Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1915-02-04
GREAT TEIEPHoNE TRIUMPH
Many Prominent People ON Atlantic
Coast Talk with san Francisco
Folks over He'll Telephone.

Perhaps the highest achievement
in the scientific world was reached
Monday afternoon. Jan. 20. when tel
ephone conversations were carried on
between Washington. New York. |
Boston, San Francisco. with as much |
ease as though those converSing were |
only few miles apart. This re-
markable achievement was enjoyed !
by President Wilson of the United |
States. Professor Alexander Graham |
Bell, the inventor of the telephone; |
Thomas \. Watson, the first man TO
whom Mr.. Bell ever talked over the
telephone; President Moore OF the
Panama-Pacitic Exposition and many
others. 1t was the inauguration of
the transcontinental commercial tele-
phone system and it required over
3.4O0 miles OF wire 10 connect the
eastern with the western coast. II
was as though the Atlantic had
reached over in its mighty splendor
and shaken hands with the peaceful
Pacific. The conversations occurred
about O'Clock eastern time. and l
q CLOCK san Francisco time.
President Wilson was the first
person not connected with the tele-
phone company to enjoy the privi-
lege of hearing a human voice over
3.4OO miles of wire. He stepped TO
the telephone, and. placing the re-
ceiver TO his ear. said. in very clear
and impressive manner to President
Moore of the Panama andPacific EN-
position: 1t appeals TO the magma
tion 10 speak across the continent. 1t
is fine omen for the exposition that
the first thing il has done is TO send
its voice from sea to sea. l congrat-
ulate YOU on the fine prospects for a
successful exposition. l am conf
IDENTIFY hoping TO take part in il after
the adjournment of congress. May
| not send my greetings TO the man
agement and to all whose work has
made il possible and has made il the
great event it promises to be, and
to convey my personal congratula-
; tions to you?'
AS the president finished, President
Moore of the great exposition re
sponded: we are looking forward tC
2 your coming here. l think you viii
. be we'll pleased with what we hav,
done. l assure you. Mr.. President
| that you will never receive a welcome
n that will be more cordial or more en-
= thusiastic.
o Thirty-four years ago. when Alex
| a ~
a phone. his first conversation was wit
Mr.. Thomas \. Watson. They talke
over a line two miles long. AT tn
d close of President Wilson's talk wit
# President Moore, Mr.. Bell, who wa
e in New York, came in on the line, an
Mr.. Watson who was in San Frar
/ cisco, was also connected, and tn
three held a short conversation. COZ
graduating each other on the scier
tific achievement The president said
q Il consider il an honor to be able
!, express my admiration for the il
ventive genius and scientific know
- ledge that has made this possibl
y and my pride that this vital COZ
te should have been stretched aero
America as new symbol of our Ii
~ ity and our enterprise. Will you n
t. convey my cordial congratulations
e. Mr.. Bell, and ! want to convey to W
lg (meaning Mr.. Watson) my person
ne congratulations"
no 1t is an interesting fact that
tn Bell and Mr.. Watson used the sar
instruments Monday i'm accomplis
he ing the transcontinental conversati
RS. that they used "a years ago in
J. complishing their two-mile CONVEX.
A. tion. They also used a part of t
same wire used then,
he President Wilson also talked vi
est Theodore n. Vail. president of {
IN. American Telephone and Telegra
ro- Company, who was at Jekyll Islai
he off the coast of Georgia.
EN- In each city from which the c,
he versations were held. the great
cir preparations had been arranged
ga preparations that were never excel
in the history of the cities The c
officials. state officials and others p
minently connected with the pul
an and commercial life of each indiy
Z n ual community were present. and
by enjoyed the wonderful feat accor
as lished.