Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-01
We want youp business duriug April.
Can We have ia
FORT WORTH GROCER Co.
THE TELEPHONE NOT NEW,
The Principle of 1t Knnwn and Used BY the
prisse of India for Centuries.
New York Graphic,

The Principle of II Knrwn and Used BY hi
prissir of India for Centuries.
New York Graphic,
1.-THE principe OF the telephone has
besn kno wn for 1000 years in Indis," was
the rather incredible ststemen,
made last night by Fred Ames
bury, who has Just returned to New
York after a two years sci ,urn ia
Inc land Of striped tigers and wonderful
continued Mr.. Amesbury, "tbal
use 1t, or that they have any
system of general communication
What do say Is thai the high Caste PEG
pie have a me,hod Of communicating witt
each other by MIGRATORY action on .
diaphragm, Just as we do, but it is COL
dned entirely to their t. IMPLIES, and its tx.
Istence has remained secret until with D
a very few years.
81 was in town call Psi j, about 200
miles from Madras. and wine there re.
csine acquainted with en- EIglish ffic +
nameu Harrington, who Was prime IA
orite with the natives because on
one occuasion he h,d saved .
priest from drowning. He was q
very genial, pleasant I, low and had that
pt cutler magnetic m about him that made
and kept friends everywhere.
II. wa through q harrington that WAS
enabled to learn the existence OF tele-
phonic communication and to satisfy my
self Of its sL'iguity.
"Tnere are Two temples in the village
about mile spsrt. In the interior at
on the ground f )or of each is small
circular structure which is guarded day
aud light from the ns'iv, IS well az
from straugers, an is sunp sed to De the
abiding place OF the governing spirit
hut in reality Is the terminus of the tee
phone linz, which 1s lsid underground
from one building to the other.
"The superstiti0us natives regarded
this little structure with the greatest awe
aud reverence, because they had seer
demonstrated before their eYes-or
rather ears-the power Of this
spirit to communicate with the
other temple. They were required 10
make their Offering in one buiiulng, and
make known their wis es and desires
Then Immediately repsiriDg to the second
temple they would be informed # all
they had said and done, although neither
priest had left his post. This was
Of the spirit.
1--WE sre unable to determine the com
position of the wire that come cred To.
two buildings 1t was some kind +
metal, but neither steel, copper nor
brass, although II closely reeemt led tb,
latter. The trsnsmitter WAS #
wood and about The size Of the
bead Of Q -four barrel, and TO establish
connection, instead Of ringing bell, ,he
person wishing to attract attention at the
other end stood close TO the curious
locking thing and shouted, 'Ooeyl ooey!
ooeyp
"This WAS answered by similar shout
which, while faint, WAS distincr, and
could be heard TWO feet away.
"Afser Harrington and had gained the
confidence OF the prie.ts-or rather, nfte T
ne had-we were given carte hlsucbe to
do as we pleased, and we talked to each
other from ne temple to the other for
more than an hour, and we're enabled to
make an Incomplete inves igation.
"W learned that the telephone that we
saw had teen in use for thirty yesIs. The
priests are very old men, and they re-
rendered that the line Of communication
had been rene we'd only once curing sneif
incumbency.
HThey showed Us the remains Of the
worm-eaten transmit,ers and wooden
conduits that must have been hundreds Of
years old. They Claimed that the sysle II
| n.d been In existence since the cresiiep,
and laughed st Us when we told them
INST the came principle has only
been applied In E gland sno
Americs within the last doz years. l.
every part Of Indis aud in Burmsh thi.
system OF secret communication exists.
lalth1ugb hundreds Of travellers have neyet
auspe - = elieve that It dA.es bach
fully 2eoe yeazs.n