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the latest improvements made by the original inventorsDolbear； Gray； and Edison。〃
The result was strange and unexpected。 The Bell group； instead of being driven from the field； were at once lifted to a higher level in the business world。 The effect was as if the Standard Oil Company were to commence the manufacture of aeroplanes。 In a flash； the telephone ceased to be a 〃scientific toy；〃 and became an article of commerce。 It began for the first time to be taken seriously。 And the Western Union； in the endeavor to protect its private lines； became involuntarily a bell…wether to lead capitalists in the direction of the telephone。
Sanders's relatives； who were many and rich； came to his rescue。 Most of them were well… known business menthe Bradleys； the Saltonstalls； Fay； Silsbee； and Carlton。 These men； together with Colonel William H。 Forbes； who came in as a friend of the Bradleys； were the first capitalists who； for purely business reasons； invested money in the Bell patents。 Two months after the Western Union had given its weighty endorsement to the telephone； these men organized a company to do business in New England only； and put fifty thousand dollars in its treasury。
In a short time the delighted Hubbard found himself leasing telephones at the rate of a thousand a month。 He was no longer a promoter； but a general manager。 Men were standing in line to ask for agencies。 Crude little telephone exchanges were being started in a dozen or more cities。 There was a spirit of confidence and enterprise； and the next step； clearly； was to create a business organization。 None of the partners were competent to undertake such a work。 Hubbard had little aptitude as an organizer； Bell had none； and Sanders was held fast by his leather interests。 Here； at last； after four years of the most heroic effort； were the raw materials out of which a telephone business could be constructed。 But who was to be the builder； and where was he to be found？
One morning the indefatigable Hubbard solved the problem。 〃Watson；〃 he said； 〃there's a young man in Washington who can handle this situation； and I want you to run down and see what you think of him。〃 Watson went； reported favorably； and in a day or so the young man received a letter from Hubbard； offering him the position of General Manager； at a salary of thirty…five hundred dollars a year。 〃We rely；〃 Hubbard said； 〃upon your executive ability； your fidelity； and unremitting zeal。〃 The young man replied； in one of those dignified letters more usual in the nineteenth than in the twentieth century。 〃My faith in the success of the enterprise is such that I am willing to trust to it；〃 he wrote； 〃and I have confidence that we shall establish the harmony and cooperation that is essential to the success of an enterprise of this kind。〃 One week later the young man； Theodore N。 Vail； took his seat as General Manager in a tiny office in Reade Street； New York； and the building of the business began。
This arrival of Vail at the critical moment emphasized the fact that Bell was one of the most fortunate of inventors。 He was not robbed of his invention； as might easily have happened。 One by one there arrived to help him a number of able men； with all the various abilities that the changing situation required。 There was such a focussing of factors that the whole matter appeared to have been previously rehearsed。 No sooner had Bell appeared on the stage than his supporting players； each in his turn； received his cue and took part in the action of the drama。 There was not one of these men who could have done the work of any other。 Each was distinctive and indispensable。 Bell invented the telephone； Watson constructed it； Sanders financed it； Hubbard introduced it； and Vail put it on a business basis。
The new General Manager had； of course； no experience in the telephone business。 Neither had any one else。 But he； like Bell； came to his task with a most surprising fitness。 He was a member of the historic Vail family of Morristown； New Jersey； which had operated the Speedwell Iron Works for four or five generations。 His grand…uncle Stephen had built the engines for the Savannah； the first American steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean； and his cousin Alfred was the friend and co…worker of Morse； the inventor of the telegraph。 Morse had lived for several years at the Vail homestead in Morristown； and it was here that he erected his first telegraph line； a three…mile circle around the Iron Works； in 1838。 He and Alfred Vail experimented side by side in the making of the telegraph； and Vail eventually received a fortune for his share of the Morse patent。
Thus it happened that young Theodore Vail learned the dramatic story of Morse at his mother's knee。 As a boy； he played around the first telegraph line； and learned to put messages on the wire。 His favorite toy was a little telegraph that he constructed for himself。 At twenty…two he went West； in the vague hope of possessing a bonanza farm； then he swung back into telegraphy； and in a few years found himself in the Government Mail Service at Washington。 By 1876； he was at the head of this Department； which he completely reorganized。 He introduced the bag system in postal cars； and made war on waste and clumsiness。 By virtue of this position he was the one man in the United States who had a comprehensive view of all railways and telegraphs。 He was much more apt； consequently； than other men to develop the idea of a national telephone system。
While in the midst of this bureaucratic house… cleaning he met Hubbard； who had just been appointed by President Hayes as the head of a commission on mail transportation。 He and Hubbard were constantly thrown together； on trains and in hotels； and as Hubbard invariably had a pair of telephones in his valise； the two men soon became co…enthusiasts。 Vail found himself painting brain…pictures of the future of the telephone； and by the time that he was asked to become its General Manager； he had become so confident that； as he said afterwards； he 〃was willing to leave a Government job with a small salary for a telephone job with no salary。〃
So； just as Amos Kendall had left the post office service thirty years before to establish the telegraph business； Theodore N。 Vail left the post office service to establish the telephone business。 He had been in authority over thirty…five hundred postal employees； and was the developer of a system that covered every inhabited portion of the country。 Consequently； he had a quality of experience that was immensely valuable in straightening out the tangled affairs of the telephone。 Line by line； he mapped out a method； a policy； a system。 He introduced a larger view of the telephone business； and swept off the table all schemes for selling out。 He persuaded half a dozen of his post office friends to buy stock； so that in less than two months the first 〃Bell Telephone Company〃 was organized； with 450；000 capital and a service of twelve thousand telephones。
Vail's first step； naturally； was to stiffen up the backbone of this little company； and to prevent the Western Union from frightening it into a surrender。 He immediately sent a copy of Bell's patent to every agent； with orders to hold the fort against all opposition。 〃We have the only original telephone patents；〃 he wrote； 〃we have organized and introduced the business； and we do not propose to have it taken from us by any corporation。〃 To one agent； who was showing the white feather； he wrote：
〃You have too great an idea of the Western Union。 If it was all massed in your one city you might well fear it； but it is represented there by one man only； and he has probably as much as he can attend to outside of the telephone。 For you to acknowledge that you cannot compete with his influence when you make it your special business； is hardly the thing。 There may be a dozen concerns that will all go to the Western Union； but they will not take with them all their friends。 I would advise that you go ahead and keep your present advantage。 We must organize companies with sufficient vitality to carry on a fight； as it is simply useless to get a company started that will succumb to the first bit of opposition it may encounter。〃
Next； having encouraged his thoroughly alarmed agents； Vail proceeded to build up a definite business policy。 He stiffened up the contracts and made them good for five years only。 He confined each agent to one place； and reserved all rights to connect one city with another。 He established a department to collect and pro… tect any new inventions that concerned the telephone。 He agreed to take part of the royalties in stock； when any local company preferred to pay its debts in this way。 And he took steps toward standardizing all telephonic apparatus by controlling the factories that made it。
These various measures were part of Vail's plan to create a national telephone system。 His central idea； from the first； was not the mere leasing of telephones； but rather the creation of a Federal company that would be a permanent partner in the entire telephone business。 Even in that day of small things； and amidst the confusion and rough…and…tumble of pioneering； he worked out the broad policy that prevails to…day； an