the history of the telephone-第4章

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f　mainly　to　the　musical　telegraph；　although　his　heart　was　now　with　the　telephone。　For　exactly　three　months　after　his　interview　with　Professor　Henry；　he　continued　to　plod　ahead；　along　both　lines；　until；　on　that　memorable　hot　afternoon　in　June；　1875；　the　full　TWANG　of　the　clock…spring　came　over　the　wire；　and　the　telephone　was　born。

From　this　moment；　Bell　was　a　man　of　one　purpose。　He　won　over　Sanders　and　Hubbard。　He　converted　Watson　into　an　enthusiast。　He　forgot　his　musical　telegraph；　his　〃Visible　Speech；〃　his　classes；　his　poverty。　He　threw　aside　a　profession　in　which　he　was　already　locally　famous。　And　he　grappled　with　this　new　mystery　of　electricity；　as　Henry　had　advised　him　to　do；　encouraging　himself　with　the　fact　that　Morse；　who　was　only　a　painter；　had　mastered　his　electrical　difficulties；　and　there　was　no　reason　why　a　professor　of　acoustics　should　not　do　as　much。

The　telephone　was　now　in　existence；　but　it　was　the　youngest　and　feeblest　thing　in　the　nation。　It　had　not　yet　spoken　a　word。　It　had　to　be　taught；　developed；　and　made　fit　for　the　service　of　the　irritable　business　world。　All　manner　of　discs　had　to　be　tried；　some　smaller　and　thinner　than　a　dime　and　others　of　steel　boiler…plate　as　heavy　as　the　shield　of　Achilles。　In　all　the　books　of　electrical　science；　there　was　nothing　to　help　Bell　and　Watson　in　this　journey　they　were　making　through　an　unknown　country。　They　were　as　chartless　as　Columbus　was　in　1492。　Neither　they　nor　any　one　else　had　acquired　any　experience　in　the　rearing　of　a　young　telephone。　No　one　knew　what　to　do　next。　There　was　nothing　to　know。

For　forty　weekslong　exasperating　weeks　the　telephone　could　do　no　more　than　gasp　and　make　strange　inarticulate　noises。　Its　educators　had　not　learned　how　to　manage　it。　Then；　on　March　10；　1876；　IT　TALKED。　It　said　distinctly

〃MR。　WATSON；　COME　HERE；　I　WANT　YOU。〃　Watson；　who　was　at　the　lower　end　of　the　wire；　in　the　basement；　dropped　the　receiver　and　rushed　with　wild　joy　up　three　flights　of　stairs　to　tell　the　glad　tidings　to　Bell。　〃I　can　hear　you！〃　he　shouted　breathlessly。　〃I　can　hear　the　WORDS。〃

It　was　not　easy；　of　course；　for　the　weak　young　telephone　to　make　itself　heard　in　that　noisy　workshop。　No　one；　not　even　Bell　and　Watson；　was　familiar　with　its　odd　little　voice。　Usually　Watson；　who　had　a　remarkably　keen　sense　of　hearing；　did　the　listening；　and　Bell；　who　was　a　professional　elocutionist；　did　the　talking。　And　day　by　day　the　tone　of　the　baby　instrument　grew　clearera　new　note　in　the　orchestra　of　civilization。

On　his　twenty…ninth　birthday；　Bell　received　his　patent；　No。　174；465〃the　most　valuable　single　patent　ever　issued〃　in　any　country。　He　had　created　something　so　entirely　new　that　there　was　no　name　for　it　in　any　of　the　world's　languages。　In　describing　it　to　the　officials　of　the　Patent　Office；　he　was　obliged　to　call　it　〃an　improvement　in　telegraphy；〃　when；　in　truth；　it　was　nothing　of　the　kind。　It　was　as　different　from　the　telegraph　as　the　eloquence　of　a　great　orator　is　from　the　sign…language　of　a　deaf…mute。

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