Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-05-11
THE TELAUTOGRAPH.-
RESPITE FROM THE HORRORS or
THE HELLO" MACHINE.

Elisha Gray's Latest Invention-A Con-
trivance Which Promises to Beat the
Telephone-Written Messages Dupli-
Gated by Wire, Noise1essly and Exactly.
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 few
days." said the professor the other day, II
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, a fac
simile is produced here. fyou wish to draw
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 OF other occurrence, just as a
reporter telegraphs his description in words.
The two pencils move spontaneously, and
there is no reason why circuit of 500 miles
cannot be worked as easily as one of ten
miles.
"This telautograph will supp1ant the tele-
phone for many purposes. 1t can be worked
in exchanges, just as the telephone is, or by
private wire. 1t has many advantages, too.
It is noiseless and devoid of the many annoy
ances so common to the telephone. 1t will
be much less affected by induction. There
ho 10 I'M or Svl-
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
mercial 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
tions, 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 A 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 the 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 a
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 "30"-wil indi-
cate the end. Both parties have a full record
of the conversation, and each possesses the
others autograph.
SIN 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
commerciallyF'
''Yes. 1t will not cost more than SIS or
$50, and is easily kept in order 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.