CHAPTER V.TESTIMONY OF CONTEMPORARY WITNESSES.

CHAPTER V.TESTIMONY OF CONTEMPORARY WITNESSES.1. Professor G. Quincke.2. Professor C. Bohn.3. Herr Léon Garnier.4. Ernest Horkheimer, Esq.5. Dr. R. Messel, F.C.S.6. Herr Heinrich Holt.7. Herr Heinrich F. Peter.8. Mr. Stephen M. Yeates.9. Dr. William Frazer.Professor G. Quincke,Professor of Physics in the University of Heidelberg.[Professor Quincke, whose name is so well known in connection with his researches in molecular physics and in many problems of the highest interest to those acquainted with electrical science, was one of those present at the Naturforscher Versammlung held at Giessen in 1864, where Reis’s Telephone was publicly exhibited by its inventor, see page 93,ante. His testimony, coming from so high authority, is therefore of exceptional value.]“Dear Sir,“I was present at the Assembly of the German Naturalists’ Association (Naturforscher Versammlung) held in the year 1864 in Giessen, when Mr. Philipp Reis, at that time teacher in the Garnier Institute at Friedrichsdorf, near Frankfort-on-the-Main, showed and explained to the assembly the Telephone which he had invented.“I witnessed the performance of the instruments, and, with the assistance of the late Professor Böttger, heard them for myself.“The apparatus used consisted of two parts—a transmitterand a receiver. The transmitter was a box, one side of which was furnished with a tube into which the speaking was to be done. At the top or the side of the box there was a circular opening, covered by a tympanum of membrane, upon which was fastened a piece of platinum. This piece of platinum was in communication with one pole of the galvanic battery. Over the membrane, resting upon the platinum, and in contact with it, was a piece of metal furnished with a platinum point, also in connection with one pole of the battery.“The receiver consisted of a common knitting needle of steel, surrounded by a magnetising coil of insulated wire, which also formed a part of the circuit, the whole resting on a resonant box.“I listened at the latter part of the apparatus, and heard distinctly both singing and talking. I distinctly remember having heard the words of the German poem, ‘Ach! du lieber Augustin, Alles ist hin!’” &c.“The members of the Association were astonished and delighted, and heartily congratulated Mr. Reis upon the success of his researches in Telephony.(Signed)“Dr. G. Quincke, Professor.“Heidelberg, 10th March, 1883.”Professor C. Bohn.[Professor C. Bohn, of Aschaffenburg, was formerly Secretary to the German “Naturforscher” Association, was also Secretary to the Physical Section of this Society (vide p. 93). In that capacity he had every opportunity of knowing what was going on in science; hence the following (translated) letter, addressed to the author of this book, is of peculiar value.]“Most esteemed Sir,“I willingly answer, as well as I am able to do so, the questions put by you. In order to explain that my recollectionsmay not have all the sharpness that might be wished, I make the following prefatory statement. I have, about 1863, held numerous conferences with Mr. Reis and with my deceased colleague, Professor H. Buff, of Giessen, and on these occasions have argued the question how it is that the transmission of thoughts to a distance by the sensation of the ear has a distinctly less value than transmission by that which is written....“And now to your questions. I was not at Stettin in 1863. At the experiments at Giessen in the Naturforscher Assembly on 21st September, 1864, I was present; the short notice about them in the journal (‘Tagesblatt’) is from my pen. I was Secretary of the Assembly and of the Physical Section. I remember, however, almost absolutely nothing abouttheseexperiments. But I remember well thatpreviously—therefore probably as early as 1863—having jointly made the experiments with Reis’s telephone in Buff’s house in Giessen.... I havemyself, as speaker and as hearer, at least twice, in the presence of Reis, made the experiments.“It was known to me (in 1863-64) that Reis intended to transmit words, and certainly spoken words as well as those sung. My interest in the matter was, however, a purely scientific one, not directed to the application as a means of profit.