The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-22
MARSHALIs MAGIC BOOK.
1t Spoke as Though IL Were Human
ElectrOstatics.
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
Not many days ago few gentlemen con-
nected with the telegraphic or eiectric
businesses were assembled in room IN
the eleventh story of the new Postal Build
ing on Broadway opposite the city Han
Park. They had not been there very long
when establishment was depicted on their
faces and by and by found expression In
words.
A book on TIE table about which they
stood or sat was speaking
lis IL possible" exclaimed Mr.. Chandler.
OF the Commercial Cable Company. that
those spoken words can come from that
book2'
Eyes. it is" said Francis ". Jones. the
electrician OF the company; that Is Mr..
Marshalrs telephone"
William Marshall. OF zoo Lexington ave-
nue.. had prepared this remarkable feat
for the electricians. He began by taking
up an ordinary book and placing in the
leaves several slips OF tinfoil. about one
and half inches wide and four inches
long. Then he attached couple OF fine
wires closed the book and carried the
other end of the wires to another room.
where they were attached TO the transmit
ter of a telephone. Then conversation
began. with Mr.. Marshall in one room and
one of the persons in the room where the
book lay. Each word that came from the
book could be distinctly heard in every
corner OF the room.
The visitors had never experienced any
thing OF the kind before, and they said ii
would eventually revolutonize telegraphy.
1 tested the Marshall telephone in Mr..
Marshalrs house, in Lexington avenue.
Anyone who has tried 10 talk over the
wires" on the ordinary instrument knows
the trouble 1t is to hear and 10 make ones
self heard. This invention OF Mr. Mar
shalrs does away with the painful HUI
los!' in which so much time is wasted.
The new principle is the direct opposite
OF the Bell principle. The latter is the
magnetic receiver; the new one electro
static. AS described by Mr.. Marshall the
| invention consists essentially in "A tele-
phonic system, comprising speaking con-
| densers and an induction coil having two
| secondary wires and a primary wire. the
1 opposite ends of each secondary wire be-
ing connected with the opposite poles OF
| the speaking condensers.
Mr.. Marshalrs speciality is electric con-
| densers. and il was while striving TO i'm
ea he at ne es Te book
1 which l saw, or rather heard" ina his
! house, was common catalogue. He had
placed i'm the leaves eighteen pieces OF
| tinfoil, about two inches wide and five
inches long. To this wires were connected
| wall was an ordinary transmitter
The book with the wires attached. de.
4
| upstairs. took up the book TO examine
| il more closely.
How are your" was the question from
the book. closed the leaves, but that
made no difference, for the next question
| the catalogue asked was:
| do you think il will rain Tomorrow
| I was too much astonished to answer and
| the book, which appeared 10 me for the time
| to be human, may have noticed IL. because
| TO collect my thoughts.
| Then went up TO the transmitter and In
quired: Can you singI
| mo, I'm not much of a singer" came
| from the neighborhood OF my boots. i had
| dropped the book and 1t nearly touched the
| floor L went into a corner Of the room,
| and still i heard the book talking dis
tinctly. 1 squeezed and bent it,. but that
made no difference-it continued TO talk
| just the same
| When Mr. Marshall returned to the room
| he showed me anc' her modification OF his
| to make. Outwarc-y il was the ssze-oy~a
small hand mirror. The circular part con-
| the outer rim only OF tinfoil. being COM
| pressed, the inner ring being free to VII
| brate. This was connected with wires in
| the same way the book.
Mr.. Marshall went up stairs again and
remained in the parlor with the mirror
| like thing in my hand. Presently i heard
| Mr.. MarshalPs voice coming from IL. I
| held ii at arms length, and still the sounds
| were distinct, far more than those COM
| When / put ii to my ear il was IL the
| person speaking were at my shoulder talk
| Mr. Marshall said that distance would
| make no difference in the distinction OF the
| sound The principles would do away with
| the receiving instrument OF the telegrapher.
| With such condenser lying on the desk
| he could write his message without fear OF
| a mistake. This inventor calls his a tele-
| phone system, with speaking condensers,
| in which a more perfect transmission OF
| the volume OF speech can be accomplished
than has been possible heretofore In sys-
TENS of this kind.
| Mr.. Marshall said that i'm his receivine
| speaking condenser telephone the opposite
| poles are connected with line wire and a
shunt resistance coil
| He discovered that unless the line wire
connecting the stations is made continuous.
| as by shunting the speaking condenser. the
articulation and volume OF speech are not
perfect, being scarcely audible when more
than one speaking condenser is inserted in
l. the line OF communication.
The condensers speak much louder when
the metallic plates are in part, not touch
ing or in contact with the invibrate. allow
ing a space sufficient to vibrate freely and
which is transmitted from a dis
tant station so to be easily
heard. The speaking condenser is built
in the same manner as the leaves OF cleo
trometers were intersected with each other,
one end of the plates only being fastened.
In what L have described the hand
are made loose by pressing the circum-
ference together, the plates and insulators
bullying sufficiently in the center TO sep
arate themselves.
Mr.. MarshalFs house is filled with the
latest standards and testing apparatus.
struments, which have made his name
! famous among electricians.