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Random Facts about the History of the Telephone
HISTORY OF THE TELEPHONE
The principle of the telephone, that sounds could be
conveyed to a distance by a distended wire, was demonstrated
by Robert Hook in 1667, but no practical application was
made of the discovery until 1821, when Professor Wheatstone
exhibited his "Enchanted Lyre," in which the sounds of a
music-box were conveyed from a cellar to upper rooms. The
first true discoverer of the speaking telephone, however,
was Johaun Philipp Reis, a German scientist and professor in
the institute at Friedrichsdorf. April 25, 1861, Reis
exhibited his telephone at Frankfort. This contained all the
essential features of the modern telephone, but as its
commercial value was not at all comprehended, little
attention was paid to it. Reis, after trying in vain to
arouse the interest of scientists in his discovery, died in
1874, without having reaped any advantage from it, and there
is no doubt that his death was hastened by the distress of
mind caused by his continual rebuffs. Meanwhile, the idea
was being worked into more practical shape by other persons,
Professor Elisha Gray and Professor A.G. Bell, and later by
Edison. There is little doubt that Professor Gray's
successful experiments considerably antedated those of the
others, but Professor Bell was the first to perfect his
patent. February 12, 1877, Bell's articulating telephone was
tested by experiments at Boston and Salem, Mass., and was
found to convey sounds distinctly from one place to the
other, a distance of eighteen miles. This telephone was
exhibited widely in this country and in Europe during that
year, and telephone companies were established to bring it
into general use. Edison's carbon "loud-speaking" telephone
was brought out in 1878. It is not worth while to go into
details of the suits on the subject of priority of
invention. The examiner of patents at Washington, July 21,
1883, decided that Professor Bell was the first inventor,
because he was the first to complete his invention and
secure a full patent. Since 1878 there have been many
improvements in the different parts of the telephone,
rendering it now nearly perfect in its working.
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