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swer。 Shortly afterwards； while Bell was visiting at his father's house in Canada； he bought up all the stove…pipe wire in the town； and tacked it to a rail fence between the house and a telegraph office。 Then he went to a village eight miles distant and sent scraps of songs and Shakespearean quotations over the wire。
There was still a large percentage of people who denied that spoken words could be transmitted by a wire。 When Watson talked to Bell at public demonstrations； there were newspaper editors who referred sceptically to 〃the supposititious Watson。〃 So； to silence these doubters； Bell and Watson planned a most severe test of the telephone。 They borrowed the telegraph line between Boston and the Cambridge Observatory； and attached a telephone to each end。 Then they maintained； for three hours or longer； the FIRST SUSTAINED conversation by telephone； each one taking careful notes of what he said and of what he heard。 These notes were published in parallel columns in The Boston Advertiser； October 19； 1876； and proved beyond question that the telephone was now a practical success。
After this； one event crowded quickly on the heels of another。 A series of ten lectures was arranged for Bell； at a hundred dollars a lecture； which was the first money payment he had received for his invention。 His opening night was in Salem； before an audience of five hundred people； and with Mrs。 Sand… ers； the motherly old lady who had sheltered Bell in the days of his experiment； sitting proudly in one of the front seats。 A pole was set up at the front of the hall； supporting the end of a telegraph wire that ran from Salem to Boston。 And Watson； who became the first public talker by telephone； sent messages from Boston to various members of the audience。 An account of this lecture was sent by telephone to The Boston Globe； which announced the next morning
〃This special despatch of the Globe has been transmitted by telephone in the presence of twenty people； who have thus been witnesses to a feat never before attemptedthe sending of news over the space of sixteen miles by the human voice。〃
This Globe despatch awoke the newspaper editors with an unexpected jolt。 For the first time they began to notice that there was a new word in the language； and a new idea in the scientific world。 No newspaper had made any mention whatever of the telephone for seventy…five days after Bell received his patent。 Not one of the swarm of reporters who thronged the Philadelphia Centennial had regarded the telephone as a matter of any public interest。 But when a column of news was sent by telephone to The Boston Globe； the whole newspaper world was agog with excitement。 A thousand pens wrote the name of Bell。 Requests to repeat his lecture came to Bell from Cyrus W。 Field； the veteran of the Atlantic Cable； from the poet Longfellow； and from many others。
As he was by profession an elocutionist； Bell was able to make the most of these opportunities。 His lectures became popular entertainments。 They were given in the largest halls。 At one lecture two Japanese gentlemen were induced to talk to one another in their own language； via the telephone。 At a second lecture a band played 〃The Star…Spangled Banner；〃 in Boston； and was heard by an audience of two thousand people in Providence。 At a third； Signor Ferranti； who was in Providence； sang a selection from 〃The Marriage of Figaro〃 to an audience in Boston。 At a fourth； an exhortation from Moody and a song from Sankey came over the vibrating wire。 And at a fifth； in New Haven； Bell stood sixteen Yale professors in line； hand in hand； and talked through their bodiesa feat which was then； and is to…day； almost too wonderful to believe。
Very slowly these lectures； and the tireless activity of Hubbard； pushed back the ridicule and the incredulity； and in the merry month of May； 1877； a man named Emery drifted into Hubbard's office from the near…by city of Charlestown； and leased two telephones for twenty actual dollarsthe first money ever paid for a telephone。 This was the first feeble sign that such a novelty as the telephone business could be established； and no money ever looked handsomer than this twenty dollars did to Bell； Sanders； Hubbard； and Watson。 It was the tiny first…fruit of fortune。
Greatly encouraged； they prepared a little circular which was the first advertisement of the telephone business。 It is an oddly simple little document to…day； but to the 1877 brain it was startling。 It modestly claimed that a telephone was superior to a telegraph for three reasons：
〃（1） No skilled operator is required； but direct communication may be had by speech without the intervention of a third person。
〃（2） The communication is much more rapid； the average number of words transmitted in a minute by the Morse sounder being from fifteen to twenty； by telephone from one to two hundred。
〃（3） No expense is required； either for its operation or repair。 It needs no battery and has no complicated machinery。 It is unsurpassed for economy and simplicity。〃
The only telephone line in the world at this time was between the Williams' workshop in Boston and the home of Mr。 Williams in Somerville。 But in May； 1877； a young man named E。 T。 Holmes； who was running a burglar…alarm business in Boston； proposed that a few telephones be linked to his wires。 He was a friend and customer of Williams； and suggested this plan half in jest and half in earnest。 Hubbard was quick to seize this opportunity； and at once lent Holmes a dozen telephones。 Without asking permission； Holmes went into six banks and nailed up a telephone in each。 Five bankers made no protest； but the sixth indignantly ordered 〃that playtoy〃 to be taken out。 The other five telephones could be connected by a switch in Holmes's office； and thus was born the first tiny and crude Telephone Exchange。 Here it ran for several weeks as a telephone system by day and a burglar…alarm by night。 No money was paid by the bankers。 The service was given to them as an exhibition and an advertisement。 The little shelf with its five telephones was no more like the marvellous exchanges of to…day than a canoe is like a Cunarder； but it was unquestionably the first place where several telephone wires came together and could be united。
Soon afterwards； Holmes took his telephones out of the banks； and started a real telephone business among the express companies of Boston。 But by this time several exchanges had been opened for ordinary business； in New Haven； Bridgeport； New York； and Philadelphia。 Also； a man from Michigan had arrived； with the hardihood to ask for a State agencyGeorge W。 Balch； of Detroit。 He was so welcome that Hubbard joyfully gave him everything he asked a perpetual right to the whole State of Michigan。 Balch was not required to pay a cent in advance； except his railway fare； and before he was many years older he had sold his lease for a handsome fortune of a quarter of a million dollars； honestly earned by his initiative and enterprise。
By August； when Bell's patent was sixteen months old； there were 778 telephones in use。 This looked like success to the optimistic Hubbard。 He decided that the time had come to organize the business； s