Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-28
Telephone Industry Soon to Observe It's 50h Anniversar,

mainder of the Centennial the chief
attraction OF the exhibit. They had
been given but Is words description
in the program. but after having es
tabliShed their worth, received column
after column of publicity in the news
papers of the country.
Many OF the press accounts reflected
the skepticism of the reporters. The
New York Herald said: THE effect
is weird and almost supernatural"
The Province Press took d similar at
titude: ut is hard to resist the no
ton that the powers of darkness are
somehow in league with it," One
paper ran story about the telephone
under the caption. Salem Witch
craft" and the Boston Times, in an
editorial, reflected the general sar-
castle attitude of the public: "A fel-
low can now court his girl in China
as we'll as in East Boston; but the
most serious aspect Of this invention
is the awful and irresponsible power
it will give to the average nnother-in-
law, who will be able to send her voice
around the habitable globe"
-
RUT the instrument which Bell had
worked so faithfully to devise was
attracting attention and becoming
known. Mr.. HubbG ID capitalized all
this publicity and out on several
stunts" of his own, in most of which
Bell carried on long distance" con
versation before an audience after
the manner of lecturer. The in
NentOr and his associates knew that
their telephone could stand on its
own merits, but il took long time
To convince the general public that
their apparatus was anything more
than scientific toy" Lawyers said
il might be all right for store-k eepers.
and store-keepers conceded that ii
might he all right for lawyers. but in
spite of the fact that there were So
few phones in existence that the dan
ger of getting wrong number or. be
ing told the line was busy. was almost
negligible. no one was anxious to give
the thing trial. 1t was so hard to
believe that the phones would really
work, and the only one who offered 4
satisfactory solution to the mystery
was Boston laborer, who said that
there must be hole through the
wire
Even those ''in the know" made
what today seems like ultra modest
claims for their device. One circular
asserted that the telephone was 'su-
perior to the telegra phi" because: l..
1t made possible faster communica-
ton, Is TO 20 words a minute being
the maximum that could be sent BY
telegraph while 100 to 200 could ne
transmitted over the telephone s.
No expense for upkeep or repair.
Gradually the world awoke to the
realization that the telephone was an
immense aid. both TO social inter
course and business transactions.
Newspapers were among the earliest
patrons of the infant industry. The
Boston Globe printed the first dis
patch sent to a newspaper Office BY
telephone, and The Washington Star
was the pioneer local paper to employ
the Bell invention for news gathering
purposes. 1t installed wire in the
Capitol and received reports from Con
gress nearly an hour ahead OF its
competitors
Our Nations Chief Executives were
rather conservative about the tele-
phone placed In his house In 1875
dent to use one. He had an exhibition
phone placed in his house in 1878
while he was suh a member of Con
gress. There was single instrument
in the White House during the admin
fstrations of Cleveland and Harrison.
but neither used 1t to any extent.
Mckinley. however. reveled in the
conveniences of the telephone. He
heard the cheers Of the Chicago con
vention over the wire in his Canton.
Ohio. home. He also used the tele.
phone extensively during his presi-
dental campaign. talking to his man
ayers in SO states.
IT is bringing us all closer To.
gether,' was his favorite phrase in
regard to the momentous invention of
Alexander Graham Bell.