Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-27
THE FIRST TELEPHONE
J. n. zerbey Says Il Was Used Before
the Civil War at Gordon Planes.
George D. Roberts Ono Of the
Z Inventors--A New story
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN
T 81. zERBEY tells me most INTEREST,"

Mr.. Zerbey, be It known, is publisher OF
the virile and progressive Pottsville Repub-
lican.
He Is former president Of the Pennsylva.
MIA State Editorial Association and at pres
ent is chairman Of its Executive Committee.
All his life he has been identified with
the Schuylkill region. He Is familiar with
and the lives Of men Of affairs who helped
to make 1t, or have gone out from 1t.
The recital which friend Zerbey gave me
came to him at first hand.
The man who first used a telephone--in.
vented 1t rather-gave the facts years ago
to him.
Unfortunately: no step was ever taken to
prove priority Of right to the invention, and
now both principals have passed away.
D A. WILDER, who died years ago, was
4Ns for many years superintendent Of the
Mine Hill and New York Railroad, after
ward known as the Mine Hill division Of
It was Mr.. Wilder who gave Mr.. zerbey
the facts in the case.
There were ten years in the life Of the
late George 3: Roberts, president of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, which were spent
railroads, although he began his career as a
rodman in 1851 on the Pennsylvania.
In that period, or up until 1862, he aided
In the building and management of the Sum
bury and Erie, Allentown and Auburn,
Mahanoy and Broad Mountain and other
lines.
According to Mr.. Wilder, as related to
Publisher Zerbey, It was during this inter-
val that Roberts was connected with the
Mine Hill and New York Railroad for a
time.
At GORDON PLANES two inclines were
"A built by Roberts.
There was great difficulty in signaling
between the top and the bottom of the planes
for the movement of the coal cars.
"A signal was at last perfected by con-
trivance which Wilder, according to his
statement to Mr.: Zerbey. rigged up with the
assistance of Roberts and by means of which
they were tble to communicate by the spoken
word up and down the entire length Of the
Gordon Planes.
No details Of the workings of the primi-
tive telephone or its operation were given
Whether or not there was an electric con.
nection, or whether it was merely a crude
affair after the fashion of the toy instru-
ments that are sold nowadays for the amuse.
ment OF children Is not known.
Whatever it was, its principle, Mr.. Zerbey
says, was that of the telephone, and deserves
to be recognized as one of the first cases of
transmission of the human voice by wire.
GEORGE B. ROBERTS, of all the presi-
" dents Of the Pennsylvania Railroad, had
perhaps the most rapid advancement.
In 1851 he obtained a position as rod.
man on an engineering corps Of the Penn
sylvania Railroad.
Some time after he was offered the position
of assistant engineer of the Philadelphia and
Erie Railroad, then under construction.
He accepted it and in the succeeding ten
struction of roads in Pennsylvania and New
Jersey.
JUST eleven years from the time he
q entered the employ of the PENNSYLVANIA
as rodman he was made first assistant to
tho president.
1t was j. Edgar Thomson who had the
foresight to make this selection.
Seventeen years from the time he became
an employe he was a vice president.
1t was the most rapid advancement to
high position made in the history of the
Pennsylvania Railroad; at least in the
earlier years OF its history.
CHARLES r. BACON, veteran news.
" paperman and former New Jersey State
Official takes me to task for the omission
of a name that once graced the roster and
glded the payroll of the old PHILADELPHIA
Press, whose building at Seventh and Chest.
nut streets has just disappeared.
l confess to the omission. The tides of
80 -. 80 H. u,nn.;ou ~ oi''s tho hame
- =. .ne aan - Io . pu' hany more
iioI, Ni, 'IS Poeom eo'S So,,s Us H''io's'
~. ~ ,"rr yory ,n,.ros.;, ,,-,
of tho ioress pang 81 old IsvS "reminiscences n @
VI anS &c go e"us pi oiu onss no mention
d dae nf u tbs o ao e. te th % nos' and tai
''i.u ..iIo w. VOC hr"tb,u &c tt Wiii uarrisoh.
cano, ro was onJ J'o ~ s ~ aie io[nler attorney
CSnrien r. Gorricon pf W., Gpure Justice
'A"t ..Eorrison was No ~ oroot o,ew nerscE'
br. ha was ono of ,be ,,oot ai' H. u. course;
put ne was p"e &c - g'e i!Pst charming and
SGnpr'n"o'' Stin VI i''"' Win ir'ehds IN every
oiiece,JI; ,'M;.h ,,o o,or., .oo.
punits;n 'iit; 'ne ap"'e 40 peHause OF me desire
TO 40 Jus''ur 20 '"e attributes ana memory
u T;ii a TioIt Gorr;lon rruor"' =; man. a.d,u
,soS Tho r"nst norfnc. Euni;aE conversation
u'I. T. liz i,innmisbot H. ihheiisn ever neard.
~ , uis,ii @ I!smou nlLn above aoove all other news
Papeihnen nave '''' N"o"h'
CHARLES r. BACON himself was nc.
liant period Of the famous old journal: the
days OF Rlchard Harding 'Dink" Davis,