the history of the telephone-第22节

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　its　best；　just　as　they　go　to　Iowa　and　Kansas　to　see　the　New　Farmer；　so　they　make　pilgrimages　to　Bethell's　office　to　learn　the　profession　of　telephony。

This　unparalleled　telephone　system　of　New　York　grew　up　without　having　at　any　time　the　rivalry　of　competition。　But　in　many　other　cities　and　especially　in　the　Middle　West；　there　sprang　up　in　1895　a　medley　of　independent　companies。　The　time　of　the　original　patents　had　expired；　and　the　Bell　Companies　found　themselves　freed　from　the　expense　of　litigation　only　to　be　snarled　up　in　a　tangle　of　duplication。　In　a　few　years　there　were　six　thousand　of　these　little　Robinson　Crusoe　companies。　And　by　1901　they　had　put　in　use　more　than　a　million　telephones　and　were　professing　to　have　a　capital　of　a　hundred　millions。

Most　of　these　companies　were　necessary　and　did　much　to　expand　the　telephone　business　into　new　territory。　They　were　in　fact　small　mutual　associations　of　a　dozen　or　a　hundred　farmers；　whose　aim　was　to　get　telephone　service　at　cost。　But　there　were　other　companies；　probably　a　thousand　or　more；　which　were　organized　by　promoters　who　built　their　hopes　on　the　fact　that　the　Bell　Companies　were　unpopular；　and　on　the　myth　that　they　were　fabulously　rich。　Instead　of　legitimately　extending　telephone　lines　into　communities　that　had　none；　these　promoters　proceeded　to　inflict　the　messy　snarl　of　an　overlapping　system　upon　whatever　cities　would　give　them　permission　to　do　so。

In　this　way；　masked　as　competition；　the　nuisance　and　waste　of　duplication　began　in　most　American　cities。　The　telephone　business　was　still　so　young；　it　was　so　little　appreciated　even　by　the　telephone　officials　and　engineers；　that　the　public　regarded　a　second　or　a　third　telephone　system　in　one　city　as　quite　a　possible　and　desirable　innovation。　〃We　have　two　ears；〃　said　one　promoter；　〃why　not　therefore　have　two　telephones？〃

This　duplication　went　merrily　on　for　years　before　it　was　generally　discovered　that　the　telephone　is　not　an　ear；　but　a　nerve　system；　and　that　such　an　experiment　as　a　duplicate　nerve　system　has　never　been　attempted　by　Nature；　even　in　her　most　frivolous　moods。　Most　people　fancied　that　a　telephone　system　was　practically　the　same　as　a　gas　or　electric　light　system；　which　can　often　be　duplicated　with　the　result　of　cheaper　rates　and　better　service。　They　did　not　for　years　discover　that　two　telephone　companies　in　one　city　means　either　half　service　or　double　cost；　just　as　two　fire　departments　or　two　post　offices　would。

Some　of　these　duplicate　companies　built　up　a　complete　plant；　and　gave　good　local　service；　while　others　proved　to　be　mere　stock　bubbles。　Most　of　them　were　over…capitalized；　depending　upon　public　sympathy　to　atone　for　deficiencies　in　equipment。　One　which　had　printed　fifty　million　dollars　of　stock　for　sale　was　sold　at　auction　in　1909　for　four　hundred　thousand　dollars。　All　told；　there　were　twenty…three　of　these　bubbles　that　burst　in　1905；　twenty…one　in　1906；　and　twelve　in　1907。　So　high　has　been　the　death…rate　among　these　isolated　companies　that　at　a　recent　conven…　tion　of　telephone　agents；　the　chairman's　gavel　was　made　of　thirty…five　pieces　of　wood；　taken　from　thirty…five　switchboards　of　thirty…five　extinct　companies。

A　study　of　twelve　single…system　cities　and　twenty…seven　double…system　cities　shows　that　there　are　about　eleven　per　cent　more　telephones　under　the　double…system；　and　that　where　the　second　system　is　put　in；　every　fifth　user　is　obliged　to　pay　for　two　telephones。　The　rates　are　alike；　whether　a　city　has　one　or　two　systems。　Duplicating　companies　raised　their　rates　in　sixteen　cities　out　of　the　twenty…seven；　and　reduced　them　in　one　city。　Taking　the　United　States　as　a　whole；　there　are　to…day　fully　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　people　who　are　paying　for　two　telephones　instead　of　one；　an　economic　waste　of　at　least　ten　million　dollars　a　year。

A　fair…minded　survey　of　the　entire　independent　telephone　movement　would　probably　show　that　it　was　at　first　a　stimulant；　followed；　as　stimulants　usually　are；　by　a　reaction。　It　was　unquestionably　for　several　years　a　spur　to　the　Bell　Com…　panies。　But　it　did　not　fulfil　its　promises　of　cheap　rates；　better　service；　and　high　dividends；　it　did　little　or　nothing　to　improve　telephonic　apparatus；　producing　nothing　new　except　the　automatic　switchboarda　brilliant　invention；　which　is　now　in　its　experimental　period。　In　the　main；　perhaps；　it　has　been　a　reactionary　and　troublesome　movement　in　the　cities；　and　a　progressive　movement　among　the　farmers。

