Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-09-14
sUpERIoR TO T8E TELEpHoNE.
The Latest Invention Transmits Writing
by Electricity.

The Latest Invention Transmits Writing
by Electricity.
From the Indianapolis Journal
A pleasant-faced, elderly gentleman, full
beard, neatly cropped, and, like his hair
plentifully sprinkled with white, was sit
ting in the lobby of the New Denison on
Friday. "Who's that" inquired the re-
porter. He was told the gentleman was
Professor Elisha Gray, of Chicago, the
! famous electrician. The reporter, intro
ducing himself, asked the Professor con-
corning the suit now pending which bears
the title of the United States vs. Bell
| Telephone Company and Alexander Ora
| ham Bell
Testimony is being taken in the case
now, believe" was the answer, "and the
case will take up this fall | will be an
| important witness for the Government,
and my case so figures in it that it will not
re becoming in me to talk much So far
as the Government is concerned, it is a
suit brought to annul Bells patent on the
ground of fraud and prior invention. The
Government is not fighting anybody's bat
tie. If the patent is annulled it will mean
great loss to the Bell telephone people,
but it doesn't necessarily mean a gain to
me or to anybody else. Ny only direct
interest in the suit is to have the truth
brought to light, and this never has been
done in any of the suits.
81 understand that you have a new in
vention, Professor, which is likely, to a
great extent, to take the place of the tele-
phone" suggested the reporter,
81 have just perfected an invention"
was the answer, 'for the transmitting of
: the handwriting fac smile of the hand
writing"
"How is this accomplished ??
"One sits down and writes on sheet of
paper, using pen or pencil, and what
ever is done at this end, every motion that
is made on the paper or off it is faithfully
reproduced by pen upon paper at the
other end of the wire at the same time
just as fast or as slow as it is given at this
end, and neither faster nor slower"
'What name have you given the instru-
ment ?"
"The telautograph, and it can be worked
over any length of wire"
when you say pen and pencil what do
you mean"
81 mean pen carrying ink, and that the
writing or drawing, is upon ordinary paper.
| use fluid ink, but any ink will do that
will flow readily. One can write with
pencil or stylographic pen if he chooses.
The invention is now practically COM
pleted, and am making lot of instru-
ments. A company has been formed as
parent organization, and local companies
will follow. The instruments will be rented,
not sold, and the terms will be similar to
those given by the telephone people. But
it is entirely dissimilar to the telephone,
for it writes and does not talk. By IL one
can transmit check, note or draft in the
handwriting of the individual. Its accu-
racy is unquestionable. In that respect it
differs from the telephone, which is good
enough for desultory conversation, but is
not sufficient to use in buying or selling.
You are writing shorthand; that, of course,
could be transmitted by the telautograph.
In newspaper work one could not only
transmit a description of any great event,
| celebration like that of the soldiers
monument held here, or of great disaster
by rail or water, but sketch could be
transmitted at the same time to illustrate
the article"
"What is the size of the Instrument
THE top is 20 by "a inches 1t may be
kept on or beside desk or, like the tele-
takes up little space. 1t is secret in its
| communications, both as to those it gives
and those it receives. One does not need
to hello, and no one can steal the message
| from the wire. Then the message will
come whether one is at hand to receive it
or not. One can have lock and key and
no one can see the communication in his
absence. The instrument may be found
good for the distribution of press reports
to all the newspapers of the land stimuli
taneously. But there are a thousand
things to which it may be applicable that
neither you nor may think of at the
moment. It's chief value, l apprehened,
will be in mercantile business, where the
| telephone fails by reason of its inaccuracy.
| If a man gives an order by telephone, the
] man receiving it may deny having do ne
| SO, but here the writing is proof positive
and cannot be denied.
GLOW about induction? When several
wires run in proximity to each other, what
is the effect %
"As to induction, it is wholly unlike
| the telephone. There is no more trouble
from proximity of wires than is encoun-
tered in ordinary telegraphy, and, as to
expense, it will not cost the user any more
than the telephone costs him. L have
several other things in the mill coming
forward, but l am not ready to tell the
world what they are. My work is inven-
ton, might say my profession, and fol-
I low it as regularly as any man follows
any profession"
The reporter here casually mentioned
the fact that Inventor Edison had been
decorated 81 have decoration myself
said the professor with a little laugh, "but
l never wear it in this country. If l did
my friends would take it that l had Joined
the Murphy movement. / am Chevalier
of the Legion of Honor, decoration given
| me hu the Ernnnh Gnrernnnant Tor, uon1.S