The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-04-16


Mr. Vail was brought here from
Jckyll Island, Ga, last Sunday in his
private car. AT the hospital it was
stated that he was in serious condi-
tion when he reached there and his
death was not unexpected to the ply
sicians.
As president of the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph company. Theo-
dore Newton Vail was the head of the
largest telephone system in the world.
He was not only its nominal head, but
he was from the first the genius that
promoted the popular Use OF the tele-
phone, the first man to establish long.
distance communication by telephone,
and, when past 70 years of age, he was
still the initiative head of system
that numbered nine million telephone
subscribers and represented an invest
ment OF n billion and half dollars.
Mr.. Vail was 81 years old when Alex.
ander Graham Bell invented the tele-
phone, and. Notwithstanding his age
he was filling the responsible post of
general superintendent of the railway
mail service. Still earlier, however. he
had been a telegraph operator. and, in
terested in the possibilities of electrical
communicate he had visions that
Bells "toy" would some day be great
factor in American life. Bell and his
associates had equal faith in Mr.. Walls |
genius, for he had already
made name for himself as an organ |
izer in the promotion of the railway |
mail service, and he was easily induced |
to resign his government post to be
come the general manager, in 1873, of |
the first American Bell Telephone COM
papy.
Walls Side Show
Even the most optimistic hackers Of
he telephone then thought that the
invention would serve only for local
but Mr.. Vail had Wis
oHs of its long distance use. II was
he who inaugurated successive steps of
nter-city communication The first |
inc from Boston TO Providence was
-idiculed as Walls side show" but
'ome of the persons who INDUCED in
he ridicule at that time lived to see
'lr. Vail telephone, not only from Bos
on to Providence, but from New York
o San Francisco, in 1918, - years
aser. Further, in October in that year,
hey found that il was possible to
end the human voice more than half
vay around the world, as was done by
wireless telephone from the govern
nent station at Arlington, Va, the
Fords being recorded simultaneously
{ Honolulu. in the mid Pacific and
he Eiifel tower, in Paris.
Mr.. Vail was known as "the biggest
telephone man in the world" not only
a tribute TO his genius for both me.
hanical and financial organization. but
I'm the fact that he was personally a y
ian OF remarkable physique. He was t
X feet, two inches tall. and weighed I
bout 2s0 pounds With this great f
hysique he had an Infinite capacity {
IF hard work and a genial disposition. o
Native of Ohio. !
lie was born in Carroll county. Ohio, I
lly 10. ls45 OF Quaker ancestry. His 4
ither. Davis Vail, removed from Ohio Q
MorristOwn. " j.. when the son was 4
,ir years old, and became associated
ith a brother. Stephen Vail. who had ii
'unded the Speedwell Iron works. near 4
orristown, where they built much of II
e machinery for the first trans-At- o.
ntic steamship. Alfred Vail. another 1,
other, was one of those associated "
it'll Samuel Morse in the invention II
ID promotion Of the telegraph. Theo
re Vail was educated at the old acad II
ny at Morristown. and for a time I
udied medicine, bU. becoming inter OF
ted in the telegraph, he learned 10 "
crate the key and went west in 1865
an operator for the Union Pacific ca
ilrosd at Pine Bluffs. Wyo. Pine NJ
uffs was at that time the principal II
pply point for wood for the Union Sc
.elfic. which had nor vet been com IC
,ted Through the friendship OF Gen. ri
enville NJ. Dodge chief engineer Of pl
2 Mon Pacific. Vail. in the next vi
ar. was appointed a clerk in the rail hi
" mail service. and here his ability
systematize and organize was soon SI
{. At that time the railway mail
vice was in an undevel0ped stage n,
4 Vail prepared special studies on
, question Of distribution and dis
tehing Of the mail which brought
n quick recognition from the au- its
,rities at Washington. Il was Just IA
er he had been promoted 10 the gen nj
4 superintendcncy Of the railway
il service that he acted against the 20
vice Of hi friends. and accepted tho pa
,ition Of general manager ~ the ia
ierican Bell Telephone company r.
.lr. Vail sci for himself the task % ~
king the telephone universal CON -.
lience. and il was on his initiative $50
/ every possible impros ement was
ed upon Tor the perfection 1T he
vice. W 1855 he resigned from the
ziusl company and became the first to
-ideu' 81 the newly formed Amer ~
Telephone and Telegraph company. Ne
rh az first made a speciality oi ouly -
: g.distarcc cpmmurita1 ipn. buf ar
rh. " 1000. acquired the property 70
tho American Bel Telephone com ING
i and also negotiated comhinat ioris eve
. the principal competing telephone IRA
.Hanies throughout ho -ouutry. 80 uHi
the whole service came largely nm ean
single central administration iih
Became . Vermont Farmer ~.
! the meant inc. in $500 Mr. Val nea
red from the te.rrhoue hu-5ness far ~u1
IS yrars He purchased ar- TIA
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