the history of the telephone-第9节

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or　its　life。



CHAPTER　III

THE　HOLDING　OF　THE　BUSINESS

For　seventeen　months　no　one　disputed　Bell's　claim　to　be　the　original　inventor　of　the　telephone。　All　the　honor；　such　as　it　was；　had　been　given　to　him　freely；　and　no　one　came　forward　to　say　that　it　was　not　rightfully　his。　No　one；　so　far　as　we　know；　had　any　strong　desire　to　do　so。　No　one　conceived　that　the　telephone　would　ever　be　any　more　than　a　whimsical　oddity　of　science。　It　was　so　new；　so　unexpected；　that　from　Lord　Kelvin　down　to　the　messenger　boys　in　the　telegraph　offices；　it　was　an　incomprehensible　surprise。　But　after　Bell　had　explained　his　invention　in　public　lectures　before　more　than　twenty　thousand　people；　after　it　had　been　on　exhibition　for　months　at　the　Philadelphia　Centennial；　after　several　hundred　articles　on　it　had　appeared　in　newspapers　and　scientific　magazines；　and　after　actual　sales　of　telephones　had　been　made　in　various　parts　of　the　country；　there　began　to　appear　such　a　succession　of　claimants　and　infringers　that　the　forgetful　public　came　to　believe　that　the　telephone；　like　most　inventions；　was　the　product　of　many　minds。

Just　as　Morse；　who　was　the　sole　inventor　of　the　American　telegraph　in　1837；　was　confronted　by　sixty…two　rivals　in　1838；　so　Bell；　who　was　the　sole　inventor　in　1876；　found　himself　two　years　later　almost　mobbed　by　the　〃Tichborne　claimants〃　of　the　telephone。　The　inventors　who　had　been　his　competitors　in　the　attempt　to　produce　a　musical　telegraph；　persuaded　themselves　that　they　had　unconsciously　done　as　much　as　he。　Any　possessor　of　a　telegraphic　patent；　who　had　used　the　common　phrase　〃talking　wire；〃　had　a　chance　to　build　up　a　plausible　story　of　prior　invention。　And　others　came　forward　with　claims　so　vague　and　elusive　that　Bell　would　scarcely　have　been　more　surprised　if　the　heirs　of　Goethe　had　demanded　a　share　of　the　telephone　royalties　on　the　ground　that　Faust　had　spoken　of　〃making　a　bridge　through　the　moving　air。〃

This　babel　of　inventors　and　pretenders　amazed　Bell　and　disconcerted　his　backers。　But　it　was　no　more　than　might　have　been　expected。　Here　was　a　patent〃the　most　valuable　single　patent　ever　issued〃and　yet　the　invention　itself　was　so　simple　that　it　could　be　duplicated　easily　by　any　smart　boy　or　any　ordinary　mechanic。　The　making　of　a　telephone　was　like　the　trick　of　Columbus　standing　an　egg　on　end。　Nothing　was　easier　to　those　who　knew　how。　And　so　it　happened　that；　as　the　crude　little　model　of　Bell's　original　telephone　lay　in　the　Patent　Office　open　and　unprotected　except　by　a　few　phrases　that　clever　lawyers　might　evade；　there　sprang　up　inevitably　around　it　the　most　costly　and　persistent　Patent　War　that　any　country　has　ever　known；　continuing　for　eleven　years　and　comprising　SIX　HUNDRED　LAWSUITS。

The　first　attack　upon　the　young　telephone　business　was　made　by　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company。　It　came　charging　full　tilt　upon　Bell；　driving　three　inventors　abreastEdison；　Gray；　and　Dolbear。　It　expected　an　easy　victory；　in　fact；　the　disparity　between　the　two　opponents　was　so　evident；　that　there　seemed　little　chance　of　a　contest　of　any　kind。　〃The　Western　Union　will　swallow　up　the　telephone　people；〃　said　public　opinion；　〃just　as　it　has　already　swallowed　up　all　improvements　in　telegraphy。〃

At　that　time；　it　should　be　remembered；　the　Western　Union　was　the　only　corporation　that　was　national　in　its　extent。　It　was　the　most　powerful　electrical　company　in　the　world；　and；　as　Bell　wrote　to　his　parents；　〃probably　the　largest　corporation　that　ever　existed。〃　It　had　behind　it　not　only　forty　millions　of　capital；　but　the　prestige　of　the　Vanderbilts；　and　the　favor　of　financiers　everywhere。　Also；　it　met　the　telephone　pioneers　at　every　point　because　it；　too；　was　a　WIRE　company。　It　owned　rights…of…way　along　roads　and　on　house…tops。　It　had　a　monopoly　of　hotels　and　railroad　offices。　No　matter　in　what　direction　the　Bell　Company　turned；　the　live　wire　of　the　Western　Union　lay　across　its　path。

From　the　first；　the　Western　Union　relied　more　upon　its　strength　than　upon　the　merits　of　its　case。　Its　chief　electrical　expert；　Frank　L。　Pope；　had　made　a　six　months'　examination　of　the　Bell　patents。　He　had　bought　every　book　in　the　United　States　and　Europe　that　was　likely　to　have　any　reference　to　the　transmission　of　speech；　and　employed　a　professor　who　knew　eight　languages　to　translate　them。　He　and　his　men　ransacked　libraries　and　patent　offices；　they　rummaged　and　sleuthed　and　interviewed；　and　found　nothing　of　any　value。　In　his　final　report　to　the　Western　Union；　Mr。　Pope　announced　that　there　was　no　way　to　make　a　telephone　except　Bell's　way；　and　advised　the　purchase　of　the　Bell　patents。　〃I　am　entirely　unable　to　discover　any　apparatus　or　method　anticipating　the　invention　of　Bell　as　a　whole；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　conclude　that　his　patent　is　valid。〃　But　the　officials　of　the　great　corporation　refused　to　take　this　report　seriously。　They　threw　it　aside　and　employed　Edison；　Gray；　and　Dolbear　to　devise　a　telephone　that　could　be　put　into　competition　with　Bell's。

