The Port Gibson reveille., 1905-03-16
BELLS ELECTRIC TOY.
INVENTOR OF TELEPHONE SPINS
AN INDUSTRIAL ROMANCE.

Device at the entennIal--Effects
Of a Woman's Tears and an En-.
peror's Interest.
At a recent reception in Washing
ton | heard one Of the most interest
Ing romances of modern industry that
has ever been brought to my notice.
It was related by stalwart gentle
man with bushy gray hair, flowing
beard and sparkling brown eyes, and
the telling took no more than fifteen
minutes, though IL is the history OF
a complete revolution In modern busi-
ness accomplished by the narrator,
DR.. Alexander Graham Bell, the in
ventor of the telephone.
The Doctor is a Scotohman, and
like many Of his countrymen is am
bilious. He told me he had dreamed
Of being a great composer, and gath
ered that In his youth he had aspired
to surpass even the great Beethoven
himself; but mis- canny Scotch father
seems to have considered musician
as another term for "ne'er-do-weel," "
and especially disliked the idea Of his
sons being a "wee bit fiddler"
The young mans attention then
turned toward the education Of the
deaf and dumb, and in this work he
was absorbed when he commenced
the line Of studies which led to the
invention of the telephone. 1t was
about this same time chat he was pay
ing court to a young lady who after
ward became his wife. Her father
was in charge of the Massachusetts,
exhibit at the Centennial Exposition
Of 1876, and in this way DR.. Bell had
an opportunity Of placing before the
people the wonderful scientific toys
which had a place in the Massachu-
sets building.
But Il was the irrepressible SON OF
the house, Villa Hubbard, who SEEM
er to take special interest in the
work that whiled away the leisure
hours of his brother-in-law-to-be, and
It was he who enthusiastically mas
tered the working details Of the won
derful little instrument which has
since almost revolutionized the means
Of intercourse between BUSINESS men,
aud given to spoken language an I'M
dreamed-of value. But the story is
best told in DR.. Belis own animated
way:
Il was not much interested in hav-
Ing my invention represented in Phil
adelphia, but Mr.. Hubbard was de-
termined, and equally determined was
his daughter. So the time came for
the committee to give the final deef-
sion as to whether or not the tele-
phone should be permitted to appear
as an exhibit. l received a telegram
to the effect that must come to Phil
adelphia not later than the following
Sunday. As | was in the midst Of ex-
aminations at my school, / felt that l
could not go. That same afternoon
there came a message informing me
that the young lady was going, and |
was to see her of. | appeared at the
station in Boston in good time, and
Just as the train was about to start |
she suddendly burst into tears. This |
was too much for me; sprang on the |
train, and before / knew it was hast
eniDg to Philadelphia. Then my situa-
tiop came home to me, and | recall
ed that / had no baggage and was
entirely unprepared for any lengthy |
stay; but my companion quietly in
formed me that Willie would attend |
to all that land that irrepressible
brother of hers sent me all / needed |
by the next train), so | went on to
meet the committee, who were to de-
eide the destiny of my telephone.
1T had been a long and arduous
day for the committee; they were al,
most worn out when they got round
to the telephone, and they were on
the point of deciding that it was
scarcely worthy of place in the expo
sitiol. l was feeling pretty well dis
and was thinking Of leav-
ing, when in came Dom Pedro, EN-
peror of Brazil. met him in Boston,
where he visited my school and was
very much interested in the project
had in hand; but little did l dream
that he would recognize me again,
having only met me in casual way.
However, he took me by the arm
and spoke most enthusiastically
about my telephone work, which
rather opened the eyes Of the judges,
tired though they we're with the days
strain. When he took one end Of the
inc and | took the other and began
70 repeat Shakespeare to MIN in the
best dramatic style at my command,
md To be or not to be- whizzed into
he ear of the venerable Emperor,
ny victory was complete. He made a
careful examination of the receiver,
While walked OF as far as possible
With the other end of the line and
continued to recite to him the memor-
lble words of the bard Of Avon.
well, the end was that the COM
nitteee decided that an appliance
hat could interest an Emperor, an
IGNORED guest Of the United States,
must surely be worthy Of place in
he Centennial Exposition; but even
hen l did not realize the overwhelm- !
ng importance Of the invention. My
riends in Boston, and among them ;
hat reverend man soon to become
ny father-in-law, had often chaffed !
ne about my scientific toy, and al (
hough never doubted that it would I
ONE time come into general use,
ad not idea of its ever reaching the {
roportions of general use that it en-
oys today in city and rural life.
$50 you see our destiny is arrang- Z