“With great attention the sense of the words was understood. I have understood such myself, without knowing previously what would be the nature of the communication through the telephone. Words sung, especially well accentuated and peculiarly intoned, were somewhat better (or rather less incompletely) understood than those spoken in the ordinary manner. There was indeed a boy (son of Privy-Councillor Ihering, now of Göttingen, then of Giessen), who was known as specially accomplished as a speaker. He had a rather harsh North-German dialect, and after the first experimentshit on the right way to speak best, essential for understanding. I myselfdid notunderstand Professor Buff through the telephone. Whether the speaker could be recognized by his voice I doubt. We knew beforehand each time who speaks. Yet I remember that a girl could be distinguished from that boy by the voice.“The ear was at times laid upon the box of the apparatus, also upon the table which supported the telephone. Then it was attempted to hear at a distance, with the ear in the air; in this respect, when singing, with good result. At times the lid was taken off, or the same was connected more or less tightly or loosely with the lower part. The result of these changes I can no longer give with distinctness....“Should you desire further information, I am ready to give you it according to my best knowledge.“Hochachtungsvoll ergebenster,“Dr. C. Bohn.“Aschaffenburg,“10th September, 1882.”Léon Garnier.[Herr Léon Garnier, Proprietor and Principal of the Garnier Institute at Friedrichsdorf, is the son of the late Burgomaster Garnier, who founded the establishment, and who, as previously narrated, encouraged Philipp Reis in his work and offered him the post of teacher of Natural Science. Herr Léon Garnier owns the small collection of instruments which Reis left behind, and which are preserved in the Physical Cabinet attached to the Institute, where also may be seen the gravitation machine—an ingenious combination of the principles of Atwood’s and Morin’s machines—and the automatic weather-recorder invented by Reis, both, however, very greatly out of repair. Herr Garnier has furnished to a friend the following particulars about Reis and his invention.]“I knew Philipp Reis, now deceased, during his life-time.... About the year 1859, he was employed by my father, then proprietor and director of the Friedrichsdorf Garnier Institute, as teacher of mathematics and natural sciences.He employed his hours of leisure in experimenting for himself in a house occupied by himself, and in which he had established a physical laboratory with a view mainly of realizing an idea which he had conceived sometime before of transmitting the human voice over divers metallic conductors by means of a galvanic current.... I remember especially, that, standing at the end of the wire or conductor, Mr. Reis speaking through his instrument, I distinctly heard the words: ‘Guten Morgen, Herr Fischer’ (Good morning, Mr. Fischer); ‘Ich komme gleich’ (I am coming directly); ‘Passe auf!’ (Pay attention!); ‘Wie viel Uhr ist es?’ (What o’clock is it?); ‘Wie heisst du?’ (What’s your name?) We often spoke for an hour at a time. The distance was about 150 feet.“Léon Garnier.”Ernest Horkheimer, Esq.“Manchester,Dec. 2, 1882.“Professor S. P. Thompson,“Dear Sir,“In reply to your favour of 31st instant, I shall be very happy to give you all the information I can with respect to the telephonic experiments of my late friend and teacher Mr. Philipp Reis. I would express my gratification at finding that you are trying to put my old teacher’s claims on their just basis. I have always felt that in this race for telephonic fame, his claims have been very coolly put aside or ignored. That he did invent the Telephone there is not the remotest doubt. I was, I think, a great favourite of his; and at the time his assumption was that I was destined for a scientific career, either as a physicist or a chemist; and I believe that he said more to me about the telephone than to any one; and I assisted him in most of his experiments prior to the spring of 1862.“Philipp Reis intended to transmit speech by his telephone—this was his chief aim; the transmitting of musical tones being only an after-thought, worked out for the convenience of public exhibition (which took place at the Physical Society at Frankfort-on-the-Main). I myself spent considerable time with him in transmitting words through the instruments. We never (in my time) got the length of transmitting complete sentences successfully, but certain words, such as ‘Wer da?’ ‘gewiss,’ ‘warm,’ ‘kalt,’ were undoubtedly transmitted without previous arrangement. I believe Reis made similar experiments with his brother-in-law.Fig. 35.Fig. 36.