The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-02
WRIT ING BY TELEGRAPH.
Elisha Gray's Invention for Sending Let
tiers by Wire.

tiers by Wire.
Electricity is the good genius Of thi
century. Those who know most abou
il saw that what we have done with i
in the past is but a trille compared
with what we may hope 10 do with i
in the future. There are people who
expect some dag TO be able to call ;
distant friend by wire, see his image
in mirror, hear his voice, and, if de
sired, get his exact signature to a sub
scription paper or a check.
These things may al come. A
present we get along with an inter
mittent and exaspcrating repetition OF
the voice over the wire, having nc
means Of determining the identity OIL
our iuterlocutOr, no certainty of get
ting his words accurately and nc
record Of what he says Cases are re
ported where ingenious rascals have
secured considerable sums by cieyerly
initiating over the telephone the voice
of wealthy business men; in other
cases orders to buy or sell goods OF
securities have been rcpudlatcd by
those who gave them by telephone,
while the simple plumbers caused by
faulty telephone transmission would
fll volumes
Elisha Gray. the well known Illinois
inventor, rece ly patented a device to
insure accuracy and accountability
over the electric wire The sender Of
message can write 10 out at his desk,
and an exact reproduction Of the writ
ing will be made 90 the other end Of
the circuit There have been previous
attempts at transmitting fac-slmlles of
writing, but inventions which de
pended upon variation In the in
lensity Of the current or upon reyolv.
ing cylinders proved unsatisfactory.
Mr.. Gray's device consists of two
current interrupters at the sending end
and pair Of electro motors at the ne.
ceiying end. The sender uses either
pen or pencil. near the point of which
are attached two threads running al
right angles to each other. These
threads are kept at an even tension
automatically, and each one passes 10
a current inteTupter set into the tele
graphic circuit When the pen moves
to the right the current is broken a.
great number of times for a small
movement. When il moves TO the left
the current is reversed and Is similarly
interrupted. The same arrangement
prevails ON the movement Of the pen
up and down The writer can write
or sketch as rapidly and as freely as if
he had no tele@aphic attachment.
At the receiving end there are two
electro magnets fitted with rods set at
right angles 10 each other so pivoted
rs to give any motion desired to the
pen which they carry 40 their inter
section. When a series Of breaks M
the current IS caused by a motion Of
the sending pen 10 the right The mag
net draws the lateral rod also to thc
right Similarly upward motion Is
gwen by the vertical rod. Left hand
ed or downward strokes of the sending
pen are reproduced by tho receiving
pen IN the same manner COnse
quentlv every motion made ON the
paper az one end of the wire is copied
with faultless cxucmcss at the other
end When the pen Is taken off or q
new line is begun am automatic device
operates with the same result on the
receiving pen.
The telautograph, as Mr Gray calls
his invention, therefore not only in
sures accuracy, but it so exactly copies
the sendors handwriting as to hold
him accountable for what he has writ
ten. while he retains for bis own
guidance the original OF the message
Tho experiments made
show that there is no difference I'm the
handwriting at the two ends of the
wire. except that which is incident TO
the use OF the stylographic pen at the
receiving end.-Ncw York Herald.