The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-06-28
VOICES OF
tcontinued From Page onel

scribing the development OF the tele.
phone and the GROWING achievement,
the construction OF the trans-continen.
tai system. Mr., Stickney's address
was illustrated with moving picture
views OF the country through which
the Trans-continental winds It's way
John NJ Lontz, as POSTMASTER, first
called upon e. G. Hill Of this city, the
nations rose king" Mr.. Hill paid
his tribute TO the telephone and con-
cluded with broadside for those Of
Richmond's population who prefer to
knock rather than boost.
Sometimes l think there are not
enough OF US keeping up with times"
said Mr.. Hill. Sometimes think
we have too many kickers. Instead
OF finding fault, let us boost. We
need more sand, some OF US, II we
are TO take advantage of our oppor.
tunities." These remarks made big
hit with the hustling, live.wire Twelve.
Six members.
Praises Or. Bell.
Wilfred Jessup was called upon
next by the POSTMASTER. He talked
mostly OF Dr. Alexander Graham Bell,
inventor Of the telephone, and now
deeply interested In advancing the
science OF aviation.
American business Is today abso-
lutely dependent upon the telephone,
yet, the year ! was born, the year of
the Philadelphia Centennial exhibition
DR.. Bell was exhibiting for the first
time his crude telephone device, and
those who saw It looked upon Bell as
m impractical crank.
How much this nation owes to It's
Inventors"
Hutton Made History.
Among those who followed with
keen interest Mr.. Stickney's story Of
the telephone" was a man who had
helped write nearly every chapter Of
this amazing Industrial Odessy, Noah
Hutton, former manager Of the Rich
mond Bell Telephone exchange and
the dean of all Indiana telephone
men-a real pioneer Of the business.
He received an appreciative tribute
from POSTMASTER Lontz.
Mr.. Stickney told how thirty-nine
years ago. Dr. Bell, standing In Bos-
ton attic. spoke to his friend and as
sistent, Thomas A. Watson, in a room
200 feet distant. over the first tele-
phone line. 1t transmitted sound only
one way.
The world moves a long way ahead
In the span Of one mans life. On
Monday afternoon, January %, 1915,
this same Alexander Graham Bell sit
ting in the offices OF the American
Telephone and Telegraph company, at
New York, talked to this same Thomas
A. Watson in San Francisco. over
wire stretching 3,400 miles across the
continent and part Of system that
includes 100000 telephones, connect
ed by 2l,000,000 miles of wire.
Telephone Roll Called.
After the moving picture exhibition
the telephone demonstration began
with the calling of the roll OF opera
tors at New York, Pittsburg. Chicago.
Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, Win.
nemucca, New, San Francisco and Los
Angeles. 1t was like calling the roll
Of a company Of soldiers. AS Los
Angeles reported, concluding with the
usual Californian boost for his state
And the sun ia shining here glo-
riously, as usual" everything was
ready for the wire party" which cost
the American Telephone and Tele-
graph company approximately $1,000
for two continent spanning circuits
were used exclusively for one hour.
This is Frank Wiggans talking,
came over the wire,
Could 1t be possible, wondered the
Richmond auditors, that this voice was
speaking In Los Angeles; surely the
speaker could not be further away
than Indianapolis.
This is George Knollenberg talking,
Frank" replied the dean OF Richmond
merchants.
What Wiggans Said.
We'll. I'll be darned,' exclaimed the
liking" of Los Angeles.
Lot of young fellows here tonight,