“I recollect the instrument in the shape of the human ear very well: it was Reis’s earliest form of transmitter. The transmitter underwent a great many changes, even during my time. The form you sketch (Fig. 9, p. 20) was almost the oldest one, and was soon superseded by the funnel-shape (Fig. 35). The back was always closed by a tympanum of bladder, and many a hundred bladders were stretched, torn, and discarded during his experiments. I recollect him stating to me that he thought a very thin metal tympanum would eventually become the proper thing, and one was actually tried, coated over on one side with shellac, and on the other likewise, except at the point of contact (Fig. 36). I believe it was made of very thin brass, but at the time the experiments were not satisfactory. Talc was also tried, but without success, the platinum contacts being in all cases preserved.“I remember very well indeed the receiver with a steel wire, surrounded by silk-covered copper wire. The first one was placed on an empty cigar-box, arranged thus:—Fig. 37.“The wire was a knitting-needle and the copper wire was spooled on a paper case.Paper case“The spiral was supported by a little block of wood, so as to allow the knitting-needle not to touch it anywhere. Later on a smaller cigar-box was invented as a cover—thus; (Fig. 38)—having two holes cut into it like thef-holes in a violin.Fig. 38.“The practice was to place the ear close to the receiver, more particularly so when the transmission of words was attempted.“The spiral was, during the early experiments, placed on a violin—in fact, a violin which I now possess was sometimes used, as it was of a peculiar shape, which Reis thought would help the power of tone.“I have already enumerated some of the words which weretransmitted, but there were many more; on one occasion a song, known in this country as ‘The Young Recruit’ (Wer will unter die Soldaten) was transmitted, the air andmanyof the words being clearly intelligible.“I do not recollect seeing the receiver shewn in the woodcut (Fig. 21), but Reis often said that he would make such a one, although the sketch he made for me then differed in some details from your woodcut. Reis intended to keep me fully informed of all he could achieve, but, immediately after leaving his tuition, I fell ill, and was laid up for a very long time. Shortly afterwards I left for England, and then he died, and I never saw him again. The electromagnet form was certainly strongly in his mind at the time we parted, and he drew many alternative suggestions on paper, which have probably been destroyed; but the electromagnets in all of them were placed upright, sometimes attached to the top of a hollow box, and sometimes to the bottom of a box arranged thus (Figs.39,40); but, to my recollection, they never got beyond the stage of drawings, whatever he may have done after he and I parted company.Fig. 39.Fig. 40.“In conclusion, I beg to send you herewith a photograph of Philipp Reis (seeFig. 12, p. 23), holding in his hand the instrument I helped him to make, and which photograph he took of himself, exposing the camera by a pneumatic arrangement of his own, and which formed part of a little machine which he concocted for turning over the leaves of music-books.“The instrument used by Reis at the Physical Society mayhave been the square block form: I believe that this cone-form was not quite completed then. At the Saalbau (Hochstift), however, I amsurethe instrument shown in my photograph was employed; not with a tin cone, but a wooden one. I send you herewith a sketch of what I remember that instrument to have been. I am not absolutely certain whether in the instrument there was not an electromagnet introduced, but I think not. My recollection leads me to suppose that the electromagnet arrangement was added subsequently. Thinking it over again, I should, however, think that the instrument in the photo must have been one in which a bent lever was placed behind the tympanum, and that the rectangular patch seen above was a wooden casing to shelter the parts. There may be some confusion in my mind as to the position of this box, but I somehow think the rectangular patch is only part of a larger box which is not apparent in the photograph. I have no idea where the original instrument is now, but I should hardly think it could be in existence. Reis used to take some instruments to pieces to utilise parts in subsequent experiments, and I recollect how keen he used to be about the bits of platinum, which he always described as ‘ein sehr kostbares Metall.’ What always was a great puzzle was the attaching of the platinum plate to the membrane, which he did generally by sealing-wax, saying at the same time: ‘Es ist nicht recht so, aber ich weiss nicht wie es anders gemacht werden kann!’