THE TELEPHONE.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 186, 1 February 1878, Page 3

THE TELEPHONE.

Velocipedes have had their day, rinking has almost become a. thing of the past, and the latest novelty is " telephoning." Within the past month or two there has been quiet a mania for telephones in the city. Shopkeepers expose them for- sale at a moderate charge of os 6d, with a guarantee that they are useful, ornamental, and everlasting ; while small boys and adults take delight in manufacturing .the " telegraph superseder" with empty pill boxes and cotton. It has, however, been left to Messrs Fergusson and Mitchell to be the first to bring the telephone into practical use in this city. On "Friday last by this means their workshop on one side of Princes-street was connected with their selling establishment on the other a circumstance which obviates the necessity of going from one place to the other to communicate orders with regard to business matters. The telephone u-.ec! is a very simple contrivance, ft consists merely of two small ink fins and a sufficient length of thread to reach across the street. It is made in the following manner : — The bottoms are cut off the ink tins aud covered tightly with parchment. The thread is run through the centre of the parchment covering of one tin to the centre of the other, and one of the tins is placed in each building. All that remains to be done is to speak through the mouth of either tin, and communication is complete. So fur the adoption of the telephone is more of an experiment than anything else, and it will require some manipulative and inventive genius to make it thoroughly successful. While il is lifted clear of all obstacles it answers capitally ; but when it comes in contact with any part of the building it remains dumb. If this difficulty can be overcome there is no reason why this new means of transmitting sound should not be generally adopted amongst business people. It is inexpensive and far more serviceable than the telegraph, whicli requires an expert to translate its sounds. Tradesmen might have it laid on between their places of business and private residences, and conduct their business affairs irom v their am fireside" — a convenience wliich would not be sneered at in a wet country like this. The time is not far distant when the telephone will be utilised for such purposes. As it is, there is no doubt others will follow the example set by, Messrs Fergusson and Mitchell. — Daily limes. An interesting and useful experiment was made on January 3 with th«=i telephone, at the premises of M'Lean Bros, and Rigg, in Elizabeth-street, Melbourne. The firm have a private "and exclusive wire to their branch store iv Bourke-street west, and the sounds transmitted over the whole distance of half-a-mile were plainly heard and understood by those who held the instrument in either hand. Cornet playing and singing were as clearly distinct as it the performance had been in the adjoining room, and there was no great difficulty iv carrying on a short conversation. The Telephone in Canada. — Miss Rye writes under date Nov. 1, Professor Bell's Tetula Heights, Brantford, Ontario : — " You will not be interested to know my exact locality, but I am sure you will be very interested to hear how soon and how completely the telephone is working in this .country. Wires are laid down, four miles long, between Mr Henderson's office in tbis city and the house of my host, whose son is the inventor of this singular and marvellous instrument, and we converse easily and audibly without any exertion —visitors in the Sheridan Street Rooms, I in my " friend's library. . Attention is called and answered by ordinary telegraphic signals, after which, conversation 'commences and continues as long as is desired, the only difference from ordinary speaking, being that we speak into a small tube instead of into space, and we listen with a tube to tho ear. Every word is distinct and .the sound ..of parr ticular voice perfecdyrecognisable? The telephone is attracting much attention in tlie Home country and experiments between luyemess^ancl Wiclc,~ j a distance of 120 miles, were made,' and ■the playing of a flute at the latter place 'was .distinctly heaid at Inverness : p-hisT is the longest distance hitherto :.! ; pi*6yed efficiently.