The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-02
TO CONTINUE IN STATU QUO.
No Telephones Will Be Taken Out Until
Pending Negotiations Are Ended.
The Proof Which DR.. Cushman Offers In Sup
port of His Claims that He Is the Orig
inal Telephone Inventor.

along came an order countermanding any re-
movals until further notice. In the event that
nothing comes of the proposition of the syndi-
cate of citizens to take the service and continue
it. which question will be definitely settled within
day two MIR. Wallick thinks the work of
taking out the instruments will be begun as the
executive officers of the company originally in
tended. Last night Mr.. Brownsll left for Chi
cago with proposition from citizens to manage
the service for one year, in order to preserve the
plant, and incidentally to ascertain by expert
ence the actual cost of operating telephone
system This proposition was considered yes
terday by Mr.. Wallick and Mr. Brownell on be-
half of the company, and Messrs. Martindale,
Malott, Foster and Holiday. The purpose of
the last-named gentlemen is to take the plant
and operate it for one year at an actual cost Of
service. All subscribers come in as partners, on
their agreement to submit to the conditions
that may be required. They will not rent
telephones, for that cannot be done, but each
subscriber will agree to bear proportion Of the
general expense his instrument may hold to the
cost OF operating the service. If the system can
be managed at a cost of So 80 per month for each
instrument then the subscriber is to pay So. 80.
and no more, for that period. or $50 per year If
it costs So, 81 or So per instrument, then the
subscriber will pay whatever the sum may be.
The management of the system will be intrust-
ed to ten directors, and the Central Union COM
pany is to have nothing to do with it. 1t is
agreed that the greater the number of subscrib-
ers the less will be the cost for each instrument,
and as the subscribers increase the cost to each
will be decreased.
Mr.. Wack was asked what the
company would receive under the syn
dictate arrangement He did not enter into the
details or general scheme of the propositions, as
he did not think it act of courtesy to the citi
zens having the matter in charge to speak of 1t
without their consent "But," he continued.
''the company will get practically nothing for
the use of its property. probable loss Will be
sustained on the deterioration of the property
While this is pending, telephones will be re-
moved. The gentlemen at the head of the plan
assume all risks. If the subscribers fail to come
in as largely as under the old system, it will be
at the loss OF those who trying to perfect
this continuation of the service"
Last evening number of gentlemen met at
room No 80, in the Bates House. by invitation
OF Mr. Bailey. representing the American Cush-
man Telephone Company, to hear DR.. Sylvanus
ID. Cushman. the inventor, explain the working
OF his telephone and give proofs of his claim of
priority of invention over Bell and all the other
telephone inventors DR.. Cushman Is a fine.
looking gentleman, sixty-seven years old, Yer
monter by birth. now residing at New Lisbon,
o., Of which city he was mayor for several
years He comes with overwhelming amount
| of testimony, much of it in affdavits.. going to
show that he invented telephone in 1851, at Ra-
cine Wis. Among the gentlemen present were
Councilfnen Thalman. Pearson, Dunn. Smith,
Cummings, Stuckmeyer and Haugh and Alder
men Schmidt and King
The Doctor has been an electrician for forty
two years, is one of the oldest telegraph men in
the country, and has made number of inven-
tons, among which are Cushman's re-alarm tel
egraph and Cushman's cable lightning-rod. The
reporter was going to put down among his inven-
tons lightning -arrester. Don't mention that
said the Doctor modestly. 'tIt was a very crude
affair, good enough in its day, but would be OF
little account now.'
The Doctor, who appears to understand his
subject thoroughly, read number of afidavits
of persons giving testimony that they saw his
speaking boxes as they called them, at Racine
| talked through them, and received messages
through them 1t was while making lightning
arrester that the Doctor accidentally discovered
the telephone. He showed to the alder
men, councilmen and others who were
present photographs of the instru-
ments made in 1851. and, besides these,
a very important document bearing the sigma
ture of .'fhe American Bell Telephone Compa-
ny, by W. II. Forbes, president" and dated May
16, 1882. This instrument bound Sylvanus D.
Cushman, to whom the Bell obligated itself to
pay 500 month for three years, to 'immedi-
ately give to the company full and complete
description of all inventions heretofore referred
to which ne has heretofore made; to place in its
possession all instruments. or parts thereof, and
all drawings sketches, descriptions, notes or
memoranda relating thereto with a full history
of all that has been done in relation thereto and
the names Of all persons who have been in any
way connected Herewith, or had knowledge
thereof and not voluntarily, without consent of
the company, to name such invention to any other
party"
s'You see,' said the Doctor II knew that had
something, and the Bell folks knew as we'll as
did what [ had. l did not sign this agreement,
which expired last May, without good legal adj
vice, and that paper will be important in the
chain of evidence Ihave, establishing my claim to
priority in the invention. My first telephones
were very roughly made and l read to you
few minutes ago, they were first used at Racine
and next near Rochester Wisconsin, where I
was putting up telegraph wire, in telephoning
across swamp. Our diaphragm piece of
an old saw, nearly worn out, cut up in square
pieces and tackled under the under side of lid
through which was hole. We put in two
magnets, as here, only they were little further
apart. The invention like that of Bell, was of
little account until Blake came along with his
transmitter. Take away the transmtter
and the telephone would go out of use
except where silence and the most favorable
conditions prevail. What did Blake do2 Only
what Ezra Cornell did for Morses magnetic tele-
graph. Ezra Cornell invented local circuit
which enabled Morse to work. Blake invented
local circuit which enabled Bell and Cushman to
work. That's all. What fools we were that we
wasted so much time trying to make it talk
louder by making the diaphram into different
shapes. Bells patent governs the receiver-the
act of teephoning as set forth in Bells fifth
claim. Prior to the transmitter my telephone
and Bells was used as transmitter as we'll as
receiver-the art of telephoning or trans
hitting artculate speech by an induced
current or any current of electricity
Any instrument whatever you take up
to speak with is an infringement upon the Bell.
There are thirteen hundred patents for rele-
phone attachments. since Bells patent, and none
can be operated if his patent is good.
Mr.. Bailey says if the Cushman company is
given the privilege of the streets and alleys of
indianapolis, they will 60 to work Immediately
and within ninety days will have FIVE hundred
Cushman instruments in. Any telephone can
hook onto this line-the Bell, Brown, or any
other-and all that will be required will be fair
rental DR.. Cushman will remain at the Bates
House until IL o'clock this evening" and anyone
desiring To talk telenhnna win be M ada rrelcorna