The San Francisco call., 1904-10-07
INVENTORS WOES

In The Call, under the caption, a
Disguised Inventor" there recently ap-
peared humorous editorial based upon
a report that the alleged inventor Of a
device by which users Of the telephone
might see each other, has broken his
model and destroyed his plans because
he feared that he might be cheated out
of it.
There is a great deal Of truth be-
tween the lines OF the first paragraph
Of the editorial The impecunious in
ventOr to-day is a fool 10 hope for
practical aid in the development OF his
ideas from the world Of money. There
are tens OF thousands Of really valu-
able Understandable TO mankind
that are rotting away in out OF the way
garrets because the inventor has
sought financial aid to complete the in
ventiOn and found that he must part
with almost all Of the fruits OF his
brains labor for the paltry sum neces-
sary.
The device alluded TO in the editorial
is one that has been claimed by hun
dreds- Not one has yet materialized.
Briefly stated, il is based upon the as
sumption that electricity may be me-
chanically converted into light. as is
electricity converted into sound in the
uses Of the telephone.
In 1894 the writer, then residing at
Tacoma. while experimenting with the
solar spectrum, discovered the presence
Of two additional rays. one OF which
was electrical and the other magnetic.
Reasoning that vibration was the fun
damental base OF the phenOmena OF
heat. sound and light, a theory so
lucidly illustrated in the telephone. the
writer constructed a device which did
transmit light forms. Two boxes were
connected with a wire over which
passed an electric current. They were
separated at a distance, one box being
at one part OF the house and the other
at another part. When a light. such as
a lamp or candle. was exposed in front
Of one box an observer at the other
box perceived a luminous glow within
the box he looked into.
The crude fact was established that
light forms could be transmitted BY
electrical energy. But to perfect the
apparatus so that 1t would present to
a distant observer the distinct outlines
OF the iIlumined form exposed at the
sending station, required experimenting
with improved mechanism. and the
financial ability to provide such was be-
yond the powers Of the writer. The
name ''telectrOscOpe" was given to the
device and it was mentioned at some
length by many OF the leading news
papers OF the country. naming the in
ventor.
No one, however. was willing to ad-
vance the necessary funds and so the
matter rested The New York Herald
did send their representative to me and
asked to be given a full account Of the
invention. replied to this modest 90
request by saying: That If the Herald
would place, say. five thousand dollars
to the credit of the writer. to be used
in developing the invention. I would
give one-third interest to the Herald
and, besides, cOnfne all information 70
that paper exclusively. The represent
ative of the Herald said he had been
directed personally by Mr.. Bennett to
seek me and that he would lay before
Mr.. Bennett my proposition. II un-
doubtedly laid down and never arose.
My experience Is that OF thousands
of other inventors. who. by reason OF
their poverty and pride. have buried in
the graveyard OF dead hopes inventions
that. made public, would bless the
whole world by tightening the burden
Of toll and rendering possible a fuller
enjoyment Of life
Your editorial voices the truth 1T
is a pity that he had no adviser whom
he could trust TO secure to him the
advantages Of such a discovery"
+. NJ. CLARKE
Veterans Home. Cal