Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-29

railroad, left this city for st. Louis at9.l5
this A. NJ
rhe Dakota Bill.
Inc House committee on territories TODAY
ordered an adverse report on the Senate bill
to admit the Southern half of Dakota into the
Union OF States. The report will not be
made until action is taken on the other bills
REGARDING the admission of Dakota
The Telephone Hearing.
Prof, Alexander Graham Bell was the first
witness summoned when the telephone inves-
tgating committee met this morning The
chairman pointed out that the specifications
of 1876. upon which the witness had received
his original telephone patent, did not contsn
the word "telephone, and inquired at what
time he first coined the word.
The witness said that the word telephone"
was not new. He had call, d the instrument
speaking telephone to distinguish it from
an earlier instrument intended to transmit
sound. He could not say when he had irst
used the term
Ranney and Eden wished to know if the
chairman intended to go into the question of
the patent, to which he replied that he did
not. He merely wished to pursue in the case
OF the Bell company the line of inquiry pur-
sued in the case of the formation of the Pan
Electric company. He then asked what in
ventions the witness had transferred to
Saunders and Hubbard.
He replied that he had transferred inven-
tions relative to the production and trans
mission of sound by electricity. Saunders
son had been the witness pupil and Hubbard
was his father-n-law. Saunders and Hub
bard were to contribute all the means nec-
essary to further experimentation and defray
the expenses of litigation and of the taking
out of patents.
Chairman Boyle-So they paid you no d-
rect compensation for your interest?
Witness-Nothing further than have de-
scrbed.
The chair desired to know what the witness
had done with his telephone interest, to which
he replied that he had made gift of his in.
terest to his wife when he left for Europe.
The chairman asked whether the interest
had not been transferred to the National Bell
Telephone Go.
The witness replied that she had left the
power of attornery when she sailed for Eu-
rope. She had received an equivllant amount
of stock to that she had held in the original
Bell Telephone Co., so that in the case of
the American Bell Co. she was now one of
largest holders of stock.
CHdlT TtndH-oO lIdt DSI eH-1DllilOU uOlldT
interest has grown from the original one
third interest in this instrument from 1876 to
1880?
The witness replied in the affirmative. He
said that he was ashamed to acknowledge 1t
but he was very ignorant concerning the bus
mess transactions of the company. The in
struments in use today were the same as
those described in his specifications though
many valuable improvements had been made
in the matter of details.
Hall inquired whether the Bell Co. had not
bOnght up great number of telephone in
ventions only to get them out of the way, to
lay them on the shelf.
The witness replied that they had been
tested and the best of them were put in use.
Prof Bell was examined relative to an ar
ticle furnished by Gen. Syphers. He didn't
wish to violate confidence, but would produce
Gen. Syphers' note accompanying the article
if the committee insisted
Mr., Boyle did insist and the witness read
the note as follows:
"WAsHINGToN, Oct. %.
Alex G. Bell:
Dear sir-I hand you herewith an authen-
tic statement of facts compiled by my asso-
ciate, E. n. Hill which may interest you.
The scheme to destroy your patents was tol.
eraby well matured and it remains to be
be seen whether this reform administration
will lend itself to i; consummatioD.
Truly yours,
j. HALE SYPHERs,'
The article enclose by Syphers was ther
read and proved to be identical with the
world publication. 1t is understood that the
editors of the New York Tribune and World
and the Washington correspondents of these
iaurnals will be examined tomorro.