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a Government navy…yard； has so many。 Nothing is too small to escape these sleuths of inspection。 They test every tiny disc of mica； and throw away nine out of ten。 They test every telephone by actual talk； set up every switchboard； and try out every cable。 A single transmitter； by the time it is completed； has had to pass three hundred examinations； and a single coin…box is obliged to count ten thousand nickels before it graduates into the outer world。 Seven hundred inspectors are on guard in the two main plants at Chicago and New York。 This is a ruinously large number； from a profit…making point of view； but the inexorable fact is that in a telephone system nothing is insignificant。 It is built on such altruistic lines that an injury to any one part is the concern of all。
As usual； when we probe into the history of a business that has grown great and overspread the earth； we find a Man； and the Western Electric is no exception to this rule。 Its Man； still fairly hale and busy after forty years of leadership； is Enos M。 Barton。 His career is the typical American story of self…help。 He was a telegraph messenger boy in New York during the Civil War； then a telegraph operator in Cleveland。 In 1869 his salary was cut down from one hundred dollars a month to ninety dollars； whereupon he walked out and founded the Western Electric in a shabby little machine…shop。 Later he moved to Chicago； took in Elisha Gray as his partner； and built up a trade in the making of telegraphic materials。
When the telephone was invented； Barton was one of the sceptics。 〃I well remember my disgust；〃 he said； 〃when some one told me it was possible to send conversation along a wire。〃 Several months later he saw a telephone and at once became one of its apostles。 By 1882 his plant had become the official workshop of the Bell Companies。 It was the headquarters of invention and manufacturing。 Here was gathered a notable group of young men； brilliant and adventurous； who dared to stake their futures on the success of the telephone。 And always at their head was Barton； as a sort of human switchboard； who linked them all together and kept them busy。
In appearance； Enos M。 Barton closely resembles ex…President Eliot； of Harvard。 He is slow in speech； simple in manner； and with a rare sagacity in business affairs。 He was not an organizer； in the modern sense。 His policy was to pick out a man； put him in a responsible place； and judge him by results。 Engineers could become bookkeepers； and bookkeepers could become engineers。 Such a plan worked well in the earlier days； when the art of telephony was in the making； and when there was no source of authority on telephonic problems。 Barton is the bishop emeritus of the Western Electric to…day； and the big industry is now being run by a group of young hustlers； with H。 B。 Thayer at the head of the table。 Thayer is a Vermonter who has climbed the ladder of experience from its lower rungs to the top。 He is a typical Yankeelean； shrewd； tireless； and with a cold… blooded sense of justice that fits him for the leadership of twenty…six thousand people。
So； as we have seen； the telephone as Bell invented it； was merely a brilliant beginning in the development of the art of telephony。 It was an elfin birthan elusive and delicate sprite that had to be nurtured into maturity。 It was like a soul； for which a body had to be created； and no one knew how to make such a body。 Had it been born in some less energetic country； it might have remained feeble and undeveloped； but not in the United States。 Here in one year it had become famous； and in three years it had become rich。 Bell's invincible patent was soon buttressed by hundreds of others。 An open… door policy was adopted for invention。 Change followed change to such a degree that the experts of 1880 would be lost to…day in the mazes of a telephone exchange。
The art of the telephone engineer has in thirty years grown from the most crude and clumsy of experiments into an exact and comprehensive profession。 As Carty has aptly said； 〃At first we invariably approached every problem from the wrong end。 If we had been told to load a herd of cattle on a steamer； our method would have been to hire a Hagenbeck to train the cattle for a couple of years； so that they would know enough to walk aboard of the ship when he gave the signal； but to…day； if we had to ship cattle； we would know enough to make a greased chute and slide them on board in a jiffy。〃
