The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-02-23
THE FIRST TELEGRAPH.
1t IL Traced Back Many Years to the
Ingenuity of Three French
Schoolboys.

In tnese Gays ol iHNentloHs II 10 III
teresting to look back and see what
small beginnings have brought about
great results. The first telegraph can
be traced to the school days of three
French boys.
A well-known French astronomer,
Chappe d'Hauteroche, adopted his three
nephews, and when he was once set
ting out on a scientific journey, he
placed the youngest one, who was des-
tined for the priesthood in the clerical
seminary in Angers. The two others
were sent TO a school situated directly
opposite the seminary.
The three brothers were much at
tached TO one another, and the young
found it especially hard to do without
the others. They at least were to-
gether, but he was all alone, and he was
so seldom allowed outside of the in
stitution that he had but few chance S
of speaking 10 them. From his win
dow he could see theirs, and they de-
cided upon certain hours when they
were to meet in this way and converse
by signs. But, after all, that was 2
very unsatisfactory means of COM
munication, and Claude, who felt most
that necessity which is the mother of
invention, could not rest until he had
found better.
He experimental in all manner of
ways, and finally decided in favor of
an apparatus consisting of long white
ruler turning on an axis in its center.
At each end was another ruler, likewise
turning on its axis. With these three
he could make all manner of figures.
He then sent his brothers an alphab bet
in which every letter was represented
by one of the figures taken by the rul-
ers, took his post in the window and
began his operations-and great was
his Joy when his brothers sent him a
messenger with the exact translation
of his signs. There was soon a tele-
graph in their window also, and while
they were separated, throughout their
school days, the brothers talked to one
another by means of their sign Ian
guage.
This was between 1770 and 1775.
About 90 years later when the French
army was defending the frontier
against the armies of the allied troops,
the northern division, which was at 80
Eiels' distance from Paris, could within
a few minutes send word of its victory
to the national convention, then in ses-
sion in the Tuileries, and receive the an
swer from the convention THE north
ern division has deserved the gratitude
of the country"
And what had happened that mes
sages were no longer sent by courier?
A few months before this event Able
Chappe had informed the convention
of his telegraphic invention. The plan
was tried and found practical, and a
decree of July &c, 1898. commissioned
the able TO establish a telegraph line
between Paris and Lille. The line con-
sisted of l2 towers from one and one
half to two miles distant from each
other, and on each tower was an ap-
paratus built on the same principles as
the ruler telegraph of the school days.
1t was so arranged that a man could
work il from room in the tower. and
at the same time watch through field
glasses the messages sent him, and see
that his own were. in turn. correctly
repeated. 1t was in this way that the
northern division sent the news of the
victory, which is said to be the first
Geographic dispatch.
Claude Chappe died young, but his
brother Joseph, who had shared his
work of perfecting the telegraph. and
had helped him in the supervision of
the many lines gradually being built,
took his place as director of the sys-
tem.-Harper' Round Table.