Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1915-02-11
A WONDERFUL
ACHIEVEMENT

: Perhaps the highest achieyene1
i in the scientific world was reaches
5 Monday afternoon when telephen'
/ conversations were carried on be
, tween Washington, New York, Bos
, ton and San Francisco, with as mucf
> ease as though those conversine
were only a few miles apart. This re
markable achievement was en,oye1
by President Wilson of the United
States, Professor Alexander Graham
Bell, the inventor of the telephone;
Thomas A. Watson, the first man to
whom Mr.. Bell ever talked over the
telephone; President Moore of the
Panama-Pacific Exposition, and many
others. 1t was the inauguration OF
the transcontinental commercial tel e.
phone system and it required over
3,400 miles of wire to connect the
eastern with the western coast. 1t
was as though the Atlantic had
reached over in its mighty splendor
and shaken hands with the peaceful
Pacific. The conversations occurred
about 4 O'Clock eastern time, and 1
O'Clock San Francisco time.
/ President Wilson was the first
person not connected with the tele-
phone company TO enjoy the priyi-
lege of hearing a human voice over
3.400 miles of wire. He stepped to
the telephone, and placing the re-
ceiver to his ear, said, in a very
clear and impressive manner, to
President Moore of the Panama and
Pacific Exposition: ''It appeals to
the imagination to speak across the
continent 1t is fine omen fer the
exposition that the first thing IT
has done is to send its voice frlm
sea to sea. l congratulate You on
the fine prospects for a successful
exposition. l am confidently hoping
to take part in it after the adjourn
ment of congress. May L not send
my greetings to the management and
to all whose work has made it.
possible and has made it the great
event it promises to be, and to
convey my personal congratulations
to you?'
AS the president finished, Presi-
dent Moore of the great exposition
responded: I'VE are looking for
ward to your coming here. think
you will be well pleased with what
We have done. l assure you, Mr..
President, that you will never re-
ceive welcome that will be more
cordial or more enthusiastic"
Thirty-four years ago, when Alex
ander Graham Bell invented the
telephone, his first conversation was
with Mr.. Thomas A Watson. They
talked over a line two miles long.
At the close of President Wilson's
talk with President Moore, Mr.. Bell
who was in New York, came in on
the line, and Mr.. Watson, who was
In San Francisco, was also connect
ed, and the three held a short con-
versation, congratulating each other
on the scientific achievement The
president said: 30 consider it an
honor to be able to express my ad-
miration for the inventive genius
and scientific knowledge that has
made this possible, and my pride
that this vital cord should have been
stretched across America as a new
symbol of our unity and our enter
prise. VIII you not convey my cor
dial congratulations to Mr.. Bell, and
l want to convey to you (meaning
Mr.. Watson) my personal congratu-
lations."
It Is an interesting fact that DR..
Bell and Mr.. Watson used the same
instruments Monday in accom- plish-
ing the transcontinental conversation
that they used thirty four years ago
in accomplishing their two-mi'e con-
versation. They also used part OF
the same wire used then.
President Wilson also talked with
Theodore N. Vail, president of the
American Telephone and Telegraph
Company, who was at Jekyll Island,
off the coast of Georgia.
In each city from which the con-
versations we're held, the greatest
preparations had been arranged-pre
parations that were never excelled in
the history of the cities. The city
officials, state officials and others
prominently connected with the pub
lie and commercial life of each in
dividual community were present,
and all enjoyed the wonderful feat
accomplished.
FOR RENT.-Furnished s room