Norwich bulletin., 1910-02-25
WORLD-FAMOUS IN SCIENCE
rof. DoIb-ar Was Born ia the enedict Arnold Birth place ad Hard lime During Early Years but Made Iapid Advance in rais Work Scientist.

He gave addresses before scientific bodies in this country and abroad. He was a fellow of the American Acad- emy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Association for the Advance ment- of Science and member of the | Twentieth Century club
 From the Paris exposition he re- ceived a silver medal and from the Crystal Palace exhibition in London in 1882 a gold medal. He was one of the examiners at the electrical exhibi- ton in Philadelphia and at the
 Professor Dolbear began to display his inventive faculties at an early age. Even before he reached his teens" he had wrestled with the illusion of per- petuaI motion, and with ingenious re- suits. He also devised at this age what is known as a locus" telephone, with tin cans and string While work ing as mechanic and during his col lege course he patented several inven- tions, but not until 1876, when he be- gan his experiments in telephony, did the world begin to hear much about him as an inventor: In his first in yestigations he used a Helmholtz in- terrupter and electro magnets. A few weeks later he constructed a telephone with permanent magnet With such an instrument talking and singing were reproduced.
 Famous Lawsuit.
 Thirty years ago the most famous
  brought against Prof. Alexander Gra- ham Bell by Professor Dolbear, who claimed that the generally accepted in- ventor of the telephone had merely taken his ideas. The case was bitterly fought and went drought many courts and finally the, decision was handed down in favor of Bell. Many people who remember that suit felt at the time that the legal decision was correct but that Professor Dolbear had in reality been the original inventor, that he had lost because he was too much of a sci enlist and too little man of business. He had been first. they said, but he had not properly protected his rights
 The suit involved the use of the permanent magnet in the receiver, which Professor Dolbear always. insist ed had been his invention alone and which he claimed Professor Bell had used without right and without author ity. Professor Do1bear moreover main tained that the process of transmitting only the mechanical device can be gfv- en a patent. The supreme court, how ever, in 1883 granted the petition of the Bell company for an injunction against the Dolbear company for an infrin cement of patents.
 Before Professor Bells invention of the telephone was ever heard of Pro- lessor Dolbear had put up instruments 1 in two Tufts college buildings. In one | he often invited friends to gather and | then a cornet would be played in the | other building and the tunes were as | apparent as though the player had ! been In the room with his auditors. | Transmission of sound without wires | was accomplished by Professor Dolbear | twenty years before Marconi succeeded | n making the invention a commercial | success Years ago he even telephoned | without wires for the edification of his | friends.
 Modest and Retiring.
 His modesty and unwillingness to | claim anything for himself which ! exception Of the suit which he brought | on the telephone invention was illus Lrated few years ago when he was invited to write an article on New England inventors of the nineteenth century. Every name ever known to | states was found in the article with | the exception of that of Amos F. Dol bear.
 Professor Dolbear was not easily in- i 1uced to tell about his inventions. Even | -o friends he seldom spoke of what he | )r two intimate friends did he ever appear perturbed because Bell or Mar eoni had received so much wealth and | anne that he thought were rightfully | lis.
 Professor Do1bear was made profess 'or emeritus of physics in 1906 and vas elected to the Carnegie institute l 1e was married in August, 1869, to Miss Alice J. Hood. They had six of whom three sons and two daughters are living. They are Ben- amin L., a senior at Tufts college; l Hinton E. and Samuel H., both at resent in California;; Miss Catherine | nd Miss Mary. both in St. Louis.