The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1915-01-26
TALK
ACROSS
COUNTRY
AND PACIFIC ARE
CONNECTED BY BELL
TELEPHONE SYSTEM

Vail Of the american Telephone and
Telegraph Company, has connected
I the Atlantic with the Pacific coast
New York. Washington, Boston and
1 Jekyl,-Island, one thousand miles
down the coast from New York, talk
ed with San Francisco today. mark
ing the opening Of the new Trans
Continental line OF the Bell System
The line was opened by talk be
tween Dr. Bell. the inventor of the
telephone, and Mr.. Thomas Watson
his assistant, who sent and heard the
first telephone message at the time
Of the experiment in 1876. DIR. Bel
; talked from New York and MIR. Wat
son from San Francisco.
After the talk from New Ybrl1
President Theodore N. Vail, who Is
spending the winter at Jekyll -dsland,
eff the coast of Florida, was switched
onto the line and he too talked with
San Francisco, distance of 4,400
miles. President Wilson was switch
ed onto the line from Washington
and AZ addFesseh the enthusiastic
gatle.ing at San Francisco in praise
of .ne development of the Trans
Continental line. later talking to DR.
Bell in New York.
Mayor Curley OF Boston was switch
ed on and he talked with a number
of prominent citizens, among them
Major lIigginson Of Boston and Ell
mer J. Bliss, president of the Bos-
ton chamber of commerce
While the conversations We be-
ing held 1890 men We're posted along
the route of the line across the con
tinent to guard against sudden storms
Tor accidents.
In New York, among those seated
at the table with Dr. Bell were Mayor
Mitchell. e. a. Bethel, senior vice
president of the American Telephone
and Telegraph Company and John j..
Carly, chief engineer.
In San Francisco President G Nc
Farland, Mr.. Thomas Watson, Presi-
dent Moore Of the Panama Pacific
Exposition, Mayor Rolph and Chair
man Scott sat at the table while there
was large attendance Of prominent
citizens and officials.
Mayor Mitchell ia his statement
said. Il feel that you and 4 can
join in congratulating the officials
and engineers of the telephone COM
pany whose genius and work have
made possible this new trans CONT
mental means of communication
j. Carly. chief engineer Ameri-
can Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany. made the following statement:
This greatest Of telephone lines,
wsaich today has been dedicated to
the voice of the public must always
be distinguished because through its
copper wires the voice of the Chief
Magistrate Of this nation has for the
first time in our history been trans
mitted from the seat OF government
at Washington westward thirty-six
hundred miles to the shores OF the
Pacific. over this line the voice OF
President Wilson was carried with
magic speed across rivers and plains
and mountains, instantly reaching San
Francisco, where in clear tones 1t
spoke his message of congratulations
to men of achievement
We are filled with grateful feelings
that Alexander Graham Bell and
Thomas A Watson have today talked
to each other. over this now historic
line nlr Bell was the first to con
ceive of the true method and appa-
ratus for transmitting speech elec-
trically and Mr. Watson, following
exactly directions given to him 'DyI
DR.. Bell, constructed. with his own
hands. the first telephone. Bell was
tn. 1irst among men 10 talk by the
electric telephone and Watson was
the first to hear.
ITS the accomplishment Of an Am
erican institution, conducted in the
American way. with initiative. with
zeal. with courage and foresight that
Is given to the American people IN
the construction of trans s-continent-
al telephone line within generation
Of its discovery OF the telephone.
It's but forty years ago that the
first sentence was carried over the
wire Of the the experimenters DR.
Graham Bell and Thomas Watson and
yet within few days men will have
talked to each other across a con-
tInent as easily as though sitting to-