the history of the telephone-第4节

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Other　inventors　had　worked　from　the　standpoint　of　the　telegraph；　and　they　never　did；　and　never　could；　get　any　better　results　than　signs　and　symbols。　But　Bell　worked　from　the　standpoint　of　the　human　voice。　He　cross…fertilized　the　two　sciences　of　acoustics　and　electricity。　His　study　of　〃Visible　Speech〃　had　trained　his　mind　so　that　he　could　mentally　SEE　the　shape　of　a　word　as　he　spoke　it。　He　knew　what　a　spoken　word　was；　and　how　it　acted　upon　the　air；　or　the　ether；　that　carried　its　vibrations　from　the　lips　to　the　ear。　He　was　a　third…generation　specialist　in　the　nature　of　speech；　and　he　knew　that　for　the　transmission　of　spoken　words　there　must　be　〃a　pulsatory　action　of　the　electric　current　which　is　the　exact　equivalent　of　the　aerial　impulses。〃

Bell　knew　just　enough　about　electricity；　and　not　too　much。　He　did　not　know　the　possible　from　the　impossible。　〃Had　I　known　more　about　electricity；　and　less　about　sound；〃　he　said；　〃I　would　never　have　invented　the　telephone。〃　What　he　had　done　was　so　amazing；　so　foolhardy；　that　no　trained　electrician　could　have　thought　of　it。　It　was　〃the　very　hardihood　of　invention；〃　and　yet　it　was　not　in　any　sense　a　chance　discovery。　It　was　the　natural　output　of　a　mind　that　had　been　led　to　assemble　just　the　right　materials　for　such　a　product。

As　though　the　very　stars　in　their　courses　were　working　for　this　young　wizard　with　the　talking　wire；　the　Centennial　Exposition　in　Philadelphia　opened　its　doors　exactly　two　months　after　the　telephone　had　learned　to　talk。　Here　was　a　superb　opportunity　to　let　the　wide　world　know　what　had　been　done；　and　fortunately　Hubbard　was　one　of　the　Centennial　Commissioners。　By　his　influence　a　small　table　was　placed　in　the　Department　of　Education；　in　a　narrow　space　between　a　stairway　and　a　wall；　and　on　this　table　was　deposited　the　first　of　the　telephones。

Bell　had　no　intention　of　going　to　the　Centennial　himself。　He　was　too　poor。　Sanders　and　Hubbard　had　never　done　more　than　pay　his　room…rent　and　the　expense　of　his　experiments。　For　his　three　or　four　years　of　inventing　he　had　re…　ceived　nothing　as　yetnothing　but　his　patent。　In　order　to　live；　he　had　been　compelled　to　reorganize　his　classes　in　〃Visible　Speech；〃　and　to　pick　up　the　ravelled　ends　of　his　neglected　profession。

But　one　Friday　afternoon；　toward　the　end　of　June；　his　sweetheart；　Mabel　Hubbard；　was　taking　the　train　for　the　Centennial；　and　he　went　to　the　depot　to　say　good…bye。　Here　Miss　Hubbard　learned　for　the　first　time　that　Bell　was　not　to　go。　She　coaxed　and　pleaded；　without　effect。　Then；　as　the　train　was　starting；　leaving　Bell　on　the　platform；　the　affectionate　young　girl　could　no　longer　control　her　feelings　and　was　overcome　by　a　passion　of　tears。　At　this　the　susceptible　Bell；　like　a　true　Sir　Galahad；　dashed　after　the　moving　train　and　sprang　aboard；　without　ticket　or　baggage；　oblivious　of　his　classes　and　his　poverty　and　of　all　else　except　this　one　maiden's　distress。　〃I　never　saw　a　man；〃　said　Watson；　〃so　much　in　love　as　Bell　was。〃