By　1907　it　was　a　wave　that　had　spent　its　force。　It　was　no　longer　rolling　along　easily　on　the　broad　ocean　of　hope；　but　broken　and　turned　aside　by　the　rocks　of　actual　conditions。　One　by　one　the　telephone　promoters　learned　the　limitations　of　an　isolated　company；　and　asked　to　be　included　as　members　of　the　Bell　family。　In　1907　four　hundred　and　fifty…eight　thousand　independent　telephones　were　linked　by　wire　to　the　nearest　Bell　Company；　and　in　1908　these　were　followed　by　three　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　more。　After　this　landslide　to　the　policy　of　consolidation；　there　still　remained　a　fairly　large　assortment　of　independent　companies；　but　they　had　lost　their　dreams　and　their　illusions。

As　might　have　been　expected；　the　independent　movement　produced　a　number　of　competent　local　leaders；　but　none　of　national　importance。　The　Bell　Companies；　on　the　other　hand；　were　officered　by　men　who　had　for　a　quarter　of　a　century　been　surveying　telephone　problems　from　a　national　point　of　view。　At　their　head；　from　1907　onwards；　was　Theodore　N。　Vail；　who　had　returned　dramatically；　at　the　precise　moment　when　he　was　needed；　to　finish　the　work　that　he　had　begun　in　1878。　He　had　been　absent　for　twenty　years；　developing　water…power　and　building　street…　railways　in　South　America。　In　the　first　act　of　the　telephone　drama；　it　was　he　who　put　the　enterprise　upon　a　business　basis；　and　laid　down　the　first　principles　of　its　policy。　In　the　second　and　third　acts　he　had　no　place；　but　when　the　curtain　rose　upon　the　fourth　act；　Vail　was　once　more　the　central　figure；　standing　white…haired　among　his　captains；　and　pushing　forward　the　completion　of　the　〃grand　telephonic　system〃　that　he　had　dreamed　of　when　the　telephone　was　three　years　old。

Thus　it　came　about　that　the　telephone　business　was　created　by　Vail；　conserved　by　Hudson；　expanded　by　Fish；　and　is　now　in　process　of　being　consolidated　by　Vail。　It　is　being　knit　together　into　a　stupendous　Bell　Systema　federation　of　self…governing　companies；　united　by　a　central　company　that　is　the　busiest　of　them　all。　It　is　no　longer　protected　by　any　patent　monopoly。　Whoever　is　rich　enough　and　rash　enough　may　enter　the　field。　But　it　has　all　the　immeasurable　advantages　that　come　from　long　experience；　immense　bulk；　the　most　highly　skilled　specialists；　and　an　abundance　of　capital。　〃The　Bell　System　is　strong；〃　says　Vail；　〃because　we　are　all　tied　up　together；　and　the　success　of　one　is　therefore　the　concern　of　all。〃

The　Bell　System！　Here　we　have　the　motif　of　American　telephone　development。　Here　is　the　most　comprehensive　idea　that　has　entered　any　telephone　engineer's　brain。　Already　this　Bell　System　has　grown　to　be　so　vast；　so　nearly　akin　to　a　national　nerve　system；　that　there　is　nothing　else　to　which　we　can　compare　it。　It　is　so　wide…　spread　that　few　are　aware　of　its　greatness。　It　is　strung　out　over　fifty　thousand　cities　and　communities。

If　it　were　all　gathered　together　into　one　place；　this　Bell　System；　it　would　make　a　city　of　Telephonia　as　large　as　Baltimore。　It　would　contain　half　of　the　telephone　property　of　the　world。　Its　actual　wealth　would　be　fully　760；000；000；　and　its　revenue　would　be　greater　than　the　revenue　of　the　city　of　New　York。

Part　of　the　property　of　the　city　of　Telephonia　consists　of　ten　million　poles；　as　many　as　would　make　a　fence　from　New　York　to　California；　or　put　a　stockade　around　Texas。　If　the　Telephonians　wished　to　use　these　poles　at　home；　they　might　drive　them　in　as　piles　along　their　water…front；　and　have　a　twenty…five　thousand…acre　dock；　or　if　their　city　were　a　hundred　square　miles　in　extent；　they　might　set　up　a　seven…ply　wall　around　it　with　these　poles。

Wire；　too！　Eleven　million　miles　of　it！　This　city　of　Telephonia　would　be　the　capital　of　an　empire　of　wire。　Not　all　the　men　in　New　York　State　could　shoulder　this　burden　of　wire　and　carry　it。　Throw　all　the　people　of　Illinois　in　one　end　of　the　scale；　and　put　on　the　other　side　the　wire…wealth　of　Telephonia；　and　long　before　the　last　coil　was　in　place；　the　Illinoisans　would　be　in　the　air。

What　would　this　city　do　for　a　living？　It　would　make　two…thirds　of　the　telephones；　cables；　and　switchboards　of　all　countries。　Nearly　one…　quarter　of　its　citizens　would　work　in　factories；　while　the　others　would　be　busy　in　six　thousand　exchanges；　making　it　possible　for　the　people　of　the　United　States　to　talk　to　one　another　at　the　rate　of　SEVEN　THOUSAND　MILLION　CONVERSATIONS　A　YEAR。

The　pay…envelope　army　that　moves　to　work　every　morning　in　Telephonia　would　be　a　host　of　one　hundred　and　ten　thousand　men　and　girls；　mostly　girls；as　many　girls　as　would　fill　Vassar　College　a　hundred　times　and　more；　or　double　the　population　of　Nevada。　Put　these　men　and　girls　in　line；　march　them　ten　abreast；　and　six　hours　would　pass　before　the　last　company　would　arrive　at　the　reviewing　stand。　In　single　file　this　thr