the history of the telephone-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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　been　so　good　a　friend　to　Bell；　had　her　fortune　doubled。　Gardiner　G。　Hubbard　withdrew　from　business　life；　and　as　it　was　impossible　for　a　man　of　his　ardent　temperament　to　be　idle；　he　plunged　into　the　National　Geographical　Society。　He　was　a　Colonel　Sellers　whose　dream　of　millions　（for　the　telephone）　had　come　true；　and　when　he　died；　in　1897；　he　was　rich　both　in　money　and　in　the　affection　of　his　friends。　Charles　Williams；　in　whose　workshop　the　first　telephones　were　made；　sold　his　factory　to　the　Bell　Company　in　1881　for　more　money　than　he　had　ever　expected　to　possess。　Thomas　A。　Watson　resigned　at　the　same　time；　finding　himself　no　longer　a　wage…worker　but　a　millionaire。　Several　years　later　he　established　a　shipbuilding　plant　near　Boston；　which　grew　until　it　employed　four　thousand　workmen　and　had　built　half　a　dozen　warships　for　the　United　States　Navy。

As　for　Bell；　the　first　cause　of　the　telephone　business；　he　did　what　a　true　scientific　Bohemian　might　have　been　expected　to　do；　he　gave　all　his　stock　to　his　bride　on　their　marriage…day　and　resumed　his　work　as　an　instructor　of　deaf…mutes。　Few　kings；　if　any；　had　ever　given　so　rich　a　wedding　present；　and　certainly　no　one　in　any　country　ever　obtained　and　tossed　aside　an　immense　fortune　as　incidentally　as　did　Bell。　When　the　Bell　Company　offered　him　a　salary　of　ten　thousand　dollars　a　year　to　remain　its　chief　inventor；　he　refused　the　offer　cheerfully　on　the　ground　that　he　could　not　〃invent　to　order。〃　In　1880；　the　French　Government　gave　him　the　Volta　Prize　of　fifty　thousand　francs　and　the　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。　He　has　had　many　honors　since　then；　and　many　interests。　He　has　been　for　thirty　years　one　of　the　most　brilliant　and　picturesque　personalities　in　American　public　life。　But　none　of　his　later　achievements　can　in　any　degree　compare　with　what　he　did　in　a　cellar　in　Salem；　at　twenty…eight　years　of　age。

They　had　all　become　rich；　these　first　friends　of　the　telephone；　but　not　fabulously　so。　There　was　not　at　that　time；　nor　has　there　been　since；　any　one　who　became　a　multimillionaire　by　the　sale　of　telephone　service。　If　the　Bell　Company　had　sold　its　stock　at　the　highest　price　reached；　in　1880；　it　would　have　received　less　than　nine　million　dollarsa　huge　sum；　but　not　too　much　to　pay　for　the　invention　of　the　telephone　and　the　building　up　of　a　new　art　and　a　new　industry。　It　was　not　as　much　as　the　value　of　the　eggs　laid　during　the　last　twelve　months　by　the　hens　of　Iowa。

But；　as　may　be　imagined；　when　the　news　of　the　Western　Union　agreement　became　known；　the　story　of　the　telephone　became　a　fairy　tale　of　success。　Theodore　Vail　was　given　a　banquet　by　his　old…time　friends　in　the　Washington　postal　service；　and　toasted　as　〃the　Monte　Cristo　of　the　Telephone。〃　It　was　said　that　the　actual　cost　of　the　Bell　plant　was　only　one…twenty…fifth　of　its　capital；　and　that　every　four　cents　of　investment　had　thus　become　a　dollar。　Even　Jay　Gould；　carried　beyond　his　usual　caution　by　these　stories；　ran　up　to　New　Haven　and　bought　its　telephone　company；　only　to　find　out　later　that　its　earnings　were　less　than　its　expenses。

Much　to　the　bewilderment　of　the　Bell　Company；　it　soon　learned　that　the　troubles　of　wealth　are　as　numerous　as　those　of　poverty。　It　was　beset　by　a　throng　of　promoters　and　stock…jobbers；　who　fell　upon　it　and　upon　the　public　like　a　swarm　of　seventeen…year　locusts。　In　three　years；　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　competing　companies　were　started；　in　open　defiance　of　the　Bell　patents。　The　main　object　of　these　companies　was　not；　like　that　of　the　Western　Union；　to　do　a　legitimate　telephone　business；　but　to　sell　stock　to　the　public。　The　face　value　of　their　stock　was　225；000；000；　although　few　of　them　ever　sent　a　message。　One　company　of　unusual　impertinence；　without　money　or　patents；　had　capitalized　its　audacity　at　15；000；000。