As　we　have　seen　in　the　previous　chapter；　there　now　came　a　period　of　violent　competition　which　is　remembered　as　the　Dark　Ages　of　the　telephone　business。　The　Western　Union　bought　out　several　of　the　Bell　exchanges　and　opened　up　a　lively　war　on　the　others。　As　befitting　its　size；　it　claimed　everything。　It　introduced　Gray　as　the　original　inventor　of　the　telephone；　and　ordered　its　lawyers　to　take　action　at　once　against　the　Bell　Company　for　infringement　of　the　Gray　patent。　This　high…handed　action；　it　hoped；　would　most　quickly　bring　the　little　Bell　group　into　a　humble　and　submissive　frame　of　mind。　Every　morning　the　Western　Union　looked　to　see　the　white　flag　flying　over　the　Bell　headquarters。　But　no　white　flag　appeared。　On　the　contrary；　the　news　came　that　the　Bell　Company　had　secured　two　eminent　lawyers　and　were　ready　to　give　battle。

The　case　began　in　the　Autumn　of　1878　and　lasted　for　a　year。　Then　it　came　to　a　sudden　and　most　unexpected　ending。　The　lawyer…in…chief　of　the　Western　Union　was　George　Gifford；　who　was　perhaps　the　ablest　patent　attorney　of　his　day。　He　was　versed　in　patent　lore　from　Alpha　to　Omega；　and　as　the　trial　proceeded；　he　became　convinced　that　the　Bell　patent　was　valid。　He　notified　the　Western　Union　confidentially；　of　course；　that　its　case　could　not　be　proven；　and　that　〃Bell　was　the　original　inventor　of　the　telephone。〃　The　best　policy；　he　suggested；　was　to　withdraw　their　claims　and　make　a　settlement。　This　wise　advice　was　accepted；　and　the　next　day　the　white　flag　was　hauled　up；　not　by　the　little　group　of　Bell　fighters；　who　were　huddled　together　in　a　tiny；　two…room　office；　but　by　the　mighty　Western　Union　itself；　which　had　been　so　arrogant　when　the　encounter　began。

A　committee　of　three　from　each　side　was　appointed；　and　after　months　of　disputation；　a　treaty　of　peace　was　drawn　up　and　signed。　By　the　terms　of　this　treaty　the　Western　Union　agreed

（1）　To　admit　that　Bell　was　the　original　inventor。

（2）　To　admit　that　his　patents　were　valid。

（3）　To　retire　from　the　telephone　business。


The　Bell　Company；　in　return　for　this　surrender；　agreed

（1）　To　buy　the　Western　Union　telephone　system。

（2）　To　pay　the　Western　Union　a　royalty　of　twenty　per　cent　on　all　telephone　rentals。

（3）　To　keep　out　of　the　telegraph　business。


This　agreement；　which　was　to　remain　in　force　for　seventeen　years；　was　a　master…stroke　of　diplomacy　on　the　part　of　the　Bell　Company。　It　was　the　Magna　Charta　of　the　telephone。　It　transformed　a　giant　competitor　into　a　friend。　It　added　to　the　Bell　System　fifty…six　thousand　telephones　in　fifty…five　cities。　And　it　swung　the　valiant　little　company　up　to　such　a　pinnacle　of　prosperity　that　its　stock　went　skyrocketing　until　it　touched　one　thousand　dollars　a　share。

The　Western　Union　had　lost　its　case；　for　several　very　simple　reasons：　It　had　tried　to　operate　a　telephone　system　on　telegraphic　lines；　a　plan　that　has　invariably　been　unsuccessful；　it　had　a　low　idea　of　the　possibilities　of　the　telephone　business；　and　its　already　busy　agents　had　little　time　or　knowledge　or　enthusiasm　to　give　to　the　new　enterprise。　With　all　its　power；　it　found　itself　outfought　by　this　compact　body　of　picked　men；　who　were　young；　zealous；　well…handled；　and　protected　by　a　most　invulnerable　patent。

The　Bell　Telephone　now　took　its　place　with　the　Telegraph；　the　Railroad；　the　Steamboat；　the　Harvester；　and　the　other　necessities　of　a　civilized　country。　Its　pioneer　days　were　over。　There　was　no　more　ridicule　and　incredulity。　Every　one　knew　that　the　Bell　people　had　whipped　the　West…　ern　Union；　and　hastened　to　join　in　the　grand　Te　Deum　of　applause。　Within　five　months　from　the　signing　of　the　agreement；　there　had　to　be　a　reorganization；　and　the　American　Bell　Telephone　Company　was　created；　with　six　million　dollars　capital。　In　the　following　year；　1881；　twelve　hundred　new　towns　and　cities　were　marked　on　the　telephone　map；　and　the　first　dividends　were　paid　178；500。　And　in　1882　there　came　such　a　telephone　boom　that　the　Bell　System　was　multiplied　by　two；　with　more　than　a　million　dollars　of　gross　earnings。

At　this　point　all　the　earliest　pioneers　of　the　telephone；　except　Vail；　pass　out　of　its　history。　Thomas　Sanders　sold　his　stock　for　somewhat　less　than　a　million　dollars；　and　presently　lost　most　of　it　in　a　Colorado　gold　mine。　His　mother；　who　had　bee