the history of the telephone- 第22部分

In　the　operation　of　trains；　the　railroads　have　waited　thirty　years　before　they　dared　to　trust　the　telephone；　just　as　they　waited　fifteen　years　before　they　dared　to　trust　the　telegraph。　In　1883　a　few　railways　used　the　telephone　in　a　small　way；　but　in　1907；　when　a　law　was　passed　that　made　telegraphers　highly　expensive；　there　was　a　general　swing　to　the　telephone。　Several　dozen　roads　have　now　put　it　in　use；　some　employing　it　as　an　associate　of　the　Morse　method　and　others　as　a　complete　substitute。　It　has　already　been　found　to　be　the　quickest　way　of　despatching　trains。　It　will　do　in　five　minutes　what　the　telegraph　did　in　ten。　And　it　has　enabled　railroads　to　hire　more　suitable　men　for　the　smaller　offices。

In　news…gathering；　too；　much　more　than　in　railroading；　the　day　of　the　telephone　has　arrived。　The　Boston　Globe　was　the　first　paper　to　receive　news　by　telephone。　Later　came　The　Washington　Star；　which　had　a　wire　strung　to　the　Capitol；　and　thereby　gained　an　hour　over　its　competitors。　To…day　the　evening　papers　receive　most　of　their　news　over　the　wire　a　la　Bell　instead　of　a　la　Morse。　This　has　resulted　in　a　specialization　of　reporters　one　man　runs　for　the　news　and　another　man　writes　it。　Some　of　the　runners　never　come　to　the　office。　They　receive　their　assignments　by　telephone；　and　their　salaries　by　mail。　There　are　even　a　few　who　are　allowed　to　telephone　their　news　directly　to　a　swift　linotype　operator；　who　clicks　it　into　type　on　his　machine；　without　the　scratch　of　a　pencil。　This；　of　course；　is　the　ideal　method　of　news…gathering；　which　is　rarely　possible。

A　paper　of　the　first　class；　such　as　The　New　York　World；　has　now　an　outfit　of　twenty　trunk　lines　and　eighty　telephones。　Its　outgoing　calls　are　two　hundred　thousand　a　year　and　its　incoming　calls　three　hundred　thousand；　which　means　that　for　every　morning；　evening；　or　Sunday　edition；　there　has　been　an　average　of　seven　hundred　and　fifty　messages。　The　ordinary　newspaper　in　a　small　town　cannot　afford　such　a　service；　but　recently　the　United　Press　has　originated　a　cooperative　method。　It　telephones　the　news　over　one　wire　to　ten　or　twelve　newspapers　at　one　time。　In　ten　minutes　a　thousand　words　can　in　this　way　be　flung　out　to　a　dozen　towns；　as　quickly　as　by　telegraph　and　much　cheaper。

But　it　is　in　a　dangerous　crisis；　when　safety　seems　to　hang　upon　a　second；　that　the　telephone　is　at　its　best。　It　is　the　instrument　of　emergencies；　a　sort　of　ubiquitous　watchman。　When　the　girl　operator　in　the　exchange　hears　a　cry　for　help〃Quick！　The　hospital！〃　〃The　fire　department！〃　〃The　police！〃　she　seldom　waits　to　hear　the　number。　She　knows　it。　She　is　trained　to　save　half…seconds。　And　it　is　at　such　moments；　if　ever；　that　the　users　of　a　telephone　can　appreciate　its　insurance　value。　No　doubt；　if　a　King　Richard　III　were　worsted　on　a　modern　battlefield；　his　instinctive　cry　would　be；　〃My　Kingdom　for　a　telephone！〃

When　instant　action　is　needed　in　the　city　of　New　York；　a　General　Alarm　can　in　five　minutes　be　sent　by　the　police　wires　over　its　whole　vast　area　of　three　hundred　square　miles。　When；　recently；　a　gas　main　broke　in　Brooklyn；　sixty　girls　were　at　once　called　to　the　centrals　in　that　part　of　the　city　to　warn　the　ten　thousand　families　who　had　been　placed　in　danger。　When　the　ill…fated　General　Slocum　caught　fire；　a　mechanic　in　a　factory　on　the　water…front　saw　the　blaze；　and　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　telephone　the　newspapers；　the　hospitals；　and　the　police。　When　a　small　child　is　lost；　or　a　convict　has　escaped　from　prison；　or　the　forest　is　on　fire；　or　some　menace　from　the　weather　is　at　hand；　the　telephone　bells　clang　out　the　news；　just　as　the　nerves　jangle　the　bells　of　pain　when　the　body　is　in　danger。　In　one　tragic　case；　the　operator　in　Folsom；　New　Mexico；　refused　to　quit　her　post　until　she　had　warned　her　people　of　a　flood　that　had　broken　loose　in　the　hills　above　the　village。　Because　of　her　courage；　nearly　all　were　saved；　though　she　herself　was　drowned　at　the　switchboard。　Her　nameMrs。　S。　J。　Rookedeserves　to　be　remembered。