As　it　happened；　this　impromptu　trip　to　the　Centennial　proved　to　be　one　of　the　most　timely　acts　of　his　life。　On　the　following　Sunday　after…　noon　the　judges　were　to　make　a　special　tour　of　inspection；　and　Mr。　Hubbard；　after　much　trouble；　had　obtained　a　promise　that　they　would　spend　a　few　minutes　examining　Bell's　telephone。　By　this　time　it　had　been　on　exhibition　for　more　than　six　weeks；　without　attracting　the　serious　attention　of　anybody。

When　Sunday　afternoon　arrived；　Bell　was　at　his　little　table；　nervous；　yet　confident。　But　hour　after　hour　went　by；　and　the　judges　did　not　arrive。　The　day　was　intensely　hot；　and　they　had　many　wonders　to　examine。　There　was　the　first　electric　light；　and　the　first　grain…binder；　and　the　musical　telegraph　of　Elisha　Gray；　and　the　marvellous　exhibit　of　printing　telegraphs　shown　by　the　Western　Union　Company。　By　the　time　they　came　to　Bell's　table；　through　a　litter　of　school…　desks　and　blackboards；　the　hour　was　seven　o'clock；　and　every　man　in　the　party　was　hot；　tired；　and　hungry。　Several　announced　their　intention　of　returning　to　their　hotels。　One　took　up　a　telephone　receiver；　looked　at　it　blankly；　and　put　it　down　again。　He　did　not　even　place　it　to　his　ear。　Another　judge　made　a　slighting　remark　which　raised　a　laugh　at　Bell's　expense。　Then　a　most　marvellous　thing　happenedsuch　an　incident　as　would　make　a　chapter　in　〃The　Arabian　Nights　Entertainments。〃

Accompanied　by　his　wife；　the　Empress　Theresa；　and　by　a　bevy　of　courtiers；　the　Emperor　of　Brazil；　Dom　Pedro　de　Alcantara；　walked　into　the　room；　advanced　with　both　hands　outstretched　to　the　bewildered　Bell；　and　exclaimed：　〃Professor　Bell；　I　am　delighted　to　see　you　again。〃　The　judges　at　once　forgot　the　heat　and　the　fatigue　and　the　hunger。　Who　was　this　young　inventor；　with　the　pale　complexion　and　black　eyes；　that　he　should　be　the　friend　of　Emperors？　They　did　not　know；　and　for　the　moment　even　Bell　himself　had　forgotten；　that　Dom　Pedro　had　once　visited　Bell's　class　of　deaf…mutes　at　Boston　University。　He　was　especially　interested　in　such　humanitarian　work；　and　had　recently　helped　to　organize　the　first　Brazilian　school　for　deaf…mutes　at　Rio　de　Janeiro。　And　so；　with　the　tall；　blond…bearded　Dom　Pedro　in　the　centre；　the　assembled　judges；　and　scientiststhere　were　fully　fifty　in　all　entered　with　unusual　zest　into　the　proceedings　of　this　first　telephone　exhibition。

A　wire　had　been　strung　from　one　end　of　the　room　to　the　other；　and　while　Bell　went　to　the　transmitter；　Dom　Pedro　took　up　the　receiver　and　placed　it　to　his　ear。　It　was　a　moment　of　tense　expectancy。　No　one　knew　clearly　what　was　about　to　happen；　when　the　Emperor；　with　a　dramatic　gesture；　raised　his　head　from　the　receiver　and　exclaimed　with　a　look　of　utter　amazement：　〃MY　GODIT　TALKS！〃

Next　came　to　the　receiver　the　oldest　scientist　in　the　group；　the　venerable　Joseph　Henry；　whose　encouragement　to　Bell　had　been　so　timely。　He　stopped　to　listen；　and；　as　one　of　the　bystanders　afterwards　said；　no　one　could　forget　the　look　of　awe　that　came　into　his　face　as　he　heard　that　iron　disc　talking　with　a　human　voice。　〃This；〃　said　he；　〃comes　nearer　to　overthrowing　the　doctrine　of　the　conservation　of　energy　than　anything　I　ever　saw。〃

