the history of the telephone-第16章
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r the leadership of twenty…six thousand people。
So； as we have seen； the telephone as Bell invented it； was merely a brilliant beginning in the development of the art of telephony。 It was an elfin birthan elusive and delicate sprite that had to be nurtured into maturity。 It was like a soul； for which a body had to be created； and no one knew how to make such a body。 Had it been born in some less energetic country； it might have remained feeble and undeveloped； but not in the United States。 Here in one year it had become famous； and in three years it had become rich。 Bell's invincible patent was soon buttressed by hundreds of others。 An open… door policy was adopted for invention。 Change followed change to such a degree that the experts of 1880 would be lost to…day in the mazes of a telephone exchange。
The art of the telephone engineer has in thirty years grown from the most crude and clumsy of experiments into an exact and comprehensive profession。 As Carty has aptly said； 〃At first we invariably approached every problem from the wrong end。 If we had been told to load a herd of cattle on a steamer； our method would have been to hire a Hagenbeck to train the cattle for a couple of years； so that they would know enough to walk aboard of the ship when he gave the signal； but to…day； if we had to ship cattle； we would know enough to make a greased chute and slide them on board in a jiffy。〃
The telephone world has now its own standards and ideals。 It has a language of its own； a telephonese that is quite unintelligible to outsiders。 It has as many separate branches of study as medicine or law。 There are few men； half a dozen at most； who can now be said to have a general knowledge of telephony。 And no matter how wise a telephone expert may be； he can never reach perfection； because of the amazing variety of things that touch or concern his profession。
〃No one man knows all the details now；〃 said Theodore Vail。 〃Several days ago I was walking through a telephone exchange and I saw something new。 I asked Mr。 Carty to explain it。 He is our chief engineer； but he did not understand it。 We called the manager。 He did n't know； and called his assistant。 He did n't know； and called the local engineer； who was able to tell us what it was。〃
To sum up this development of the art of tele… phonyto present a bird's…eye viewit may be divided into four periods：
1。 Experiment。 1876 to 1886。 This was the period of invention； in which there were no experts and no authorities。 Telephonic apparatus consisted of makeshifts and adaptations。 It was the period of iron wire； imperfect transmitters； grounded circuits； boy operators； peg switchboards； local batteries； and overhead lines。
2。 Development。 1886 to 1896。 In this period amateurs became engineers。 The proper type of apparatus was discovered； and was improved to a high point of efficiency。 In this period came the multiple switchboard； copper wire； girl operators； underground cables； metallic circuit； common battery； and the long…distance lines。
3。 Expansion。 1896 to 1906。 This was the era of big business。 It was an autumn period； in which the telephone men and the public began to reap the fruits of twenty years of investment and hard work。 It was the period of the message rate； the pay station； the farm line； and the private branch exchange。
4。 Organization。 1906。 With the success of the Pupin coil； there came a larger life for the telephone。 It became less local and more national。 It began to link together its scattered parts。 It discouraged the waste and anarchy of duplication。 It taught its older； but smaller brother； the telegraph； to cooperate。 It put itself more closely in touch with the will of the public。 And it is now pushing ahead； along the two roads of standardization and efficiency； toward its ideal of one universal telephone system for the whole nation。 The key…word of the telephone development of to…day is this organization。
CHAPTER V
THE EXPANSION OF THE BUSINESS
The telephone business did not really begin to grow big and overspread the earth until 1896； but the keynote of expansion was first sounded by Theodore Vail in the earliest days； when as yet the telephone was a babe in arms。 In 1879 Vail said； in a letter written to one of his captains：
〃Tell our agents that we have a proposition on foot to connect the different cities for the purpose of personal communication； and in other ways to organize a GRAND TELEPHONIC SYSTEM。〃
This was brave talk at that time； when there were not in the whole world as many telephones as there are to…day in Cincinnati。 It was brave talk in those days of iron wire； peg switchboards； and noisy diaphragms。 Most telephone men regarded it as nothing more than talk。 They did not see any business future for the telephone ex… cept in short…distance service。 But Vail was in earnest。 His previous experience as the head of the railway mail service had lifted him up to a higher point of view。 He knew the need of a national system of communication that would be quicker and more direct than either the telegraph or the post office。
〃I saw that if the telephone could talk one mile to…day；〃 he said； 〃it would be talking a hundred miles to…morrow。〃 And he persisted； in spite of a considerable deal of ridicule； in maintaining that the telephone was destined to connect cities and nations as well as individuals。
