y after… noon the judges were to make a special tour of inspection； and Mr。 Hubbard； after much trouble； had obtained a promise that they would spend a few minutes examining Bell's telephone。 By this time it had been on exhibition for more than six weeks； without attracting the serious attention of anybody。
When Sunday afternoon arrived； Bell was at his little table； nervous； yet confident。 But hour after hour went by； and the judges did not arrive。 The day was intensely hot； and they had many wonders to examine。 There was the first electric light； and the first grain…binder； and the musical telegraph of Elisha Gray； and the marvellous exhibit of printing telegraphs shown by the Western Union Company。 By the time they came to Bell's table； through a litter of school… desks and blackboards； the hour was seven o'clock； and every man in the party was hot； tired； and hungry。 Several announced their intention of returning to their hotels。 One took up a telephone receiver； looked at it blankly； and put it down again。 He did not even place it to his ear。 Another judge made a slighting remark which raised a laugh at Bell's expense。 Then a most marvellous thing happenedsuch an incident as would make a chapter in 〃The Arabian Nights Entertainments。〃
Accompanied by his wife； the Empress Theresa； and by a bevy of courtiers； the Emperor of Brazil； Dom Pedro de Alcantara； walked into the room； advanced with both hands outstretched to the bewildered Bell； and exclaimed： 〃Professor Bell； I am delighted to see you again。〃 The judges at once forgot the heat and the fatigue and the hunger。 Who was this young inventor； with the pale complexion and black eyes； that he should be the friend of Emperors？ They did not know； and for the moment even Bell himself had forgotten； that Dom Pedro had once visited Bell's class of deaf…mutes at Boston University。 He was especially interested in such humanitarian work； and had recently helped to organize the first Brazilian school for deaf…mutes at Rio de Janeiro。 And so； with the tall； blond…bearded Dom Pedro in the centre； the assembled judges； and scientiststhere were fully fifty in all entered with unusual zest into the proceedings of this first telephone exhibition。
A wire had been strung from one end of the room to the other； and while Bell went to the transmitter； Dom Pedro took up the receiver and placed it to his ear。 It was a moment of tense expectancy。 No one knew clearly what was about to happen； when the Emperor； with a dramatic gesture； raised his head from the receiver and exclaimed with a look of utter amazement： 〃MY GODIT TALKS！〃
Next came to the receiver the oldest scientist in the group； the venerable Joseph Henry； whose encouragement to Bell had been so timely。 He stopped to listen； and； as one of the bystanders afterwards said； no one could forget the look of awe that came into his face as he heard that iron disc talking with a human voice。 〃This；〃 said he； 〃comes nearer to overthrowing the doctrine of the conservation of energy than anything I ever saw。〃
Then came Sir William Thomson； latterly known as Lord Kelvin。 It was fitting that he should be there； for he was the foremost elec… trical scientist at that time in the world； and had been the engineer of the first Atlantic Cable。 He listened and learned what even he had not known before； that a solid metallic body could take up from the air all the countless varieties of vibrations produced by speech； and that these vibrations could be carried along a wire and reproduced exactly by a second metallic body。 He nodded his head solemnly as he rose from the receiver。 〃It DOES speak；〃 he said emphatically。 〃It is the most wonderful thing I have seen in America。〃
So； one after another； this notable company of men listened to the voice of the first telephone； and the more they knew of science； the less they were inclined to believe their ears。 The wiser they were； the more they wondered。 To Henry and Thomson； the masters of electrical magic； this instrument was as surprising as it was to the man in the street。 And both were noble enough to admit frankly their astonishment in the reports which they made as judges； when they gave Bell a Certificate of Award。 〃Mr。 Bell has achieved a result of transcendent scientific interest；〃 wrote Sir William Thomson。 〃I heard it speak distinctly several sentences。 。 。 。 I was astonished and delighted。 。 。 。 It is the greatest marvel hitherto achieved by the electric telegraph。〃
Until nearly ten o'clock that night the judges talked and listened by turns at the telephone。 Then； next morning； they brought the apparatus to the judges' pavilion； where for the remainder of the summer it was mobbed by judges and scientists。 Sir William Thomson and his wife ran back and forth between the two ends of the wire like a pair of delighted children。 And thus it happened that the crude little instrument that had been tossed into an out…of…the…way corner became the star of the Centennial。 It had been given no more than eighteen words in the official catalogue； and here it was acclaimed as the wonder of wonders。 It had been conceived in a cellar and born in a machine…shop； and now； of all the gifts that our young American Republic had received on its one…hundredth birthday； the telephone was honored as the rarest and most welcome of them all。