“Believe me, my dear Sir, yours truly,“Ernest Horkheimer.”Dr. Rudolph Messel.[The following letter from Dr. Rudolph Messel, F.C.S., addressed to the author of this book, in reply to enquiries concerning Reis and his inventions, speaks for itself. Dr. Messel’s letter differs from almost all theothers here reprinted in having been specially written for the purpose of being inserted in this volume.—S. P. T.]“36, Mark Lane, London,30th April, 1883.“Dear Professor Thompson,“At last I find a moment to comply with your request. My knowledge of Philipp Reis dates from 1860, when I was a pupil at Professor Garnier’s School at Friedrichsdorf, of which school Reis was one of the undermasters. Reis, naturally communicative, was very fond of talking to us boys about his scientific researches. And it was on the occasion of one of our daily walks together that he told me how, when an apprentice at Beyerbach’s (colour-manufacturer), in Frankfurt-a.-M., he was one day amusing himself in watching the behaviour of a small magnetic compass. This compass he found, on being placed near to the base of various iron columns in the warehouse, was attracted. Disturbed by the entrance of one of the principals, who imagined that Reis ought to employ his time more profitably, he withdrew to a stage where he could pursue his experiments unobserved. Much to his surprise, he now found that the pole attracted by the base was repulsed at the top of the columns, which observation led him to examine other pieces of iron on the premises. He next built up a column with all the weights in the warehouse, and having verified his previous observations, he communicated what he believed to be his first and great discovery either to Professor Böttger or to Dr. Oppel. Great was his disappointment to learn at this interview that he had unwittingly stumbled across a well-known physical fact: but his disappointment stimulated in him the desire to learn more of the marvellous laws and mysteries of nature. That Reis evoked a similar desire in those with whom he came in contact need not cause surprise, and thus it came about that Horkheimer, Küster, Schmidt, and myself, soonenjoyed the privilege of private instructions in physics, and of being permitted to witness his telephonic experiments amongst others. I was, however, very young, and am sorry that much that I then saw and heard has been forgotten, Reis insisted that his transmitter (which he called the ‘ear’) should be capable of performing the functions of that organ, and he never tired of drawing diagrams of the numerous curves of sounds to explain how necessary it was that the transmitter should follow these curves before perfect speaking could be attained, and which kind of curves the instrument so far could reproduce. Numerous experiments were made with transmitters, exaggerating or diminishing the various component parts of the ear. Wooden and metallic apparatus, rough and smooth, were constructed in order to find out what was essential, and what was not.Fig. 41.“One form of transmitter was at that time constructed which I miss amongst the various woodcuts you were good enough to send me, and one which Reis based great hopes upon. The instrument was very rough, however, consisting of a wooden bung of a beer-barrel (which I had hollowed out for an earlier telephone—it was not turned inside like others), and this was closed with a membrane. The favourite ‘Hämmerchen’ was replaced by a straight wire, fixed in the usual way with sealing-wax, and the apparatus stood within a sort of tripod, membrane downwards, the pin just touching the surface of a drop of mercury contained in a small cup forming one of the terminals of the circuit. The apparatus started off with splendid results, but may probably have been abandoned on account of its great uncertainty, thus sharing the fate of other of his earlier instruments. In my belief it is to these mechanical imperfections, due principally to the want of sufficient meansat his command, that we must look to find the reason why Reis’s telephone did not come to an earlier fame. Thus Reis informed me that he intended to exhibit it once at some scientific meeting at Cassel, but notwithstanding a perfect rehearsal it was impossible to show the working to the audience; the failure was attributed by Reis to atmospheric influence (stretching of the diaphragm), and he felt much grieved at having lost his chance. To make matters worse, the early transmitters had no adjusting screws, and the contact was only regulated by a piece of bent wire, and the ‘hammer’ was fixed to the membrane. Philipp Schmidt should recollect what I state, as many experiments were made when only he, Reis, and myself were present, he being at one and I at the other end of the apparatus. The wire was stretched from Reis’s house, in the main road, through the yard to a hayloft, near the garden or field. We transmitted musical sounds (organ, &c.), singing popular songs (‘Wer will unter die Soldaten,’ ‘Ich hatt’ einen Kameraden,’ &c.) and speaking, or, more correctly, reading. We had a book, and were to find out what part of the page the reader was just transmitting. We frequently used a sort of ‘Exercier Reglement,’ a soldiers’ instruction book, or something of that sort. I have a distinct recollection of electromagnetic receivers being used, but not of their construction, except that the use of one of them was accompanied by a rattling and disturbing noise. The knitting-needle put in thefof a violin was, however, the more favoured receiver, but at this time, in Reis’s mind, all seemed to hinge on the electromagnet, as it had before, and, I dare say, did again afterwards on the transmitter. I left Friedrichsdorf in ’62, and rarely saw Reis after that, except a few times at Mechanicus Albert’s (who made some of his apparatus), and at Professor Böttger’s, to whom he introduced me. Reis attended Professor Böttger’s lectures at the Physikalischer Verein, when in Frankfort, prior to hissettling down at Friedrichsdorf; but I do not know that any particularly intimate relation existed between them. Dr. Poppe, director of the Gewerbeschule (Trade School), now deceased, on whose advice he chiefly relied, was then one of his more intimate friends, Professor Oppel being occasionally consulted about more intricate mathematical problems. Of the ‘meteorological recorder’ invented by Reis I recollect but its existence, but nothing at all of a ‘fall-machine’ of his construction. The velocipede I only recollect, because he lent it to me for a masquerade. At his suggestion we altered it into a large musical-box, putting Herr Peter inside, who played on the clarinet when I turned a handle. Dr. Kellner states that its chief merit consisted in being able to go downhill, and that poor Reis came back (uphill) puffing away, dragging his velocipede behind him. Kellner no doubt could give valuable information on Reis’s theory of electricity, his conviction that there was only one kind of electricity, his acoustic researches, and those on radiation of electricity, his galvanoplastic experiments, &c., &c.“In personal appearance Reis was not very refined, but he had a striking countenance and a very powerful look. Though occasionally very irritable, especially with dunces, he was always warm-hearted, and showed great kindness to those who cared to understand him. Reis’s views of the telephone may, of course, have changed after I knew him, and looking at his later instruments, one of which I possess, I cannot help thinking they did; at any rate, I do not see how, in these instruments, the current got interrupted at all, and the instruments must have acted like microphones, whether known or unknown to him. When listening to the instrument he frequently said to me, “You understand it is a ‘molekular Bewegung’ (molecular motion).“I am sorry that, owing to the lapse of time, I am unableto throw more light on Reis’s original labours in a field of physical science which promised so much for the future; but insufficient as are my recollections, they may not be without public interest, and at any rate I am glad of this opportunity of offering my humble tribute of regard and affection to the memory of my old teacher and friend.“Yours truly,“Rudolph Messel.”Heinrich Hold.[Herr Hold, formerly a colleague of Philipp Reis in the Garnier Institute at Friedrichsdorf, but now proprietor of a leather factory in the same place, was teacher of mathematics. He was in his younger days a fellow-student of Professor Tyndall at Halle, and was well acquainted with physical science in general. His intimate connection with Reis, and close knowledge of Reis’s work, enable him to confirm the testimony of others in many important points.]To ProfessorS. P. Thompsonin Bristol.“Esteemed Sir,“I have much pleasure in furnishing you with the following particulars concerning my late colleague Philipp Reis, the inventor of the Telephone. He was himself educated at the Garnier’s Institute in Friedrichsdorf where I was also teacher of mathematics. I knew him very well during his life-time. Among his numerous original researches, his invention of the telephone was the principal one. His idea was to reproduce the tones both of musical instruments and of the human voice by means of electricity, using a covered wire wound in a spiral round an iron core, the same being placed upon a resonant box. In this he succeeded, inasmuch as with an apparatus, which he showed to the Physikalischer Verein in Frankfurt-a.