The Jersey City news., 1904-04-09

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to all the persons interested # s
The news Of this transaction spread
far and wide and did much to. awaken
in the minds Of business men reaIiza-
tion of the commercial possibilities of the
telephone, while it served to stimulate
the engineers and experts employed by
the company in their endeavors to perfect
the system. Although it was possible to
use the Lowell line for business pusposes
the apparatus was crude and imperfect
in operation. But beginning had been
made on that career Of progress in long
distance telephony which is one of the
maryels of the modern industrial world.
From the first 1t was evident that some
better conductor must be found than the
iron wire in use, and within six years
from the date of the Lowell experiment
hard drawn copper wire had been made
and tested in actual operation and the
ability to converse ever long distances
as the term is understood today, has
been the result of the use of this me
dium.
The first experimental line in which
copper wire us used was that from Bos-
ton to New York. completed in 1884, and
this was in turn followed by extensions
to Philadelphia and other points of COM
mercial Importance. so that the cities in
the Eastern section Of the country were
soon linked together. Then the lines were
pushed westward and on October 21, 1892
Prof. Bell. in the presence of company
of distinguished electricians and officers
of telephone companies spoke into a
transmitter in the city of New York and
the message was heard in Chicago. Less
than three months later, on the Tth Of
the following February, Governor Will
liam E. Russell of Massachusetts, sur
rounded by group of men prominent in
the affairs of the Bay State, opened the
line from Boston to Chicago, and during
the Columbian Exposition held in the
Western city later in the year there were
many occurrences which brought home to
the minds of the people the fact that
what had been exhibited as toy at the
Centennial Exposition had become. a fac
tor Of vast Importance in the world of
affairs.
In what unexpected ways the long dis
tance telephone fits into the occurrences
of everyday life was early illustrated by
an incident in the visit of distinguished
educator to the fair. 1t was one of the
| first and most notable instances in which
the telephone has been used to locate a
man visiting city for from his home. An
important matter at Harvard Uniyers-
ity required the action of Presi-
dent Eliot. then in Chicago. The resi-
dence at which he was guest was called
/ by telephone, only to learn that President
1 Eliot mad left for the fair few minutes
before the message was received, and was
not expected to return until late in the
evening. It was explained to the presi-
dents host that the question was one Of
1 emergency, and the Chicago man called
1 upon the president of the telephone com
panyI for assistance. The police depart
ment of the fair was at once communi-
Gated with by telephone, and by means
of the same instrument a description of
President Eliot was given to the guards
at the entrance gates, with instructions
that when he entered the grounds he was
to be requested to go to the Office Of the
chief of police. Consequently, much to
the surprise of the head Of the university
as he passed the turnstile, an offscer ap-
| preached him, and after asking his name
told him that he was wanted at head
1 quarters. President Eaiot was escorted
to the presence of the chief, and then
learned that he was desired at the tel
ephone exhibit. On reaching that point
the full nature of the errand was ex-
planned to him, and he was soon placed
in telephone communication with Har-
ward University. What was done that
day, probably for the first time, has now
become common occurrence and it fre-
quently happens that telephone messag-
es are sent broadcast to locate some man
who is travelling from place to place.
The early operation of the line to Chi
cago afforded marked illustration OF
the happening Of that which had previ-
ously been demonstrated to be an i'm
possibility. A distinguished English
electrician was among the visitors to the
| exposition, and was given the courtesy
of the line to Boston, in order that he
might experience the unprecedented op-
poytunifv of speak king over such a great