The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-26
TALK NOW DIRECT

CONTINUED from First Page.)
over the line that stretched to the
East, to DIR. Bell, and to the West,
TO President Moore, of the Panama
Pacific Exposition. To the few who
words clearly, as il uttered in the
room:
at appeals to the imagination to
speak across the continent. 1t is a
/ fine omen for the exposition that the
. first thing II mas done has been to
send its voice over from sea to sea.
congra tuiate you on the fine pros
poets for a successful exposition /
am confidently hoping to take part in
IL after the adjournment OF Congress
May / not send my greetings TO the
management and to all whose work
has made It possible, and made it
the great event it promises to be, and
convey my personal congratulations
to your"
a Word to Wilson.
The receiver in San Francisco was
! then handed to Mr.. Watson to whom
| the President said:
II want to say to you. Mr.. Watson.
! that I consider IL an honor to be able
to express my admiration for the in
ventive genius and scientific knowl-
| eORe ITat mas ftitLlt lDiS w S~tbit, anu
my pride that this vital cord
should have stretched across America
as a sample of our energy and our
| enterprise.
| Back from the other end Of the
nation came the words:
II thank you from the bottom OF
my heart, Mr. President ! consider
| 1t a great honor to talk across the
continent for the first time with the
President of the United States"
DR. Bell next talked to President
/ Wilson He said:
II am very glad to have the op'
! portunity Of talking with you, Mr.
President over the first trans-conti'
mental telephone line.
IT am very much obliged to you" SAID
the President Il want to congratu
late YOU very warmly on this notable
consummation of your long labors ant
remarkable achievements. You are JUS
tilted In. feeling a great pride in wha'
has been done. I think this Will b
remembered as a memorable day"
Talks to Vail.
Then the President talked for few
minutes with President Vail, congra
tulating him on the work of his com
pany
Later all those on the raised platform
where the telephone instruments wer'
placed spoke to the other side or TIT
continent. Mayor Mitchell and Vice
President Bethel each talked with SOM
of those on the San Francisco end o.
the line.
But of the many interesting mo
ments OF the afternoon one tina
caught the attention of the watchers
most closely was when DIR. Bell pick
ed up a duplicate of the original In
strument with which he talked to Mr.
Watson In 1875, when the telephone
first became n reality, but when thu
distance between the two men wa
but a feet. So perfect had been hi
conception of the transmitter thei
that today he could talk over 1t al
perfectly as over the modern instru
ment, the main Improvement havint
been in the wires and other mean
of transmission.
DR.. Bell Happy
DR.. Bells face broke into broad
smile of delight as he handled thu
wooden apparatus built like box
land told of the days when he dream
ed of talking over a distance or
few miles. He finally picked 1t III
and spoke into it to Watson, who. II
1875. caught the first words that DR.
Bell ever said over the phone. b!
request he repeated them today OF
tory of his invention.
| Watson, come here. / want you.
he said, and then DIR. Bell threw bacl
his head and laughed.
HE says 1t would take him weel
TO come now"
Later reporters were allowed to tall
L-fSr<yL a -lifst<fa-xaFa-t fHs-----