The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-03-21
ANTIQUITY OF THE TELEPHoNE.-
The Priests in India Have Used it for Two
Thousand Years.

Thousand Years.
ssThe principle Of the telephone has
been known for 1000 years in India,
was the rather incredible statement made
last night by Fred Ameshury, who has
lust returned to New York after a two
years' soiourn in the land of striped
tigers and wonderful fakirs. ''I do not
assert, mark you," continued Mr.. Ames-
bury, ssthat they use the telephone as
we use it, or that they have any system
of general communication. What l do
say is that the high caste people have a
method of communicating with each
other by vibratory action on dla,
phragm, just as we do, but it is confined
entirely to their temples, and its exist
ence has remained a secret until within
s very lew years.
SIT was in town called PAM, about
200 miles from Madras, and while there
became acquainted with an English
officer named Harrington who was
prime fa7orite with the natives because
on one occasion he had saved priest
from drowning. He was very genial,
pleasant fellow and had that peculiar
magnetism about him that made and
kept friends everywhere.
ssIt was through Harrington that l was
enabled to learn the existence OF tele-
phonic communication and to satisfy
myself of its antiquity.
s'There are two temples in the village
about mile apart. In the interior and
on the ground floor of each is small
circular structure which is guarded day
and night from the natives as well as
from strangers and is supposed to be
the abiding place of the governing
spirit, but In reality is the terminus OF
the telephone line, which is laid under
ground from one building to the other.
seThe superstitious natives regarded
this little structure with the greatest awe
and reverence, because they had seen
demonstrated before their eyes-or
rather ears-the power of this spirit to
communicate with the other temple.
They were required to make their offer
ing in one building, and make known
their wishes and desires. Then immedi-
ately repairing to the second temple
they would be informed of all they had
said and done, although neither priest
had left his post. This was regarded as
demonstration OF the power of the
pn1t.
ave were unable to determine the
composition of the wire that connected
the two buildings. It was some kind o!
metal, but neither steel, copper no,
brass, although it closely resembled the
latter. The transmitter was of wood anc
about the size of the head of -four bar
rel, and to establish connection, instead
of ringing bell, the person wishing tc
attract attention at the other end stooc
close to the curious looking thing ano
shouted, sOoey! ooey! ooey!'
ssThis was answered by similar
shout, which, while faint, was distinct
and could be heard two feet away.
ssAfter Harrington and I had gained
the confidence of the priests-or, rather;
after he had-we were given carte
blanche to do as We pleased, and We
talked to each other from one temple tc
the other for more than an hour, and
were enabled to make an incomplete In
vesigstion.
seWe learned that the telephone that
We saw had bean muse for thirty years
The priests were very old men, and they
remembered that the line of communl
cation had been renewed only once dur
ing their incumbency.
ssThey showed Us the remains o!
worm eaten transmitters and wooder
condnits that must have been hundred!
of years old. They claimed that the
system had been in existence since The
creation, and laughed at US when VIZ
told them that the same principle has
only been applied to England ano
America within the last dozen years. II
every part Of India and in Burmah this
system of secret communication exists.
although hundreds of travellers have
never suspected it. I believe that il
oates back fully two thousand years.