The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919, 1897-03-12

hibitions, says the New York Journal.
He Is not true deaf mute in the sen,ie
that Laura Bridgman was He has a
certain sense of hearing and can utter
few cultural sounds. But he is 60
Ing to do more. He expects to hear and
speak intelligibly. His scheme is to At
telephone to his body SO that where
he travels it will travel also. When
he lies down the telephone lies down.
When he walks the telephone walks.
His body Is the body of the telephone
and there is no life in either without
the other. He is a living telephone
able to hear and speak through space.
In spite of great deal of fun that has
been poked at him since the conception
of his invention he has gone on undis-
mayed, until now it-or he-stands
completed! 1t Is an actual thing, anil
is now on the way to Washington with
him. He is tramping it to the capital
to exhibit it--and himself And he
hopes to II AXE fortune for himself as
well as to confer great benefit upon
deaf and dumb mankind. This living
telephone Is a bulky fellow. He wears
body, great many coils of insulated
wire. These are carried around the
waist many times, like lady's ribbon,
and, being slender, they do not hurt
him or cause him any inconvenience
In one hip pocket there Is a bulky
package. 1t is not heavy, but it sticks
out with a hump that cannot be con-
cealed. 1t is dry battery and Is re-
lated to the wire in an important way.
The first thing the observer notes is a
large receiver. similar to the one used
on telephone. This is attached to the
left ear. 1t is powerful sound-receiv-
er. Attached to 1t is wire that can
be connected with the teeth, in case the
mute cannot hear with the receiver.
He has found by many experiments
that the dulled nerves of the ear are
quickened by these powerful electrical
appliances and that he does hear. 1t
is vague, uncertain hearing, but
great deal better than none at all. 1t
is more vibration than a hearing.
He gets n murmur of sounds, not as
clear as given by the saltpeter solution
in which hands can be dipped, but
clear enough for every day use and
more convenient than the basin of
fluid now SO commonly used by deaf
mutes to get sound vibration. The fun
niest part of the apparatus Is found
in the transmitter and receiver that
hangs at the side. There is a hook
upon which the transmitter is suspend
ed and q receiver for the sound. Both
of them are for the use of the public
Should you meet this walking tele-
phone upon the road he would offer
you the transmitter and receiver that
hangs upon the hook. The receiver
you would place to the ear and you
would talk through the transmitter.
The deaf mute would listen intently.
the sound being much assisted by the
he speaks through tin horn connect
ing with the wires and trusts to the
carrying effect of the telephone. In
his way he can converse over a space
Of several feet as easily as any other
man. But 1t is in public halls and as
emblies that this machine is expected
to do its best work. Here the tele-
phone can be connected at the stage
and the mute in the audience will get
he full sound. There are many pat
,nts involved in this machine, for the
inventor has borrowed freely from all
the known devices. But he hopes he
will be forgiven for the sake OF the
human race. Never was man more i'm
pressed with the worthiness of his own
mission. Penniless. on foot, without
friends, he has set out for Washington
md the patent office. He is convinced
that all who take the trouble to ex-
anime his walking telephone will ad-
nire it, and that means money enough
for all the patents required. He has
raised himself from poor, worthless
fellow to be an inventor of at least
many ambitions, and, who knows, he
may yet be the Edison of sound for tho
leaf.