The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-17
THE CHURCH TELEPHONE,
A Detailed Account of the Use of it

 A Detailed Account of the Use of it in
 Mt. Carmel Congregational Church.
 The Problem: To extend the privi- leges of church worship to shut-ins at home, and to the hard-of-hearing who attend church.
 The Solution: Install the church tel ephone.
 first part of this problem and solved 1t through the cooperation of the local telephone company. Two wires, one running from the church 100 yards north, another running quarter of a mile south, carry prayer, sermon and song to those long kept from attending public worship and this not only with surprisingly good results, but at con- paratively small cost. The system in- stalled is. as follows:
 The transmitter stands beside the pulpit desk, mounted on 8 single rod that elevates It to the height of the desk The mouthpiece Is enlarged to a diameter of eight inches, and is d. rected about half way between minister and congregation. Thus sounds from pulpit, pew and choir are caught and transmitted
 The minister not only does not need to talk into or toward the instrument, but he can forget 1t is there provided he doesn't fall over 1t. If he stands six feet away from the desk, what he says is clearly transmitted unless he whispers.
 The instrument is not conspicuous. Strangers have mistaken it for an elec- tric light for the pulpit. At small ad- ditional cost 1t could be hidden within the desk, yet still catch every sound as | before.
 Each shut-in has theater receiver, in shape and size much like a biscuit This is attached by a cord and plug to small box on the wall, and, with the receiver near the ear, one catches every sound Singing is heard clearly in the next room to the receiver if the door be open.
 Incidentally, one feature of the sys- tenn for which we did not plan has brought great pleasure. At any time of the week, irrespective of connection being made at the church, the shut-ins can chat with each other through the earpieces, They do not have to speak loudly, as moderate tone is readily transmitted. Having no means of ring ing each other up, they now speak by appointment; but bell attachment will improve this.
 The telephone company installed the system for $10 and charges us $15 a year rental-$10 for the transmitter and $25O for each receiver. The company main tains the system in perfect order, but we keep up the batteries at a slight cost.
 We use wet batteries. They run the transmitter for three hours at a stretch, recuperate in six, and are cheaply re- newed. To prevent freezing we located them permanently in warm house near the church, running special wire to them
 For reaching points outside the church building the telephone seems to have the advantage over the acousticon because the telephone company puts up and maintains the system. With the acousticon one has to put up and repair his own wires. For use in the pews think there is little choice between the two systems.
 The great difference Is In cost The acousticon costs $1o0, with s25 extra for each earpiece, and charge of s6 to SIG per year to renew their peculiar bat teries. To equip our church with the acousticon would have cost $150 for the instruments, plus the expense of wiring to the two houses, plus $6 to s10 per year for the batteries; whereas with the telephone the first cost was Sl0 and the yearly rental $15.
 We arranged so that when our pulpit platform is cleared for Childrens day exercises, etc, the transmitter can be used from the front pew.
 The company put up for our use pri. vate wires, which can be done for any distance desired. No sound can enter the church through the transmitter.
 Our church is pleased with and proud of its telephone; and those who hold the receivers are filled with such gratitude land delight that they wish all shut-ins everywhere could enjoy similar privi. leges,-Janson S. Pierce in the Congre, gationalist,