The telephone world has now its own standards and ideals。 It has a language of its own； a telephonese that is quite unintelligible to outsiders。 It has as many separate branches of study as medicine or law。 There are few men； half a dozen at most； who can now be said to have a general knowledge of telephony。 And no matter how wise a telephone expert may be； he can never reach perfection； because of the amazing variety of things that touch or concern his profession。
〃No one man knows all the details now；〃 said Theodore Vail。 〃Several days ago I was walking through a telephone exchange and I saw something new。 I asked Mr。 Carty to explain it。 He is our chief engineer； but he did not understand it。 We called the manager。 He did n't know； and called his assistant。 He did n't know； and called the local engineer； who was able to tell us what it was。〃
To sum up this development of the art of tele… phonyto present a bird's…eye viewit may be divided into four periods：
1。 Experiment。 1876 to 1886。 This was the period of invention； in which there were no experts and no authorities。 Telephonic apparatus consisted of makeshifts and adaptations。 It was the period of iron wire； imperfect transmitters； grounded circuits； boy operators； peg switchboards； local batteries； and overhead lines。
2。 Development。 1886 to 1896。 In this period amateurs became engineers。 The proper type of apparatus was discovered； and was improved to a high point of efficiency。 In this period came the multiple switchboard； copper wire； girl operators； underground cables； metallic circuit； common battery； and the long…distance lines。
3。 Expansion。 1896 to 1906。 This was the era of big business。 It was an autumn period； in which the telephone men and the public began to reap the fruits of twenty years of investment and hard work。 It was the period of the message rate； the pay station； the farm line； and the private branch exchange。
4。 Organization。 1906。 With the success of the Pupin coil； there came a larger life for the telephone。 It became less local and more national。 It began to link together its scattered parts。 It discouraged the waste and anarchy of duplication。 It taught its older； but smaller brother； the telegraph； to cooperate。 It put itself more closely in touch with the will of the public。 And it is now pushing ahead； along the two roads of standardization and efficiency； toward its ideal of one universal telephone system for the whole nation。 The key…word of the telephone development of to…day is this organization。
CHAPTER V
THE EXPANSION OF THE BUSINESS
The telephone business did not really begin to grow big and overspread the earth until 1896； but the keynote of expansion was first sounded by Theodore Vail in the earliest days； when as yet the telephone was a babe in arms。 In 1879 Vail said； in a letter written to one of his captains：
〃Tell our agents that we have a proposition on foot to connect the different cities for the purpose of personal communication； and in other ways to organize a GRAND TELEPHONIC SYSTEM。〃
This was brave talk at that time； when there were not in the whole world as many telephones as there are to…day in Cincinnati。 It was brave talk in those days of iron wire； peg switchboards； and noisy diaphragms。 Most telephone men regarded it as nothing more than talk。 They did not see any business future for the telephone ex… cept in short…distance service。 But Vail was in earnest。 His previous experience as the head of the railway mail service had lifted him up to a higher point of view。 He knew the need of a national system of communication that would be quicker and more direct than either the telegraph or the post office。
〃I saw that if the telephone could talk one mile to…day；〃 he said； 〃it would be talking a hundred miles to…morrow。〃 And he persisted； in spite of a considerable deal of ridicule； in maintaining that the telephone was destined to connect cities and nations as well as individuals。
Four months after he had prophesied the 〃grand telephonic system；〃 he encouraged Charles J。 Glidden； of world…tour fame； to build a telephone line between Boston and Lowell。 This was the first inter…city line。 It was well placed； as the owners of the Lowell mills lived in Boston； and it made a small profit from the start。 This success cheered Vail on to a master… effort。 He resolved to build a line from Boston to Providence； and was so stubbornly bent upon doing this that when the Bell Company refused to act； he picked up the risk and set off with it alone。 He organized a company of well… known Rhode Islandersnicknamed the 〃Governors' Company〃and built the line。 It was a failure at first； and went by the name of 〃Vail's Folly。〃 But Engineer Carty； by a happy thought； DOUBLED THE WIRE； and thus in a moment establi