Evening star., 1922-08-02

IL .
received at the Royal High School OF
Edinburgh, but his father at home
taught him the physiology of human
speech and SO stimulated his interest,"
that at an early age he devised anu
constructed working model OF tne
organs of speech which Is said ac-
tually to have uttered a few silnp'e
words.
Mother an Artist.
DR.. Bells mother was gifted mu-
sician and a painter and from her -
derived a fondness for music "nieh
later aided him in the study OF 'ne
science of sounds.
DR.. Bell went with his family TO
London in 1865, and there became
student in University College anu
later in the University of London: re
taught several children to speak Wns
were born deaf, and for time
had charge Of his fathers pro-
fessional work in giving lessons IN
correcting defects in speech. He TOOK
up the study of Helmholtz theories
about sound reproduction. ana oeIore
1870 he already predicted tnat men n
some day would talk by telegraph;
II was in August of 1870 that the Bell
family crossed the Atlantic and set,
tied at Brantford. Ontario: DR.. 6eL
at this time was studying the prooieII
of multiple transmission OF messages
by telegraph. In 1872 he went 70 i've
in Boston, having been appointed a
lecturer on vocal physiology, and 1t
was in Boston that he completed MS
great work for civilization. the IN
vention of the telephone.
First Electric Telephone.
working on the theory that speak
ing by telegraph" was possible, Dr.
Bell soon realized that the problem
of inventing an electric speaking teie-
phone was that Of producing a varia-
tion in the intensity of an electrical
current exactly like that which oc-
Cured in the density of the air while
a given sound was made. 1t was IN
July. 1875, that he devised what was
practically the first electric speaklns M
paratus was precisely the same as the
improved telephone of 1922. 1t had
diaphragms of gold beater's skin, and
il was not until the following year
that DR.. Bell considered the instru-
ment sufficiently improved to ME an
application for patent on the speak
ing Telephone in Washington.
The application was filed the year
of the centennial exposition in Ph1la-
delphia, and there the speaking tele-
nhone was demonstrated for the hrst
time in the presence OF noted scien-
fists.
First Installed In 1876.
The first telephone line ever built
in the world was installed in the
home of the inventors father at
Rrandford, Ontario, in August. 1876.
Even then DR.. Bell foresaw and pre-
dicted the telephone system Of today.
with it's "centrals." its overhead and
underground lines and its long-dis-
tance possibilities. Even then for
some years many scientists regarded
the invention as toy ana seriously
doubted its practicable possibiiities:
world agreed with DR.. Bell about the
entire practicability Of talking by
telegraph" and it was in that year
that the Volta prize Of $4,000 francs
was awarded him by the French gov
ernment.
cisco telephone line was opened In
1915 the original Bell instrument was
used for carrying on conversation be-
tween the two cities
Invented Telephone Probe.
The brilliancy and worldwide
utility Of DR.. Bells great invention
has somewhat overshadowed his many
subseouent contributions to applied
science. These include the telephone
probe, a device employing electricity
for detecting the presence of bullets
in the body. for which the University
of Heidelberg bestowed upon him an
honorary degree at the five hundredth
anniversary Of it's foundation; induc-
tion balance and the graphophone, the
last of which he invented in 1883
Jointly with C. A.. Bell and s. Taintor.
DR.. Bells other outstanding
achievement. was that of founding
the National Geographic Society. He
and a group of other distinguished
for the discussion Of technical, phases
of geography. One day DR.. Bell sur
prised the members of this small
group by averring that geography
was the most democratic OF sciences,
and that the task OF the geographer
he locked up his discoveries behind
the paddock OF technical terms
Proposed Geographic MaEGxine.
DR.. Bell proposed that the Geo.
graphic Society be made truly ma
tional by publishing an organ to be
known as the National Geographic
Magazine, which would carry theis
ciety's message far beyond the range
of the spoken word. While accurate
it should be written in non-technicsl
language and should employ that
universal language. pictures, that
clarified its. great message.
Gilbert Grosvenor, now president of
the National Geographic Society,
married Elsie May Bell. daughter OF
Alexander Grah1m Bell. in London
on October 23, 1900.
News of DR.. Bells death was ca.
bied immediately to DR.. and Mrs.
Grosvenor,. who ara on, ther way to
Rio Dc Janeire. Hxssii Where Dr: