The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1915-04-10
BELL AND WATSON
SEE EMILE LINE
GROW TO 3,400.
INVENTOR OF TELEPHONE AND
EARLY AssicTANT TALK OVER
TRANscoNTiNENTAL CIRCUIT.
PRAISE BELL SYSTEM.
FOR RAPID PROGRESS
Conversation Between Pioneers Marks
Dramatic Moment In History
Of Science.

There have been few more dra-
matte moments In the history of sci
ence than when Alexander Graham
Bell. who invented the telephone,
spoke from New York on Monday,
January rs, to Thomas A. Watson, the
friend and. fellow workman, of his
youth, In San Francisco, over the new
Transcontinental Telephone Line.
Few men have seen SO great q
dream come true. probably no two
men before, In all the history of the
worlds discoveries and inventions.
ever lived to see such magnificent re-
suits from work In which they had
been the pioneers. Hardened tele-
phone users as all of those present
were, and accustomed to big events
as most Of them were, q hush that was
tinged with awe. an almost solemn
silence, fell on the assemblage as the
great inventor talked to his associate.
Every one felt that he was taking part
In an epoch-making event, that, In the
future, school children would be made
to learn January twenty-fifth as one
OF the big dates in the worlds scien-
tifc. commercial and political his
tory. one that ranked with that other
day when What wonders hath God
wrought" was flashed over Morse's
wire.
In the Space Of q Lifetime.
Most wonderful of all, perhaps in
the minds Of those present at the open
ing OF the new line was the fact that
this achievement. the browning glory
Of SO vast and complex system. had
taken place within the space of q
mans lifetime. On March 10, 1876.
Professor Bell, working away at the
simple telephone he had invented.
called to his comrade, "Mr. Watson,
come here. want you," and Watson
heard that first of all telephone mes
sages over the wire. In New York
on January 25. 1915. the same voice
was talking and, in San Francisco,
the came ear was listening. as on that
spring day thirty-nine years ago, but
under what different conditions!
Not many men have seen so great
a fulfillment of their early ambitions,
no other invention has ever taken sc
great stride in SO brief time.
Bell and Watson Talk.
The conversation between Bell and
Watson over the new Transcontinental
Line marks another interesting chap
ter in the history of the telephone.
and as such Is worth recording here.
"Ahoy! Alloy! Mr.. Watson. are you
there? Do you hear mel" asked Mr..
Bell in New York.
Eyes, Mr.. Bell, hear you perfectly.
Do you hear me well" replied Mr..
Watson at his end of the line in San
Francisco.
Eyes, your voice is perfectly dis
tinct," said Bell. at is as clear as II
you were here in New York instead
Of being more than 5000 miles away.
You remember, Mr.. Watson, that eve
ming, 80 years ago when we conversed
through the telephone on q real line
for the first timer"
Eyes, indeed" answered Watson,
that line was two miles long, running
from Boston to Cambridge. You were
overjoyed at the success of the experi-
ment."
1--WE are talking over 3.400 miles as
easily and clearly as we talked over
two miles 80 years ago. said Prof
Bell.
"The telephone men have certainly
done wonderful things with your in
vention since that first outdoor test"
said Mr.. Watson. I'VE must not for
get that the circuit we are talking
over is really $500 miles long, as of
course, the earth can not be used for
the return now as we used 1t then"
Uses Old Transmltter.
II want to switch in another tele-
phone and talk to you through that
said DR.. Bell. and suiting the action to
the word he switched In a replica Of
his first telephone instrument. Il am
now talking through an exact dupli-
cate of the first telephone which was
made in June. 1875" continued DR..
Bell, "can you hear mef"
ri hear perfectly, though less dis
tinctly than with the other, Of course.
answered Mr.. Watson.
Mr. Bell switched back to the stand |
ard tranpmitter and continued tho con-
versation.
swhat wonderful progress has been
made by the Bell System since then
TO enable our voices>to be transmitted |
over . circuit OF 5000 miles, without
the least apparent distortion or weak
ening."
~Their work has been superb" de-
clared Mr.. Watson, "and superb also
ID the, discipline Of the organization |
that watches every inch Of this long |
circuit to safeguard those feeble VI
brations.~
"A1l hohor to the men who have |
rendered this great achievement pos-
sible." concluded Mr.. Bell They
have brought al the people Of ths |
tynitoA State within sound az ouo A.