CHAPTER II
THE BUILDING OF THE BUSINESS
After the telephone had been born in Boston； baptized in the Patent Office； and given a royal reception at the Philadelphia Centennial； it might be supposed that its life thenceforth would be one of peace and pleasantness。 But as this is history； and not fancy； there must be set down the very surprising fact that the young newcomer received no welcome and no notice from the great business world。 〃It is a scientific toy；〃 said the men of trade and commerce。 〃It is an interesting instrument； of course； for professors of electricity and acoustics； but it can never be a practical necessity。 As well might you propose to put a telescope into a steel…mill or to hitch a balloon to a shoe… factory。〃
Poor Bell； instead of being applauded； was pelted with a hailstorm of ridicule。 He was an 〃impostor；〃 a 〃ventriloquist；〃 a 〃crank who says he can talk through a wire。〃 The London Times alluded pompously to the telephone as the latest American humbug； and gave many profound reasons why speech could not be sent over a wire； because of the intermittent nature of the electric current。 Almost all electriciansthe men who were supposed to knowpronounced the telephone an impossible thing； and those who did not openly declare it to be a hoax； believed that Bell had stumbled upon some freakish use of electricity； which could never be of any practical value。
Even though he came late in the succession of inventors； Bell had to run the gantlet of scoffing and adversity。 By the reception that the public gave to his telephone； he learned to sympathize with Howe； whose first sewing…machine was smashed by a Boston mob； with McCormick； whose first reaper was called 〃a cross between an Astley chariot； a wheelbarrow； and a flying… machine〃； with Morse； whom ten Congresses regarded as a nuisance； with Cyrus Field； whose Atlantic Cable was denounced as 〃a mad freak of stubborn ignorance〃； and with Westinghouse； who was called a fool for proposing 〃to stop a railroad train with wind。〃
The very idea of talking at a piece of sheet… iron was so new and extraordinary that the normal mind repulsed it。 Alike to the laborer and the scientist； it was incomprehensible。 It was too freakish； too bizarre； to be used outside of the laboratory and the museum。 No one； literally； could understand how it worked； and the only man who offered a clear solution of the mystery was a Boston mechanic； who maintained that there was 〃a hole through the middle of the wire。〃
People who talked for the first time into a telephone box had a sort of stage fright。 They felt foolish。 To do so seemed an absurd performance； especially when they had to shout at the top of their voices。 Plainly； whatever of convenience there might be in this new contrivance was far outweighed by the loss of personal dignity； and very few men had sufficient imagination to picture the telephone as a part of the machinery of their daily work。 The banker said it might do well enough for grocers； but that it would never be of any value to banking； and the grocer said it might do well enough for bankers； but that it would never be of any value to grocers。
As Bell had worked out his invention in Salem； one editor displayed the headline； 〃Salem Witchcraft。〃 The New York Herald said： 〃The effect is weird and almost supernatural。〃 The Providence Press said： 〃It is hard to resist the notion that the powers of darkness are somehow in league with it。〃 And The Boston Times said； in an editorial of bantering ridicule： 〃A fellow can now court his girl in China as well as in East Boston； but the most serious aspect of this invention is the awful and irresponsible power it will give to the average mother…in… law； who will be able to send her voice around the habitable globe。〃
There were hundreds of shrewd capitalists in American cities in 1876； looking with sharp eyes in all directions for business chances； but not one of them came to Bell with an offer to buy his patent。 Not one came running for a State contract。 And neither did any legislature； or city council； come forward to the task of giving the people a cheap and efficient telephone service。 As for Bell himself； he was not a man of affairs。 In all practical business matters； he was as incompetent as a Byron or a Shelley。 He had done his part； and it now remained for men of different abilities to take up his telephone and adapt it to the uses and conditions of the business world。
The first man to undertake this work was Gardiner G。 Hubbard； who became soon afterwards the father…in…law of Bell。 He； too； was a man of enthusiasm rather than of efficiency。 He was not a man of wealth or business experience； but he was admirably suited to introduce the telephone to a hostile public。 His father had been a judge of the Massachusetts Supreme Court； and he himself was a lawyer whose practice had been mainly in matters of legislation。 He was； in 1876； a man of venerable appear