The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-12
THE TELEPHONES
ANTOBIOGRAPH
Bell, the Famous Inventor, Talks Of
His Work--Efforts at Aerial
Navigation.

birthplace dated still farther back. Ny
fathers life was devoted to the study
of vocal sounds. He was an authority
on voice culture, and also the inventor
of visible speech, an alphabet in which
the actions of the organs of the mouth
in producing speech are symbolized. By
this invention the sounds of any Ian
guage may be expressed, and by 1t a
large number of deaf people are taught
to speak. Even back of that. my grand
father was a student of sound. He was
an orator. well versed in elocution and
voice culture so that IL there is any
thing in heredity the germ OF the tele-
phone may have come from my grand
father"
please carry the autobiography
down into your own iife," said ].
"As I thank OF 1t in that way, can
mark several interesting stages which
now seem to point to the telephone,
said DIR. Bell. II have told you, in the
past, how father once offered myself
and my brothers prizes II we could in
vent any kind Of q machine that would
talk. This was after he had taken US
to see q speaking automaton. / did in
vent mouthpiece of rubber and other
material that would say mamma and
cry like a baby. Another stage might
be marked by my ambition to be a
singer and a musical composer. had a
good voice. and just before reaching
manhood, ! was devoting myself to its
training with that life work in view.
This led me to the further study of
the voice and the transmission of
sound. That ambition was given up on
account of my health, and for the same
reason father brought me to Canada,
where we purchased a farm. This mi
grafton now seems almost providential
in the life of the invention. for I am
sure had remained in England new
err should have made 1t. The intellect
nal atmosphere of Great Britain is too
cold and conservative to incite great
discoveries. whereas that of this coun-
try is stimulating and friendly to all
new things. Our patent system Is also
far more encouraging"
We'll, to continue my story" DR..
Bell went on, Il found the Canada
farm just what needed. The change
and the out-of-door life soon made a
new man of me, and father, in the
meantime, having again taken up his
studies of the teaching of the deaf.
became interested in that and was
made professor of vocal physiology in
the Boston University.
Partly an Accident.
the line of sound and sound transmits
sion. Then another stage appeared
which connected my vocal studies with
the machinery of the telephone. I be-
came interested in multiplex telegra-
ply, and tried to make an invention
by which several messages could be ST.
mu1taneously sent on one wire by Us.
ing the musical scale with signals OF
different pitch. We employed a series
of reeds as sounding instruments ir
these experiments, connecting them by
means of a wire. One day one of the
reeds accidently struck the diaphragm
at one end of the wire, and its vibra-
ton was seen on the diaphragm a
the other end. If that sound could bt
transmitted, why not other sounds
The thought was one of the sugges
lions which resulted in the telephone
Later 1 had the ware conducted from
one of the top rooms of the house t
the electrical work shop in the base
ment, and speaking into the diaphragm
was heard by Mr.. Watson, my assist
ant, below. 1 tried TO get him to re
ply, but could not hear him. He cam'
in little later, much excited. and
asked him why he did not answer HI
said he had tried to. then wen
down and took his place, but 1 coulC
not distinguish his words. can only
explain this by the fact that my train
ed voice was more easily heard thar
his unframed one, and that his hear
ing, sharpened by the necessities of
noisy workshop. was better than mine
This experiment. however, showed m,
that the telephone could be made
success. and I at once applied for m!
patents"
The Troubles of Success.
"How did your friends view the in
vention?"
"rhe most of them laughed at it,
said DR.. Bell. "They considered 1t
toy at best, and, even. after it wa
proved a success in the transmission
of sound, some told me ! was foolish
| to devote myself to thing that coult
never be of practical value, while
had a chance OF making a fortune II
kept at my work in multiplex telegra
ply"
"Did you have much trouble in pro
tecting your inventionT'
YES" replied DR.. Bell. "As soon al
its practical advantages were under
stood, claims to a prior invention o
the same thing sprang up on all sides
Half a dozen electricians came forth
| each announcing himself as the origi
nal inventor and claims and Interior
ences were filed against my patent
One newspaper report alleged that