Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-11-08
ANTIQUITY OF THE TELEPHONE.
The Priests of India Have Used 1t fol-
1000 Years.

The Priests of India Have Used 1t for
1900 Years.
''The principle of the telephone has
been known for 1900 years in India, y
was the rather incredible statement made
the other night 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 do not
assert, mark you, continued Mr.. Ames-
bury, "that they use the telephone as we
use it, or that they have any system of
general communication. What I do say
is that the high caste people have a
method Of communicating with each
other by vibratCry action on diaphragm,
just as we do, but it is confined entirely
to their temples, and its existence has re-
NAMED a secret until within a very few
years.
81 was in town called Pani about
200 miles from Madras, and while there
became acquainted with an English Off
Ger named Harrington, who was prime
favOrite with the natives because on one
occasion he had saved a priest from
drowning. He was very genial, pleas
ant fellow, and had that peculiar mag
netism about him that made and kept
friends everywhere.
at was through Harrington that was
enabled to learn the existence of tele-
phone communication and to satisfy nv
self of its antiquity.
There are two temples in the village
about 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 natives as well as
from strangers, and is supposed to be the
abiding place of the governing spirit, ,
but in reality is the terminus of the tele-
phone line, which is laid underground
from one building to the other.
1.-The superstitious natives regarded
this little structure with the greatest awe
and reverence, because they had seen
demonstrated before their eyes-or rather
ears-the power of this spirit to COM
municate with the other temple. They
were required to make their offering in
one building and make known their
wishes and desires. Then Immediately
repairing to the second temple they
would be informed of all they had said
and done, although neither priest had
left his post. This was regarded as a
demonstration Of the power of the spirit.
"We were unable to determine the COM
position 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 -four barrel, and
to establish connection, instead of ring
ing 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 a similar shout,
which while faint was distinct and could
be heard two feet away.
''After Harrington and l 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.
''We learned that the telephone that
we saw had been in use for thirty wears.
The priests were very old men and they
remembered that the line of communica-
ton had been renewed only once during
their incumbency.
''They showed us the remains of worm
eaten transmitters and wooden conduits
that must have been hundreds of years
old. They claimed that the system had
been in existence since the creation, and
laughed at 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
in Burmah this system of secret commu-
nication exists, although hundreds of
travellers have never suspected it. l be-
heve that it dates back fully 2, 900 years"
New York Graphic Interview.