If　a　disaster　cannot　be　prevented；　it　is　the　telephone；　usually；　that　brings　first　aid　to　the　injured。　After　the　destruction　of　San　Francisco；　Governor　Guild；　of　Massachusetts；　sent　an　appeal　for　the　stricken　city　to　the　three　hundred　and　fifty…four　mayors　of　his　State；　and　by　the　courtesy　of　the　Bell　Company；　which　carried　the　messages　free；　they　were　delivered　to　the　last　and　furthermost　mayors　in　less　than　five　hours。　After　the　destruction　of　Messina；　an　order　for　enough　lumber　to　build　ten　thousand　new　houses　was　cabled　to　New　York　and　telephoned　to　Western　lumbermen。　So　quickly　was　this　order　filled　that　on　the　twelfth　day　after　the　arrival　of　the　cablegram；　the　ships　were　on　their　way　to　Messina　with　the　lumber。　After　the　Kansas　City　flood　of　1903；　when　the　drenched　city　was　without　railways　or　street…cars　or　electric　lights；　it　was　the　telephone　that　held　the　city　together　and　brought　help　to　the　danger…spots。　And　after　the　Baltimore　fire；　the　telephone　exchange　was　the　last　force　to　quit　and　the　first　to　recover。　Its　girls　sat　on　their　stools　at　the　switchboard　until　the　window…panes　were　broken　by　the　heat。　Then　they　pulled　the　covers　over　the　board　and　walked　out。　Two　hours　later　the　building　was　in　ashes。　Three　hours　later　another　building　was　rented　on　the　unburned　rim　of　the　city；　and　the　wire　chiefs　were　at　work。　In　one　day　there　was　a　system　of　wires　for　the　use　of　the　city　officials。　In　two　days　these　were　linked　to　long…　distance　wires；　and　in　eleven　days　a　two…thousand…　line　switchboard　was　in　full　working　trim。　This　feat　still　stands　as　the　record　in　rebuilding。

In　the　supreme　emergency　of　war；　the　telephone　is　as　indispensable；　very　nearly；　as　the　cannon。　This；　at　least；　is　the　belief　of　the　Japanese；　who　handled　their　armies　by　telephone　when　they　drove　back　the　Russians。　Each　body　of　Japanese　troops　moved　forward　like　a　silkworm；　leaving　behind　it　a　glistening　strand　of　red　copper　wire。　At　the　decisive　battle　of　Mukden；　the　silk…worm　army；　with　a　million　legs；　crept　against　the　Russian　hosts　in　a　vast　crescent；　a　hundred　miles　from　end　to　end。　By　means　of　this　glistening　red　wire；　the　various　batteries　and　regiments　were　organized　into　fifteen　divisions。　Each　group　of　three　divisions　was　wired　to　a　general；　and　the　five　generals　were　wired　to　the　great　Oyama　himself；　who　sat　ten　miles　back　of　the　firing…line　and　sent　his　orders。　Whenever　a　regiment　lunged　forward；　one　of　the　soldiers　carried　a　telephone　set。　If　they　held　their　position；　two　other　soldiers　ran　forward　with　a　spool　of　wire。　In　this　way　and　under　fire　of　the　Russian　cannon；　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　of　wire　were　strung　across　the　battlefield。　As　the　Japanese　said；　it　was　this　〃flying　telephone〃　that　enabled　Oyama　to　manipulate　his　forces　as　handily　as　though　he　were　playing　a　game　of　chess。　It　was　in　this　war；　too；　that　the　Mikado's　soldiers　strung　the　costliest　of　all　telephone　lines；　at　203　Metre　Hill。　When　the　wire　had　been　basted　up　this　hill　to　the　summit；　the　fortress　of　Port　Arthur　lay　at　their　mercy。　But　the　climb　had　cost　them　twenty…　four　thousand　lives。