How　to　HOLD　the　business　that　had　been　established　that　was　now　the　problem。　None　of　the　Bell　partners　had　been　mere　stock…jobbers。　At　one　time　they　had　even　taken　a　pledge　not　to　sell　any　of　their　stock　to　outsiders。　They　had　financed　their　company　in　a　most　honest　and　simple　way；　and　they　were　desperately　opposed　to　the　financial　banditti　whose　purpose　was　to　transform　the　telephone　business　into　a　cheat　and　a　gamble。　At　first；　having　held　their　own　against　the　Western　Union；　they　expected　to　make　short　work　of　the　stock…jobbers。　But　it　was　a　vain　hope。　These　bogus　companies；　they　found；　did　not　fight　in　the　open；　as　the　Western　Union　had　done。

All　manner　of　injurious　rumors　were　presently　set　afloat　concerning　the　Bell　patent。　Other　inventorssome　of　them　honest　men；　and　some　shameless　pretenderswere　brought　forward　with　strangely　concocted　tales　of　prior　invention。　The　Granger　movement　was　at　that　time　a　strong　political　factor　in　the　Middle　West；　and　its　blind　fear　of　patents　and　〃monopolies〃　was　turned　aggressively　against　the　Bell　Company。　A　few　Senators　and　legitimate　capitalists　were　lifted　up　as　the　figureheads　of　the　crusade。　And　a　loud　hue…and…cry　was　raised　in　the　newspapers　against　〃high　rates　and　monopoly〃　to　distract　the　minds　of　the　people　from　the　real　issue　of　legitimate　business　versus　stock…company　bubbles。

The　most　plausible　and　persistent　of　all　the　various　inventors　who　snatched　at　Bell's　laurels；　was　Elisha　Gray。　He　refused　to　abide　by　the　adverse　decision　of　the　court。　Several　years　after　his　defeat；　he　came　forward　with　new　weapons　and　new　methods　of　attack。　He　became　more　hostile　and　irreconcilable；　and　until　his　death；　in　1901；　never　renounced　his　claim　to　be　the　original　inventor　of　the　telephone。

The　reason　for　this　persistence　is　very　evident。　Gray　was　a　professional　inventor；　a　highly　competent　man　who　had　begun　his　career　as　a　blacksmith's　apprentice；　and　risen　to　be　a　professor　of　Oberlin。　He　made；　during　his　lifetime；　over　five　million　dollars　by　his　patents。　In　1874；　he　and　Bell　were　running　a　neck…and…neck　race　to　see　who　could　first　invent　a　musical　telegraph　when；　presto！　Bell　suddenly　turned　aside；　because　of　his　acoustical　knowledge；　and　invented　the　telephone；　while　Gray　kept　straight　ahead。　Like　all　others　who　were　in　quest　of　a　better　telegraph　instrument；　Gray　had　glimmerings　of　the　possibility　of　sending　speech　by　wire；　and　by　one　of　the　strangest　of　coincidences　he　filed　a　caveat　on　the　subject　on　the　SAME　DAY　that　Bell　filed　the　application　for　a　patent。　Bell　had　arrived　first。　As　the　record　book　shows；　the　fifth　entry　on　that　day　was：　〃A。　G。　Bell；　15〃；　and　the　thirty…ninth　entry　was　〃E。　Gray；　10。〃

There　was　a　vast　difference　between　Gray's　caveat　and　Bell's　application。　A　caveat　is　a　declaration　that　the　writer　has　NOT　invented　a　thing；　but　believes　that　he　is　about　to　do　so；　while　an　APPLICATION　is　a　declaration　that　the　writer　has　already　perfected　the　invention。　But　Gray　could　never　forget　that　he　had　seemed　to　be；　for　a　time；　so　close　to　the　golden　prize；　and　seven　years　after　he　had　been　set　aside　by　the　Western　Union　agreement；　he　reappeared　with　claims　that　had　grown　larger　and　more　definite。

When　all　the　evidence　in　the　various　Gray　lawsuits　is　sifted　out；　there　appear　to　have　been　three　distinctly　different　Grays：　first；　Gr