The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-16
First Phone in Kansas Manu-
featured at Manhattan.
AIthO Crude 1t Was Thought
To Be Wonder.
TWO RECEIVERS WERE USE[
Many Funny Things Happened.
Says Professor.
Telephone Business Not Organ.
lied in Those Days.


made in the blacksmith and carpenter
shop of the Kansas State Agricultural
college at Manhattan in about 1873,
according to !. D. Graham, assistant
secretary of the State BOARD of Agri-
culture, who was for nineteen years q
member of the faculty of the agri-
cultural college,
1T was a pretty crude affair when
compared with those of today. but. in
the late '70s when this was the only
one in Kansas. it was thought to be
wonder" said Graham. with all
its crudity, 1t worked sufficiently for
the purpose of illustrating in the
classroom and thus fulfilled the object
Tor which it was made"
The completed system consisted of
two homemade receivers one at each
end of the line, and it's use necessi-
tated holding the instrument to the
mouth when talking and then remov-
ing it to the ear for hearing.
Some Funny Things.
Some funny things happened" said
Graham. "our senior professor, a
man of great dignity of bearing, was a
trifle absept-minded and he persisted
for some time in holding the telephone
to his ear when he talked and to his
mouth when he listened. In those
days the college had a telegraph line
extending from the town of Manhattan
about two miles to the northwest. This
afforded an excellent equipment for
experimenting with the telephone, but
with our crude instruments we could
not cover any very great distance.
While we did not get far with our
home made instruments we did keep
our interest in the telephone and
along in the early sos I installed a
new transmitteP called the Berliner.
"One time, in those far. dim days
the late Charles 8. Gleed visited the
college and was shown the BeFliner
in action. The weather conditions
were just right. the air moisture just
enough and the adjustments were per-
feet at both ends of the line. The
college treasurer was called up at the
city end of the line and, as he re-
spoRded, a brass band began playing
out in the front of his office. Gleed
could hear the music and his astonish-
ment knew no bounds. The idea that
any machine could be made SO sensi-
tive that it could transmit the music of
a band which was many feet distant
from the transmitter and two miles
from the auditor, was simply awe-in-
spirinR. 1t was uncanny and partook
old.
Not Organized Then.
''The telephone business was not or
ganiEed in those days as 1t later be-
came and so 1 conceived the idea of
an exchange for Manhattan and figur-
ed out just how many subscribers 1t
would require in order to maize 1t go.
], then went out and solicited sub
scribers until I lacked only three of
having the required number. But I
never got any further.
Most people, when approached on
the subject of an exchange. would
agree to 1t conditionally. That is,
they were willing to sign on the dotted
line provided others did the same and
also provided that they should not be
obligated in any way II the list did
not fill. As say I got all but three
OF the necessary number and right
there it stopped. I interviewed every
but not another subscriber could I get
Some one had started the rurnor that
the exchange was about to succeed and
that did settle it.
II don't remember how many inhab-
itants there were in Manhattan at that
time but I do remember that later,
after a ride in the Ferris wheel at the
Chicago Worlds Fair, I was able to
state that the big wheel would contain
the entire population of the town with
out overtaxing its capacity.
Much Missionary Work.
while did not succeed in the es-
adjustment of a telephone exchange I
became apparent in after years. Only
few years after my attempt an ex-
change was established and this grew
to such an extent shat the town en-
joyed the reputation of having more
telephones in proportion to population
| than any other town in the world.
In those earlier days people leeke ed
upon the telephone as a luxury, to be
enjoyed only by the wealthy few. and
the $50 per year rental, which we
had to pay. was a lavish expenditure
permissible only to the relaxed fiber
of the morally extravaganf. The col
lege faculty were the nabebs of the
town and drew down the most exoF-
bitant salaries. The president of the
college was paid $500 per year and
There was no thought of rural tele-
phone system at that time as the
farmers would favor nothing that was
recommended by the 'kid-gloved
profs.'
System Mt College.
Later I installed an iHtercommuni-
eating system between the several de-
partments OF the college with a single
! line of the city exchange. AS some of
the departments were nearly half a
mile apart, this was a great conYen-
| ielce and this system remained in use
for number of years and until each
department was connected direct to
the city exchange.
1.-The first rural telephone in Riley
county, and so far as I know, in Kan
sas, was built on a barhed wire fence.
1t extended few miles into the coun-
| try and was considered a success,
! Very often one could conduct a con-
/ versation over it. One could use his
auditory nerves and his imagination
on a $3.50 basis and get results. How
ever. 1t was found that lightning and
bulls inteFfered too much and a real
4 Nfr.n ste tRh - tive
at is all very surprising. this growth
/ of the telephone. From being a scien-
tific toy to the rich mans luxury and
| then to the poor mans necessity, there
is nothing which exceeds the marvel OF
the telephone. Most surprising among
it's many surprises is the fact that the
| late Mr.. Charles S. Gleed. who knew
so little about it in the earlier days
should become chairman of the board
| OF directors of the Southwestern Bel