Of　the　seven　million　telephones　in　the　United　States；　about　two　million　are　now　in　farmhouses。　Every　fourth　American　farmer　is　in　telephone　touch　with　his　neighbors　and　the　market。　Iowa　leads；　among　the　farming　States。　In　Iowa；　not　to　have　a　telephone　is　to　belong　to　what　a　Londoner　would　call　the　〃submerged　tenth〃　of　the　population。　Second　in　line　comes　Illinois；　with　Kansas；　Nebraska；　and　Indiana　following　closely　behind；　and　at　the　foot　of　the　list；　in　the　matter　of　farm　telephones；　are　Connecticut　and　Louisiana。

The　first　farmer　who　discovered　the　value　of　the　telephone　was　the　market　gardener。　Next　came　the　bonanza　farmer　of　the　Red　River　Valleysuch　a　man；　for　instance；　as　Oliver　Dalrymple；　of　North　Dakota；　who　found　that　by　the　aid　of　the　telephone　he　could　plant　and　harvest　thirty　thousand　acres　of　wheat　in　a　single　season。　Then；　not　more　than　half　a　dozen　years　ago；　there　arose　a　veritable　Telephone　Crusade　among　the　farmers　of　the　Middle　West。　Cheap　telephones；　yet　fairly　good；　had　by　this　time　been　made　possible　by　the　improvements　of　the　Bell　engineers；　and　stories　of　what　could　be　done　by　telephone　became　the　favorite　gossip　of　the　day。　One　farmer　had　kept　his　barn　from　being　burned　down　by　telephoning　for　his　neighbors；　another　had　cleared　five　hundred　dollars　extra　profit　on　the　sale　of　his　cattle；　by　telephoning　to　the　best　market；　a　third　had　rescued　a　flock　of　sheep　by　sending　quick　news　of　an　approaching　blizzard；　a　fourth　had　saved　his　son's　life　by　getting　an　instantaneous　message　to　the　doctor；　and　so　on。

How　the　telephone　saved　a　three　million　dollar　fruit　crop　in　Colorado；　in　1909；　is　the　story　that　is　oftenest　told　in　the　West。　Until　that　year；　the　frosts　in　the　Spring　nipped　the　buds。　No　farmer　could　be　sure　of　his　harvest。　But　in　1909；　the　fruit…growers　bought　smudge…potsthree　hundred　thousand　or　more。　These　were　placed　in　the　orchards；　ready　to　be　lit　at　a　moment's　notice。　Next；　an　alliance　was　made　with　the　United　States　Weather　Bureau　so　that　whenever　the　Frost　King　came　down　from　the　north；　a　warning　could　be　telephoned　to　the　farmers。　Just　when　Colorado　was　pink　with　apple　blossoms；　the　first　warning　came。　〃Get　ready　to　light　up　your　smudge…pots　in　half　an　hour。〃　Then　the　farmers　telephoned　to　the　nearest　towns：　〃Frost　is　coming；　come　and　help　us　in　the　orchards。〃　Hundreds　of　men　rushed　out　into　the　country　on　horseback　and　in　wagons。　In　half　an　hour　the　last　warning　came：　〃Light　up；　the　thermometer　registers　twenty…nine。〃　The　smudge…pot　artillery　was　set　ablaze；　and　kept　blazing　until　the　news　came　that　the　icy　forces　had　retreated。　And　in　this　way　every　Colorado　farmer　who　had　a　telephone　saved　his　fruit。

In　some　farming　States；　the　enthusiasm　for　the　telephone　is　running　so　high　that　mass　meetings　are　held；　with　lavish　oratory　on　the　general　theme　of　〃Good　Roads　and　Telephones。〃　And　as　a　result　of　this　Telephone　Crusade；　there　are　now　nearly　twenty　thousand　groups　of　farmers；　each　one　with　a　mutual　telephone　system；　and　one…half　of　them　with　sufficient　enterprise　to　link　their　little　webs　of　wires　to　the　vast　Bell　system；　so　that　at　least　a　million　farmers　have　been　brought　as　close　to　the　great　cities　as　they　are　t