Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-27
THE TELAUT0GRAPH.
RESPITE FROM THE HORRORS OF
THE HELLO" MACHINE.

Elisha Gray's Latest Invention-A Con.
trivance Which Promises to Beat the
TeIephone-Written Messages Dupli-
Gated by Wire, Noiselessly and Exactly.
Professor Elisha Gray, o5 Highland Parl1.
has Just completed an invention scarcely less
wonderful and valuable than the telephone,
of which he was also the inventor, but of
which he was defrauded ''Within a few
days. said the professor the other day, ~
shall give private test of my new telauto-
graph, an invention which will largely sup
plant the telephone. By this invention you
can sit down at your office in Chicago, take
pencil in your hand write message to me,
and as your pencil moves pencil here in my
laboratory moves simultaneously and forms
the same letters and words in the same way.
What you write in Chicago is instantly re-
produced here in fac-simile. You may write
in any language; write in shorthand if you
like, use code or cipher, no matter, fac
simile is produced here. If you wish to draw
a picture it is the same-the picture is repro
duced here. The artist of your paper can,
by this device, telegraph his pictures of a
railway wreck or other occurrence, just as a
reporter telegraphs his description in words
The two pencils move spontaneously, and
there is no reason why circuit Of 900 miles
cannot be worked as easily as one Of ten
miles
This telautograph will supplant the tele-
phone for many purposes. 1t can be worked
in exchanges, just as tie telephone Is, or by
private wire. 1t has many advantages, too.
1t is noiseless and devoid of the many annoy
ances so common to the telephone. It viii
be much less affected by induction. There
will be no trouble in catching words or syl-
tables, letters or figures. No misunderstand-
ings will result. Besides, it leaves a record
at both ends of the wire, and there can be no
dispute about what was said. For all COM
mercia transactions this would be an in
valuable feature. In ordering goods, or sales
of stocks or grain, or in transmitting names
or addresses its superiority over the tele-
phone is obvious. For desultory CONVERSE
lions, it is true, it would not be SO rapid of
working, for the reason that one cannot
write as fast as he can talk, but, on the other
hand, it would save many Of the delays and
annoyances incident to telephone communi-
cation.
WRITING MESSAGE.
"When one person wishes to communicate
with another by the telautograph he pushes
a button, which rings an annunciator in the
exchange, or in the Office of tho person with
whom he wishes to converse. Then the first
party takes his writing pencil from its holder
and this may be pen or pencil-and writes
his message upon a roll of paper. As he
writes SO writes the pencil at the other end of
the wire. Finishing his message, he adds
cross, or any other simple token that he has
finished, when the second party takes down
his pencil and writes reply. Thus con-
versation can be carried on easily and quickly,
and when it is finished another simple word
say the telegraphic signal "3o"-win indi
cate the end Both parties have full record
of the conversation, and each possesses the
others autograph.
''In writing" continued the professor,
your pen or pencil is attached to two small
wires, and these wires regulate the currents
which control the pencil at the other end of
the wire. But these wires give you no
trouble. You hardly know they are there,
and can write with as much facility as if they
were absent"
"Can this invention be used to advantage
Eyes. 1t will not cost moro than S15 or
$50, and is easily kept in order. l have tried |
it again and again, and it works more per-
fectly than the telephone, and is much less
liable to have its usefulness interfered with |
by induction Chicago Herald.