporation, is in oper alton in
Fayetteville, N C. 1t is an old telegraph
wire, each end fastened into thin sheet of
wood, and its total distance about quarter
of mile, extending from the hotel Office to
the livery stable. Yet, rule as it is, it
serves its purpose admirably, carry ing the
voice over the wire with perfect c1earness,
though one has to use some considerable
lung mower.