Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-08-03
GAINS FAME HERE
Serbian Immigrant Now One of
Worlds Greatest Scientists.
New Discovery to Add to Wealth of
Man Who Came to the United
States PenniIess in 1874.

The man who made transcontinental
telephony possible announced recently
that he had completed an invention
that would free wireless telegraphy
from static interference, much the
same trouble that so long hindered the
transcontinental telegraph. He is
Prof. Michael I. Pupin, who came to
America in 1874 a penniless Serbian
immigrant, according to the Kansas
| City Times. His inventions already
have netted him $1,000000 and his
most recent one probably will bring
him in q sum running into the hun
dred thousands.
| Wireless transmission has heretofore
been subject to one serious handicap,
a composite of atmospheric and phys
ical troubles known to scientists as
static interference. Under such con-
ditions it is often impossible to get
a wireless message through for days
and during portions of almost every
day transmission is out Of the ques-
ton.
Professor Pupin announced a year
ago that he believed he had solved
the problem. Recently he stated that
he had perfected his device and now
knew that it would meet all require
ments. The value of his invention in
time of war is tremendous, as it would
give the side possessing it great ad-
vantage over its foes. For that rea-
son Professor, Pupin asserted that he
would not make public the secret of
4 his invention until the close of the
war, and that the United States
should be the first to possess it.
This one-time Serbian immigrant
also is the inventor of the present sys-
tenn of ocean telephony. He received
100000 for that invention. The same
loading" coil that rendered ocean
telephony possible also put an end to
the difficulties of transcontinental tel
ephony. He is rated as one of the;
worlds foremost electrical scientists.
1t was to escape service in the army
, that Pupin fed to America. He had
. no dream of becoming a scientist
then; he wanted only some peaceful
, occupation. When he landed in New
York he did not have cent. Drifting
from one job to another, he finally be-
: came farm hand in New York state.
+ The daughter of the farm owner inter-
y ested the Serbian lad in education /;
q and Pupin went back to New York city
Y determined to acquire learning. He
| worked as a masseuse in Turkish
q bath shop and in his spare hours stud
n led at the night school of Cooper
g Union. He progressed so fast that
v when a friend obtained for him q
scholarship in Adelphia college he was
able to hold his own with the other
J. students From Adelphia he went to
Columbia university, then to Cam
J. bridge and finally to the University OF
Berlin, where he studied under the
German master scientists.
It He came back to America as pro
|, fessor at Columbia university, but h'
r was not content merely to teach; h
Q at once turned to the practical use O.
l. his scientific knowledge. So valuable
s. as an inventor is he that the Columbis
l. authorities have an arrangement witt
70 him that when he wishes to devote hi!
time to some invention he is not re
}; Quired to give any attention to univer
:; sity work.
Q, The Serbian government severa
h, years ago acknowledged his service
ot to humanity by making him honorar
consul general to New York.