The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-04-27

SOuuuys " way; Out IL WAS TlCH:
and he went into commissions for the
twentieth time that morning. Eden
E. Reztord. in Ballou's Monthly.
PRIMITIVE TELEPHONES.
The Priests OF Indis Have Used Them fos
Two Thousand Years.
"The principle of the telephone ha:
been known for 1000 years in India, !"
was tho rather incredible statement
made by Fred Amesbury. who has just
returned to New York after a two
years sojourn in the land Of striped
tigers and wonderful fakirs. IL dc
not assert. mark you." continued Mr..
Amesbury. 'that they use the telephone
as we use it. or that they have any sys.
tenn of general communication. What
l do say is that the high-caste people
have method of communicating with
each other by vibratory action on a
diaphragm. just as we do. but it is con.
fined entirely. to their temples. and its
existence has remained secret until
within very few years.
81 was in town called PAM, about
two hundred miles from Madras. and
while there became acquainted with an
English officer named Harrington. who
was q prime favorite with the natives
because on one occasion he had saved a
priest from drowning. He was a very
genial, pleasant fellow. and had that
peculiar magnetism about him that
made and kept friends everywhere.
1T was through Harrington that I
was enabled to learn the existence oi
telephone communication and to salts
fy myself of its antiquity.
There are two temples in the village
about a mile apart In the interior
and on the ground floor Of each is a
small circular structure which is
guarded day and night from the ma.
tives rs we'll 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.
1.-The supcrstitious natives regarded
this little structure with the greatest
awe and reverence. because they had
seen demonstrated before their eyes
or rather cars-the power of this
spirit to communicate with the other
temple. They We're required to make
their offering in one building. and
make known their wishes and desires.
Then Immediately repairing to the sec
ond 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 spirit
I'VE were unable to determine the
composition of the wire that connected
the two buildings. 1t was some kind
of metal, but neither steel. copper nor
brass, although it closely resembled
the latter. The transmitter was OF
wood and about the size of the head OF
a flour-barrel. and to establish con-
nection, instead of ringing bell. the
person wishing to attract attention at
the other end stood close to the curious
looking thing and shouted: 'Ooey!
ooey! ooey"
This was answered by similar
shout, which. though faint was dis
tinct and could 10 heard two feet
away.
'.After Harrington and had gained
the confidence of the priests. or. rather,
after he had. we were given a carte
blanche to do as we pleased. and We
talked to each other from one temple
to the other for more than an hour, and
were enabled to make an incomplete in
vestigation.
I'VE learned that the telephone that
we saw had been in use for thirty
years The priests were very old plen.
and they remembered that the line Of
communication had been renewed only
once during their incumbency.
..They showed US the remains OF
worm-eaten transmitters apd wooden
conduits that must have been hundreds
of years old. They claimed that the
system had been in existence since the
creation. and laughed ut us when We
told them that the same principle has
only been applied in England and
America within the last dozen years.
In every part of India and Burmah this
system of secret communication exists,
although hundreds of travellers have
never suspected it. l believe that il
dates back fully two thousand years. ="
IN. T. Sun.