The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-25

was one of a series used by Professor
Bell and his associates in the expert
mental days of the telephone, probably
some time in 1871 during the existence
of the Bell Telephone association. For
after the young teacher of vocal physi-
ology had exhibited his invention at the
centennial and had been encouraged by
world-famous scientists to believe that he
had produced one of the greatest of utili-
ties, he and his father-in-law, Gardner
Green Hubbard of Cambridge, his own
associate in laboratory work, Thomas A.
Watson, young electrician, and Thomas
Sanders, an enthusiastic admirer in
Salem Mass, formed the Bell Telephone
association. This was for the purpose of
protecting and improving the new inven-
ton, and consequently the association was
not capitalized. Certain members pro-
vided funds for experimental work, and
in the course of this work the second or
older of these two instruments was made,
only to be discarded
incidentally, it may be said that Pro-
fessor' Bell had at his command the adj
vice of another expert in the transmits
sion of sounds, Professor Clarence John
Blake, the distinguished biologist of the
Harvard Medical school, who, together
with Mr.. Watson. the expert electrician,
had much to do with the mechanical for
nation of the first telephone offered TO
the public.
About this time, in Cambridge, where
Professor Bell resided there was little
company of school boys who were in the
habit of telgraphing to one another over
their own private line. Naturally enough
they took an interest in the new inven-
ton, which was then beginning to be the
subject of considerable newspaper COM
ment, and believing it to be an improve
ment upon the old-fashioned method OF
telephoning by means of a string and two
tomato cans they, boy-like. showed their
enthusiasm-and temerity-by changing
over their telephagh line to telephone
line and applying to headquarters for as
sistance. In response to their appeal the
kind professor gave them several tela-
phones that had been used in his early
experiments One of these instruments
had just been brought out of its resting
place by its possessor.
Little Change In Receiver.
This primitive instrument like its i'm
mediate SUCCESSOR the telephone, put out
the following year by the first Bell COM
pany, in general resembles the receiver
now in use The chief difference between
the two Instruments that the Older
weishs less than half as much as the
Other, the DIOppIllOI De4ii5 hNS C"iNeS ~
eleven; it has two copper threads instead
of the two binding posts adopted later
as a means of attaching the subscriber
line. and the general construction is light
err and weaker But in essentials the two
instruments are identical.
In fact so far as working principles and
fundamentals are concerned there IS no
difference between either one OF these III
struments and the receiver of today. The
-onfz mr. hrOnRht
after the lapse of almost third of
century, when compared with the receiver
that hangs at the SIDE of every trans
mitter at the present time, are seen TO be
striking illustrations OF the remark Lord
Kelvin made when ne first saw Belfs in
vention, thirty years ago, that 1t was
complete" New light Is also thrown
upon the words written not long ago by
an electrical expert: while the tele-
phone was an invention of radical novelty,
made without the assistance of precedents
to govern it's assemblage, yet its degree
of perfection is such that 1t has escaped
Improvement and is today in its ent,Sety
as produced by DIR. Alexander Graham
Bell.
Boys Used Telephones.
With the Instruments presented by Pro-
fessor Bell the Cambridge boys. half
dozen in number, talked to one another
every uay. lney Hdu dllOStlHtl u
and a half of line and as telegraph wire
was too heavy not to say too expensive,
they made use of stove pipe wire. that be-
ing the cheapest they could find. The
line crossed the estate of Longfellow, on
Brattle street, and the argument that Sc
cured the poets consent to this part o.
the enterprise was that the wire would be
almost invisible. The boys were so proud
of their work that they organized as the
Stove Pipe Wire Telephone company. 1t
is worth recording that the president of
the company, whose home served as
kind of central exchange. adopted tele-
phony as a profession, and is now promi-
nently connected with the American Tel
ephone and Telegraph company.
The instrument made in 1878 and rented
IN subscribers of the first Bell company.
in Boston. differs from the present re-
ceiver only in the form and substance
Of The casing The earlier instrument was
cased in mahogany. and weighed alto
scther eleven ounces. The receiver used
today is cased in a rubber composition,
yulcanite. and weighs some hfteen
ounces. Even the little screw-eye near
the binding-posts. which permitted the