Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-02-17

possible for a person sitting in his OWE
home to listen to sermons, lectures and
music by the great masters through the
telephone receiver.
The wear 1000 has been anticipated by
the year 1898. The thing has been done
already and proves entirely practical. One
OF our townsmen. Col. A. B. Chandler, had
a leading hand in it. The experiment was
made last week. A party OF go diners at
the United States hotel in Boston, MEM
bers Of the Electrical club OF that city lie
tened to a short address delivered by Col.
Chandler at bis home in Brooklyn 300
miles away and to other literary features,
including music, chat had their sterling
point In New York. The event is thus de-
scribed -
The results were obtained through the
enterprise OF the long distance telephone
officials, who p aced receiver beside the
| plate OF each OF the sixty guests, W no were
directly connectedwith Colonel Chandeliers
house in Brooklyn, and with the private
| office OF Secretary Charles P. Bruch in the
Postal Telegraph building.
| In this latter room, where at 80 O'Clock
q dozen or more members OF the Magnetic
club had assem- bled, the receiver had been
unscrewed from the movable desk phone
and had been replaced by a large mega
phone into which the speakers delivered
their addresses and into which, also, were
conveyed the strains of the banjos with
which the majority Of those present were
equipped.
Special arrangements for the reception
and distribution of the music had been
made at the Boston end OF the wires; for
| in addition to the individual receivers with
which each of the guests was supplied and
through which the speeches were heard,
large megaphone was suspended over the
center OF the dining table and when music
followed oratory at the New York end OF
the connection, a switch sent the sounds
into the megaphone, thus enabling them
TO be distinctly heard by all at the one
time.
The following is the program which was
arranged by the friends at the New York
end OF the wire:
Address, Col. A. B. Chandler; banjo Sc
lection, Spencer II. Gone, Jr.; "Jnst a Lit
tie Talk" (humorous), Mil. Kilt; address,
Charles p. Bruch; duet, banjo and violin;
cello solo, Spencer II. Cone, Jr.; benedic-
ton, Thomas e. Fleming.
Colonel Chandler spoke from his Brook
Ign residence as follows: IL congratulate
the Boston Electric club on its election OF
Herman Pettengill as its president, and /
congratulate him that he is the recipient
OF such distinguished honor Congratula-
tions are In order for all OF US, for we are,
SO far as know, the first to attend pub
lie gathering OF any kind, by telephone,
and listen to music and exchange Jokes at
such long range, so widely separated from
each other, some at our homes some at our
offices and Others in the banquet hall in
the Hub Of the Universe, grand and his
toric old Boston.
Truly this Is wonderful age and we of
the electrical profession are the people !
With kind salutations to each and all,
| will say 'GoodDight.'
Charles p. Brucb, from his office in the
Postal Building, 253 Broad way, New York,
said:
"Mr. President and Gentlemen OF the
Boston Electrical Club: desire to thank
yon for the honor you have paid me in
asking me to address you this evening. /
feel that the honor is not only very great
one, but is also unique. Never before, so
far as know, has any company OF BAN
queters hit upon the idea that You gentle
men are carrying out tonight. From the
point OF view of a guest 1t is absolutely the
most brilliant scheme that has ever been
devised and yet simple and practical. You
call upon a speaker. He starts in to speak.
II he gets prosy all you have to do is to
hang up the receiver and let him talk to
his hearts content. In the meantime you
may listen to somebody else or enjoy your
selves as you deem best. The speaker is
made happy, you are made comfortable,
and, what is quite as important, at least to
The treasury OF the club, the speakers can't
eat anything.
Taking this view of it, am rather at a
loss to know whether the invitation to
speak on the phone tonight is a compli-
ment or otherwise. You had the oppor-
tunity to hear me direct some months ago,
and IL II were not for my vanity ! would
be inclined to believe that you profited by
past experience In putting me at the other
end OF 300 mile wire this time.
You have our best wishes for your sue
cess in the future. We are sure that you
are now enjoying yourselves. We wish
we could say as much. We can hear the
rattle OF your knives, the clatter of the
plates. the clink of the glasses and, in i'm
agination, we can hear you swallowing the
good things, both solid and liquid. It's
fun for you but it is very hard on us.
Nevertheless we are glad you are there
and, in saying goodnight, only regret that
we don't know the telephone equivalent OF
20"
In discussing this unique experiment
Bruch said
81 think it is the opening of new era
in telephone communication and / hon.
estly believe that great results may follow
last evenings experiment. Take, for in
stance, the case If man like Chauncey M.
Depew, who is in great demand as an af-
ter dinner speaker. He cannot accept |
every invitation, nor, | suppose, half of
them at present, but when 1t is possible
for him TO allow his sparkling wit to be
transmitted from mis- own |
study to the diners (let us say) in Wash I
ington, the situation is greatly simplified. |
1t happens that the Postal Telegraph |
and Commercial Cable people have been |
largely instrumental in making the three |
most remarkable exhibitions of the capa-
bilities of the telegraph and telephone. |
Col. Chandler himself transmitted, over |
postal wires and commercial cables, the |
the-world message, which was
sent from the electrical exhibition about a |
year or so ago, in which test our compa-
nies had the assistance OF the European |
and the cable companies.
The demonstration of last evening, in |
W hich the long distance wires and equip |
ment were used, was the third of the kind /
with which Col. Chandler and the Postal 4
people have been prominently /
identified. We feel that these demonstra- /
tons are both interesting aud valuable as I
a means OF letting the public know what 4
Is being accomplished in our particular /
field"
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