Four months after he had prophesied the 〃grand telephonic system；〃 he encouraged Charles J。 Glidden； of world…tour fame； to build a telephone line between Boston and Lowell。 This was the first inter…city line。 It was well placed； as the owners of the Lowell mills lived in Boston； and it made a small profit from the start。 This success cheered Vail on to a master… effort。 He resolved to build a line from Boston to Providence； and was so stubbornly bent upon doing this that when the Bell Company refused to act； he picked up the risk and set off with it alone。 He organized a company of well… known Rhode Islandersnicknamed the 〃Governors' Company〃and built the line。 It was a failure at first； and went by the name of 〃Vail's Folly。〃 But Engineer Carty； by a happy thought； DOUBLED THE WIRE； and thus in a moment established two new factors in the telephone businessthe Metallic Circuit and the Long Distance line。
At once the Bell Company came over to Vail's point of view； bought his new line； and launched out upon what seemed to be the foolhardy enterprise of stringing a double wire from Boston to New York。 This was to be not only the longest of all telephone lines； strung on ten thousand poles； it was to be a line de luxe； built of glistening red copper； not iron。 Its cost was to be seventy thousand dollars； which was an enormous sum in those hardscrabble days。 There was much opposition to such extravagance； and much ridicule。 〃I would n't take that line as a gift；〃 said one of the Bell Company's officials。
But when the last coil of wire was stretched into place； and the first 〃Hello〃 leaped from Boston to New York； the new line was a victorious success。 It carried messages from the first day； and more； it raised the whole telephone business to a higher level。 It swept away the prejudice that telephone service could become nothing more than a neighborhood affair。 〃It was the salvation of the business；〃 said Edward J。 Hill。 It marked a turning…point in the history of the telephone； when the day of small things was ended and the day of great things was begun。 No one man； no hundred men； had created it。 It was the final result of ten years of invention and improvement。
While this epoch…making line was being strung； Vail was pushing his 〃grand telephonic system〃 policy by organizing The American Telephone and Telegraph Company。 This； too； was a master…stroke。 It was the introduction of the staff…and…line method of organization into business。 It was doing for the forty or fifty Bell Companies what Von Moltke did for the German army prior to the Franco…Prussian War。 It was the creation of a central company that should link all local companies together； and itself own and operate the means by which these companies are united。 This central company
was to grapple with all national problems； to own all telephones and long…distance lines； to protect all patents； and to be the headquarters of invention； information； capital； and legal protection for the entire federation of Bell Companies。
Seldom has a company been started with so small a capital and so vast a purpose。 It had no more than 100；000 of capital stock； in 1885； but its declared object was nothing less than to establish a system of wire communication for the human race。 Here are； in its own words； the marching orders of this Company： 〃To connect one or more points in each and every city； town； or place an the State of New York； with one or more points in each and every other city； town； or place in said State； and in each and every other of the United States； and in Canada； and Mexico； and each and every of said cities； towns； and places is to be connected with each and every other city； town； or place in said States and countries； and also by cable and other appropriate means with the rest of the known world。〃
So ran Vail's dream； and for nine years he worked mightily to make it come true。 He remained until the various parts of the business had grown together； and until his plan for a 〃grand telephonic system〃 was under way and fairly well understood。 Then he went out； into a series of picturesque enterprises； until he had built up a four…square fortune； and recently； in 1907； he came back to be the head of the telephone business； and to complete the work of organization that he started thirty years before。
When Vail said auf wiedersehen to the telephone business； it had passed from infancy to childhood。 It was well shaped but not fully grown。 Its pioneering days were over。 It was self…supporting and had a little money in the bank。 But it could not then have carried the load of traffic that it carries to…day。 It had still too many problems to solve and too much general inertia to overcome。 It needed to be conserved； drilled； educated； popularized。 And the man who was finally chosen to replace Vail was in many respects the appropriate leader for such a preparatory period。
HudsonJohn Elbridge Hudsonwas the name of the new head of the telephone people。 He was a man of middle age； born in Lynn and bred in Boston； a long…pedigreed New Englander； whose ancestors had smelted iron ore in Lynn when Charles the First was King。 He was a lawyer by profession and a university professor by temperament。 His specialty； as a man of affairs； had been marine law； and his hobby was the collection of rare books and old English engravings。 He was a master of the Greek language； and very fond of using it。 On all possible occasions he used the language of Pericles in his conversation； and even carried this preference so far as to write his business memoranda in Greek。 He was above all else a scholar； then a lawyer； and somewhat incidentally the central figure in the telephone world。
But it was of tremendous value to the telephone business at that time to have at its head a man of Hudson's intellectual and moral calibre。
He gave it tone and prestige。 He built up its credit。 He kept i
