New-York tribune., 1901-03-03
LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONY.

The decision Of Judge Brown. of the United
States Circuit Court. in Boston the other day
invalidatns the Berliuer patent, naturally
brings 70 mind one OF the most substantial i'm
provements effected in the art Of telephony since
Bell founded il, in 1876. Originally the trans
mitting apparatus worked the prin >iple
as the receiver II contained a slender bar mag
ret. before one end Of which vibrated the soft
iron diaphragm OF the mOuthpiece This gave
satisfactory results at short range. but was not
sensitive enough for long distances. even after
the metallic circuit had overcome many of the
difficulties incident to the Of single wire
But when two or more bits of carbon. in contact
with each other, were substituted for the mag
net in the transmiter the efficiency of the latter
was wonderfully increased 1t is hardly
aggeration TO say that the possibilities Of the
telephone were extended twentyfold thereby.
Advances OF this kind upon the early form Of
a great invention have been common. Watt
so revolutionzed the reciprocating engine Of
Newcomer that he has often been credited with
being the real author of that device. Mccormick
and Hussey produced much better reapers than
did their English contemporaries and predeces-
sors and yet the addition of a binder doubled
the usefulness of even the American harvester
Edison's "quadruplex' multiplied the servicea-
bility OF telegraph wire by four With trhing
variations the same story can be told of the arc
light the sleeping car, the sewing machine and
a host of other contributions to modern civiliza-
ton. Few great industrial ideas have sprung
into existence full grown and fully equipped
like Minerva from the brain of JOve. or most
OF them the evolution has been gradual and the
work of many minds. This has been peculiarly
true of the telephone. It's present efficiency de-
pends not only on the carbon transmitter and
the metallic circuit but also on large number
of switchboard and other central station inno-
vations. 1t must be remembered nevertheless,
that pathbreaker confers far greater service
on mankind than do those who build asphalt
Ilpavements behind him. And Bell incomparably
outranks the men who merely assisted in elab
Grating his wonderful invention
Rerliner was only one of many electricians
who utilized the principle embodied in the car
bon transmitter And the question or priority
in this matter is exceptionally complex When,
therefore he obtained a patent which was so
broad in it's claims to exclude everybody else
"A patent which he sold in advance to the Bell
company-it easy to foresee hVeiy hght
And the fact that the patent not issued
until fourteen and a half years AFTER Berliners
first application was filed, and when the Bell
patents were about to expire, has undoubtedly
embittered the controversy.
Judee Browns decision may yet be upset by
the Sunreme Court at Washington. But. If it
stands one of the most valuable features Of
tho to,g distance telephone system will become
nuhIic nroperty seven eight years before the
RerIiner patent would expire. Still, If Professor
Punin's plan for obviating some of the remain
ing difficulties incident 10 telephony should
nrove successful il may confer a more valuable
monopoly than the carbon transmitter promised
! to do.