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cial tongue and ear as human ingenuity can make them。 They have persistently grown more elaborate； until today a telephone set； as it stands on a desk； contains as many as one hundred and thirty separate pieces； as well as a saltspoonful of glistening granules of carbon。
Next after the transmitter came the problem of the MYSTERIOUS NOISES。 This was； perhaps； the most weird and mystifying of all the telephone problems。 The fact was that the telephone had brought within hearing distance a new wonder… world of sound。 All wires at that time were single； and ran into the earth at each end； making what was called a 〃grounded circuit。〃 And this connection with the earth； which is really a big magnet； caused all manner of strange and uncouth noises on the telephone wires。
Noises！ Such a jangle of meaningless noises had never been heard by human ears。 There were spluttering and bubbling； jerking and rasping； whistling and screaming。 There were the rustling of leaves； the croaking of frogs； the hissing of steam； and the flapping of birds' wings。 There were clicks from telegraph wires； scraps of talk from other telephones； and curious little squeals that were unlike any known sound。 The lines running east and west were noisier than the lines running north and south。 The night was noisier than the day； and at the ghostly hour of midnight； for what strange reason no one knows； the babel was at its height。 Watson； who had a fanciful mind； suggested that perhaps these sounds were signals from the inhabitants of Mars or some other sociable planet。 But the matter… of…fact young telephonists agreed to lay the blame on 〃induction〃a hazy word which usually meant the natural meddlesomeness of electricity。
Whatever else the mysterious noises were； they were a nuisance。 The poor little telephone business was plagued almost out of its senses。 It was like a dog with a tin can tied to its tail。 No matter where it went； it was pursued by this unearthly clatter。 〃We were ashamed to present our bills；〃 said A。 A。 Adee； one of the first agents； 〃for no matter how plainly a man talked into his telephone； his language was apt to sound like Choctaw at the other end of the line。〃
All manner of devices were solemnly tried to hush the wires； and each one usually proved to be as futile as an incantation。 What was to be done？ Step by step the telephone men were driven back。 They were beaten。 There was no way to silence these noises。 Reluctantly； they agreed that the only way was to pull up the ends of each wire from the tainted earth； and join them by a second wire。 This was the 〃metallic circuit〃 idea。 It meant an appalling increase in the use of wire。 It would compel the rebuild… ing of the switchboards and the invention of new signal systems。 But it was inevitable； and in 1883； while the dispute about it was in full blast； one of the young men quietly slipped it into use on a new line between Boston and Providence。 The effect was magical。 〃At last；〃 said the delighted manager； 〃we have a perfectly quiet line。〃
This young man； a small； slim youth who was twenty…two years old and looked younger； was no other than J。 J。 Carty； now the first of telephone engineers and almost the creator of his profession。 Three years earlier he had timidly asked for a job as operator in the Boston exchange； at five dollars a week； and had shown such an aptitude for the work that he was soon made one of the captains。 At thirty years of age he became a central figure in the development of the art of telephony。
What Carty has done is known by telephone men in all countries； but the story of Carty himself who he is； and whyis new。 First of all； he is Irish； pure Irish。 His father had left Ireland as a boy in 1825。 During the Civil War his father made guns in the city of Cambridge； where young John Joseph was born； and afterwards he made bells for church steeples。 He was instinctively a mechanic and proud of his calling。 He could tell the weight of a bell from the sound of it。 Moses G。 Farmer； the electrical inventor； and Howe； the creator of the sewing…machine； were his friends。
At five years of age； little John J。 Carty was taken by his father to the shop where the bells were made； and he was profoundly impressed by the magical strength of a big magnet； that picked up heavy weights as though they were feathers。 At the high school his favorite study was physics； and for a time he and another boy named Rolfenow a distinguished man of sciencecarried on electrical experiments of their own in the cellar of the Rolfe house。 Here they had a 〃Tom Thumb〃 telegraph； a telephone which they had ventured to improve； and a hopeless tangle of wires。 Whenever they could afford to buy more wires and batteries； they went to a near…by store which supplied electrical apparatus to the professors and students of Harvard。 This store； with its workshop in the rear； seemed to the two boys a veritable wonderland； and when Carty； a youth of eighteen； was compelled to leave school because of his bad eyesight； he ran at once and secured the glorious job of being boy…of…all…work in this store of wonders。 So； when he became an operator in the Boston telephone exchange； a year later； he had already developed to a remarkable degree his natural genius for telephony。
Since then； Carty and the telephone business have grown up together； he always a little distance in advance。 No other man has touched the apparatus of telephony at so many points。 He fought down the flimsy； clumsy methods； which led from one snarl to another。 He found out how to do with wires what Dickens did with words。 〃Let us do it right； boys； and then we won't have any bad dreams〃this has been his motif。 And； as the crown and climax of his work； he mapped out the profession of telephone engineering on the widest and most comprehensive lines。
In Carty； the engineer evolved into the edu… cator。 His end of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company became the University of the Telephone。 He was himself a student by disposition； with a special taste for the writings of Faraday； the forerunner； Tyndall； the expounder； and Spencer； the philosopher。 And in 1890； he gathered around him a winnowed group of college graduateshe has sixty of them on his staff to…dayso that he might bequeath to the telephone an engineering corps of loyal and efficient men。
The next problem that faced the young men of the telephone； as soon as they had escaped from the clamor of the mysterious noises； was the necessity of taking down the wires in the city streets and putting them underground。 At first； they had strung the wires on poles and roof…tops。 They had done this； not because it was cheap； but because it was the only possible way； so far as any one knew in that kindergarten period。 A telephone wire required the daintiest of handling。 To bury it was to smother it； to make it dull or perhaps entirely useless。 But now that the number of wires had swollen from hun… dreds to thousands； the overhead method had been outgrown。 Some streets in the larger cities had become black with wires。 Poles had risen to fifty feet in height； then sixtyseventy eighty。 Finally the highest of all pole lines was built along West Street； New Yorkevery pole a towering Norway pine； with its top ninety feet above the roadway； and carrying thirty cross… arms and three hundred wires。
From poles the wires soon overflowed to housetops； until in New York alone they had overspread eleven thousand roofs。 These roofs had to be kept in repair； and their chimneys were the deadly enemies of the iron wires。 Many a wire； in less than two or three years； was withered to the merest shred of rust。 As if these troubles were not enough； there were the storms of winter； which might wipe out a year's revenue in a single day。 The sleet storms were the worst。 Wires were weighted down with ice； often three pounds of ice per foot of wire。 And so； what with sleet； and corrosion； and the cost of roof…repairing； and the lack of room for more wires； the telephone men were between the devil and the deep seabetween the urgent necessity of burying their wires； and the inexorable fact that they did not know how to do it。
Fortunately； by the time that this problem arrived； the telephone business was fairly well established。 It had outgrown its early days of ridicule and incredulity。 It was paying wages and salaries and even dividends。 Evidently it had arrived on the scene in the nick of time after the telegraph and before the trolleys and electric lights。 Had it been born ten years later； it might not have been able to survive。 So delicate a thing as a baby telephone could scarcely have protected itself against the powerful currents of electricity that came into general use in 1886； if it had not first found out a way of hiding safely underground。
The first declaration in favor of an underground system was made by the Boston company in 1880。 〃It may be expedient to place our entire system underground；〃 said the sorely perplexed manager； 〃whenever a practicable method is found of accomplishing： it。〃 All manner of theories were afloat but Theodore N。 Vail； who was usually the man of constructive imagination in emergencies； began in 1882 a series of actual experiments at Attleborough； Massachusetts； to find ou