The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-03
SOME RARE RELICS
FOR JAMESTOWN
An Exhibit Which Will Include the Telephone Insrumen
First Used by Alexander Graham Bell-Laer nven-
tons Of Blake Edison Gray and White Also

BOSTON, March "A collection OF
telephone apparatus representing the
history OF the telephone from the time
Bell up to the present day has been
sh1pped from CHS city to the James
town Exposition. It Is undoubtedly
the most complete colect.on o.
Kind ever made. However, 1t Is not
the completeness OF the assemblage
tnat makes 1T of popular interest. but
the fact that 1t includes many instru-
ments OF incstimablc historical value.
indeed. some OF the Instruments dating
from the first periods of telephone de-
Vclopment are priceless souvenirs.
or course the most interesting feat
ures of the exhibit. which viii repro
sent the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company. are the old forms Of
the telephone illustrating the work
done by the inventor and his associates
little more than thirty years ago.
The most valuable exhibit OF all Is Il
bulky and homely instrument labeled
Parts OF Bells Original Telephone
of 1866. Tho parts referred to were
the essential features Of the first cleo
trio telephone that ever transmitted
speech. They belonged to the teie-
phone referred to in the celebr rated afti-
davit made by Bells first associate,
Thomas A. Watson, in the following
language. In January, 1875, Mr.. Bell
told me of plans he had devised for
making telegraph instrument which
should utter spoken words. June 2,
1875, he directed me to make
an electric speaking telephone accord
Ing to instructions which he gave me.
1 made itgthat day, or the mex. and
we tried 1t. When he shouted at this
inst n a al ~, \,
line, heard and recognized the sound
at another instrument at the other.
He told me on that second day of June
that he considered he had solved the
problem OF the transmission of speech.
There is a telephone at the Smith
sonian Institution in ashlngton WI.
has been described as Bells original
production, bu- the facts are that 1t
merely contains the parts missing from
ing feature of the Bell systems ex-
hibit at the Jamestown Exposition.
Hardly less interesting an valuable
than this original instrument which
solved the problem of the transmission
Of speech by electricity and opened a
new era in social and commercial life
are several instruments in this coll
lection which were shown at the Cen
tennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in
1876, One OF these is labeled BELLS
Centennial Iron Box Magnetic Receiv-
ing Telephone" Inis instrument was
made in March. 1876, about the time
that Bell patented his Invention. It
was first shown publicly at the
American Academy of Arts and Sci
ences in New York, on May 10. 1876.
But the circumstances that makes 1t or
particular popular interest Is that it
is the identical instrument to which,
on Juno %. 1876, at the fair in Phila-
dclphia. Dom Pedro, who was then
Emperor of Brazil. Sir William Thorn
son, who is now Lord Kelvin, and sew
eral other distinguished persons lis
tened. 1t was after witnessing the
performances of this instrument, to-
gether with receivers made for the oc-
casion. that Professor Henry, one Of
the Judges of tho Centennial. remarked
that "The telephone Of Mr.. Bell
was considered by the Judges the great
est marvel hitherto achieved by the
telegraph"
This instrument. by the way, was
the first telephone having both arma-
ture and diaphragm of iron. The tele-
phone made the year before, and which
is also part of this exhibit, as previous
ly stated, had skin diaphragm.
1t was the second telephone, the one
dated March, 1876. to which Sir Will
liam Thomson referred when, speaking
Of his experiences at the Centennial
he said that the Bell telephone was
practically perfect instrument. That
he spoke wisely and not too we'll Is
proved by the fact that from that time
10 the present the telephone instru-
ment has not been radically improved
upon, Those who from time to time
have read about tho "crude but prac-
, tical" instrument exhibited by Pro-
fessor Bell at the Centennial will. dur
ing the coming summer, Mt tho historic
town in Virginia, have an opportunaty
of seeing this wonderful device with
their own eyes.
Among tho other precious relics OF
the Telephones infancy Is what Is
known In the scientific world as Bells
"Icigure g. apparatus. This Is so called
because 1T was thus described by the
inventor in tho original patent granted
March 4. 1876, In the early, expert
mental days, two instruments Ike this
were used in connection with each 9TH
or, the two reeds. used to make the
sound to be transmitted being tuned
to the same note. Thus the vibrations
of one reed. however caused, would
produce at once similar vibrations III