South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-01-22
Music in the Air" Becomes
Literally True-Over 20
Wireless Stations Here.
BY DoRoTHEA CAHIEN

BY DOROTHEA CAHIEN.
Vow Baby. run upstairs and lis
ten to your bedtime story while
mother and get ready for the
opera"
No. this is not the introduction 10
a society drama; it's a typical bit
OF conversation from a modern
South Bend home.
Baby trundles up 10 the wireless
receiving set installed in an up
stairs room and with the assistance
Of brother ruts on pair of wire
less phones, similar 10 those worn
by telephone operators. Brother adj
justs the dials of the instrument
and in a moment Baby hears a kind
ly masculine voice say:
And then Uncle Wiggly started
down the road with the three chill
dren-"
It's "The Man in the Moon" a
professional story teller at the West
inghouse Broadcasting Station, East
Pittsburg, Pa, talking to an audi
ence covering a radius of 1000
miles. After the story comes a lull-
ably which makes Baby 50 sleepy
sire is ready TO tumble into bed
Time for the Opera.
Just about this time father looks
at his watch and finds it IS almost
time for the opera. The Chicago pa
pers announce That's tonight, and it
is to begin at eight Father puts on
the phones, turns the dials two de-
grees or so to the left, Pittsburg is
shut of and Chicago has The wire,
II mean the wave,-that invisible
something that carries sound over
thousands of miles as if there
weren't any space.
Mary Garden is singing. The mod
ulation is excellent. Then she turns.
or moves across the stage and the
sound comes less distinctly. Again il
swells and is Joined with a mascu-
line voice. After some time the
music ceases and a faint shutting
sound is heard which the South
Benders recognize as applause and
in which they are tempted to join
So it goes on, solo, quartet, duet
blending always with the orchestra.
Then comes "a voice which tells the
radio audience:
Intermission-sta by 10 min
utes"
Hears Real jar.
Mother and father put down the
phones and take a stroll. Brother
eagerly SEXES the opportunity 70
turn the dial back three degrees
and enjoy some real Jazz from
Newark y. J. Great stuff, that jazz
he thinks 80 long Italian words and
fancy trills-a good snappy saXa-
phone. If ne had a girl there they
could dance
Ten minutes over. mother and
father return and switch back TO
Chicago. The opera strains come
clearly for a while, then something
happeus-an operator gets ON the
wave with the dot-dot-dash of the
code. Father decides TO ignore Mary
Garden for while and see what
the Westinghouse Company has TO
offer at Pittsburg. Not SO bad
Mischa Elman playing a solo. It's
really distracting to have SO much
good music to decide from-you
sure TO miss something good which
ever you choose.
For the old song, There's music
in the air" is literally true. Every
cubic inch we breath these evenings
is literally full of music, and all one
need do to hear il is TO install
radio receiving set. tune IL to the
proper wave length and listen in
20 Stations Here.
South Bend is realizing the pos
sibilities OF this fascinating develop
ment OF eless-radio telephony
and is fast becoming a center OF
radio activities over 20 wireless re
Ceiving stations have been estab-
liehed I'm South Bend in the last
year, about half of which are own
cd by licensed operators who are
not engaged in the work for any
purpose but who are
thoroughly capable amateurs
hams" i'm radio slang Every day
comes news of a new enthusiast
who has ordered a set and will soon
be listening in, and possibly send
ing messages In code. The South
Bend Radio association has over so
active members from South Bend
alone who are conducting expert
ments, studying and aiding each
other in this new and extensive
field. This organization. with head
quarters at ia F. Division ST, is al
ready doing much. under the leader
ship Of its enthusiastic officers,
Frank s Libbe. Allie Brady and
Vernon Bloomquist 20 bring to-
sether all who are interested. The
club has been organized only three
and testifes 10 the rapid
growth Of South Bend radio activi-
ties
Its an epidemic" says DR.. Gull
pepper OF the South Bend Medical
Laboratory. who IL himself a vic
finland a willing one-of the
radio germ. There's no question that
his own case IS a highly CONTAGIOUS
one. for anyone talking with him on
the subject - filled with a longing
to possess a set OF his own. and T.
more than likely 10 break out with
the symptoms. DR.. Culpepper caught
s. when he was In the aviation serv-
ice during the war. AT that time. Of
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