The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-03-16

WSN10 PI0pdplJ DC. w lldl 10 ILLS III
strument you call the telephone?
Where did IL come from and what
does It do? And when explained to
him, he would marvel at it's won
dsrs and would say that the stories
or the Arabian Nights and Alladln' S
Lamp did not compare with the ro-
nance OF the telephone.
ITO US who are directly interested
In the telephone business, fear that
many OF the things We come In daily
contact with become so common
place We cease to marvel at their
wonders. Alth ough frequently
strange, mysterious and full OF in
terest TO our subscribers.
The impression and understand
Ing OF the telephones is too fire.
Quently represented by the tele-
phone seen on desks or the walls OF
our homes. The people who use them
know nothing OF the origin, growth
or development OF the telephone;
they never stop to think. So far as
they know the telephone has always
been, like Topsy In Uncle Toms Ca
bin. IL has just grown up.
Public Relations Important
The most important thing we in
the telephone business have to face
- P0S4RS AOtotAoho anu W0 wv ShSSkA
faiito realize IL. The men and women
boys and girls, who use our tele-
phones daily must be taught to
know something about the telephone
business; so they will understand
and appreciate its value; so they
Will understand our problems and
have sympathetic cooperative at
titude towards them; so they will
understand why we must have good
rates for the service we render; so
they will become interested in our
securities; so they will understand
that the men and women employed
In the industry are human beings
like themselves. II we are to enter
such q campaign, we In the business
must know the story of the tele-
phone and be able to tell 1t. We
must believe In our business and be
proud to be numbered among its
workers.
Draw Out Facts
so to draw out few facts, l will
ask few questions and will be pleas
cd to have you answer me. When was
the telephone invented? In 1876, you
say, splendid. By whom invented
DR.. Bell, Yes, Alexander Graham
Bell. Who was DR.. Bell what was
LILO NoSdlton. CdCuCI III NOCdl
iology. Can you tell anything else
about him? You say he was actively
engaged in helping the deaf to hear
and the dumb to speak, to form lips
and tongue and organs of speech SO
they could talk and do away with
the sign language. Yes, it was while
| engaged in this work. DR.. Bell con
ceived the idea of the telephone
| that il was possible to build an in
strument that would transmit the
sound of the human voice. is in
teresting to note here that back of
the actual accomplishment in all
lines of human endeavor, first has
been the imagination or vision which
has visualized the completed job.
And it is well to remember that
many a man and woman falls short
Of their possibilities because they
work too much with the hands, and
do not use their mental power either
| by process of thinking or imagining
as they might.
He Conceived Idea
DIR Bell conceived this idea, this
| bit of imagination and went to work
Can you visualize DR.. Bell a tall
dark skinned, slender man. dressed
! in the costume in fashion those
days. He had to work for the nee
essities Of life, who conceiving the
| idea made the sacrifice necessary
and began experiments.
For months and months the eX-
periments were carried on without
apparent success, but he had per-
sistence and determination In
character that would not permit him
to give up. He had loyal assistant
| to help him in his work, a man by
the name Of Thomas A. Watson.
Eventually we come to the ex-
| pertinent that was to bring success.
| Can you visualize the scene? Can
you see DR.. Bell in a room on the
third floor of his house in Boston at
work with some peculiar looking ap-
paratus? Do you see wire leading
| from this apparatus out of~the VIM
dow, and as we follow ii taking us
| down to the basement of the build
| ing where we see Mr.. Watson at
work over the same odd looking ap-
| paratus? Finally arrangements are
completed. DR.. Bell speaks into the
instrument at his end of the wire
these words. Watson come here,
want you What happened? Mr.
Watson heard the words and a look
of utter establishment came over his
face and he dropped his apparatus
rushed from the room upS three
flights OF stairs, crying at the top of
his voice, L hear you, / hear you.
Thus the telephone was born.
Exposition In Philadelphia
THAT same year there was being
held in Philadelphia a great exposi-
ton, concentrating the One Hun
dredth Anniversary Of the signing
! of the Declaration of Independence
DR.. Bell placed his invention on ex-
hibition. Many people passed by his
| exhibit, but when told that the in =
strum emit would enable persons to
talk with one another even though
miles apart. they laughed, thought
the inventor was crazy and passed on
Many said 1t was a scientific toy
and he had difficulty in getting, the
judges to inspect his exhibit. Finally
through some influence he managed
| to get the judges to consent to stop
at the close of their tour of inspec-
ton. 1t was hot Sunday evening at
1880, when they finally arrived tired
! and dirty, and they would much
rather have gone to their hotels than
inspect any more exhibits. DIR. Bell
explained the wonders of his inven-
ton and its possibilities. They look.
ed on In a patronizing uninterested
way, thought that the poor man had
lost his senses and gave no en-
couragement whatever, when an un :
expected thing happened. From the
other end of the hall there came
through the door a visitor to this