Then　came　Sir　William　Thomson；　latterly　known　as　Lord　Kelvin。　It　was　fitting　that　he　should　be　there；　for　he　was　the　foremost　elec…　trical　scientist　at　that　time　in　the　world；　and　had　been　the　engineer　of　the　first　Atlantic　Cable。　He　listened　and　learned　what　even　he　had　not　known　before；　that　a　solid　metallic　body　could　take　up　from　the　air　all　the　countless　varieties　of　vibrations　produced　by　speech；　and　that　these　vibrations　could　be　carried　along　a　wire　and　reproduced　exactly　by　a　second　metallic　body。　He　nodded　his　head　solemnly　as　he　rose　from　the　receiver。　〃It　DOES　speak；〃　he　said　emphatically。　〃It　is　the　most　wonderful　thing　I　have　seen　in　America。〃

So；　one　after　another；　this　notable　company　of　men　listened　to　the　voice　of　the　first　telephone；　and　the　more　they　knew　of　science；　the　less　they　were　inclined　to　believe　their　ears。　The　wiser　they　were；　the　more　they　wondered。　To　Henry　and　Thomson；　the　masters　of　electrical　magic；　this　instrument　was　as　surprising　as　it　was　to　the　man　in　the　street。　And　both　were　noble　enough　to　admit　frankly　their　astonishment　in　the　reports　which　they　made　as　judges；　when　they　gave　Bell　a　Certificate　of　Award。　〃Mr。　Bell　has　achieved　a　result　of　transcendent　scientific　interest；〃　wrote　Sir　William　Thomson。　〃I　heard　it　speak　distinctly　several　sentences。　。　。　。　I　was　astonished　and　delighted。　。　。　。　It　is　the　greatest　marvel　hitherto　achieved　by　the　electric　telegraph。〃

Until　nearly　ten　o'clock　that　night　the　judges　talked　and　listened　by　turns　at　the　telephone。　Then；　next　morning；　they　brought　the　apparatus　to　the　judges'　pavilion；　where　for　the　remainder　of　the　summer　it　was　mobbed　by　judges　and　scientists。　Sir　William　Thomson　and　his　wife　ran　back　and　forth　between　the　two　ends　of　the　wire　like　a　pair　of　delighted　children。　And　thus　it　happened　that　the　crude　little　instrument　that　had　been　tossed　into　an　out…of…the…way　corner　became　the　star　of　the　Centennial。　It　had　been　given　no　more　than　eighteen　words　in　the　official　catalogue；　and　here　it　was　acclaimed　as　the　wonder　of　wonders。　It　had　been　conceived　in　a　cellar　and　born　in　a　machine…shop；　and　now；　of　all　the　gifts　that　our　young　American　Republic　had　received　on　its　one…hundredth　birthday；　the　telephone　was　honored　as　the　rarest　and　most　welcome　of　them　all。



CHAPTER　II

THE　BUILDING　OF　THE　BUSINESS

After　the　telephone　had　been　born　in　Boston；　baptized　in　the　Patent　Office；　and　given　a　royal　reception　at　the　Philadelphia　Centennial；　it　might　be　supposed　that　its　life　thenceforth　would　be　one　of　peace　and　pleasantness。　But　as　this　is　history；　and　not　fancy；　there　must　be　set　down　the　very　surprising　fact　that　the　young　newcomer　received　no　welcome　and　no　notice　from　the　great　business　world。　〃It　is　a　scientific　toy；〃　said　the　men　of　trade　and　commerce。　〃It　is　an　interesting　instrument；　of　course；　for　professors　of　electricity　and　acoustics；　but　it　can　never　be　a　practical　necessity。　As　well　might　you　propose　to　put　a　telescope　into　a　steel…mill　or　to　hitch　a　balloon　to　a　shoe…　factory。〃

Poor　Bell；　instead　of　being　applauded；　was　pelted　with　a　hailstorm　of　ridicule。