-M., in the year 1861, he reproduced music, singing, single words and short sentences; all of which were distinctly audible over a short distance fromhis dwelling-house through the yard to the barn. Every voice was not equally well adapted for speaking into the apparatus, neither could every ear understand the telephone language equally well. Words spoken slowly, and singing, both in a middle tone, were the most easy to reproduce. I helped Mr. Reis to make many of his experiments, and have spoken and sung into the telephone, the same being generally heard and understood. I have also heard and understood short sentences when I was standing at the end station. A brother-in-law of Mr. Reis, who is now paymaster in the Imperial Navy at Wilhelmshavn, generally conducted the speaking and singing in the telephone.“Heinrich Hold.”Heinrich Friedrich Peter.[Herr Peter is still Music-teacher in the Garnier Institute, and has a vivid recollection of his former colleague Philipp Reis, and of the experiments with the telephone.]“Dear Sir,“The following particulars concerning Reis’s Telephone I have several times narrated. I was teacher of music in Garnier’s Institute at the time when Mr. Reis invented the telephone, in the year 1861. I was much interested in his experiments, and visited him daily, giving him help and making suggestions. His first idea was to imitate the construction of the human ear. He constructed a funnel-shaped instrument, the back of which was covered with a skin of isinglass, upon which was fastened a piece of platinum, against which rested a platinum point. As receiver of the electric current he used a common knitting-needle, surrounded by a coil of insulated green wire, which was at first merely laid on a table. At first the tones were very much interfered with by a buzzing noise. At my suggestionhe placed the spiral upon my violin as a resonant-box; whereupon the tones were perfectly understood, though still accompanied by the buzzing noise. He continued experimenting, trying various kinds of membranes, and made continual improvements in the apparatus. I was present and assisted at the experiments at Frankfort-on-the-Main, on the 26th of October, 1861; and after the meeting broke-up, I saw the members of the Society as they came and congratulated Mr. Reis on the success of his experiments. I played upon the English horn, and Philipp Schmidt sang. The singing was heard much better than the playing. At an experiment which we made at Friedrichsdorf, in the presence of Hofrath Dr. Müller, Apothecary Müller, and Professor Dr. Schenk, formerly Director of Garnier’s Institute, an incident occurred which will interest you. Singing was at first tried; and afterwards his brother-in-law, Philipp Schmidt, read long sentences from Spiess’s ‘Turnbuch’ (Book of Gymnastics), which sentences Philipp Reis, who was listening, understood perfectly, and repeated to us. I said to him, ‘Philipp, you know that whole book by heart;’ and I was unwilling to believe that his experiment could be so successful unless he would repeat for me the sentences which I would give him. So I then went up into the room where stood the telephone, and purposely uttered some nonsensical sentences, for instance: ‘Die Sonne ist von Kupfer’ (The sun is made of copper), which Reis understood as, ‘Die Sonne ist von Zucker’ (The sun is made of sugar); ‘Das Pferd frisst keinen Gurkensalat’ (The horse eats no cucumber-salad); which Reis understood as ‘Das Pferd frisst....’ (The horse eats ...). This was the last of these experiments which we tried. Those who were present were very greatly astonished, and were convinced that Reis’s invention had opened out a great future.“H. F. Peter, Musiklehrer.”Stephen Mitchell Yeates, Esq.Fig. 42.[Mr. Yeates is a well-known instrument-maker in the city of Dublin, and in 1865, purchased from Mr. W. Ladd, of London, a Reis’s Telephone of the form shown in Reis’s Prospectus (Fig. 29). Mr. Yeates, after a few experiments, rejected the knitting-kneedle receiver, and replaced it by the instrument shown inFig. 42, which consisted of an electromagnet mounted above a sound-box, having a vibrating armature furnished with an adjusting screw to regulate its distance from the poles of the electromagnet. This instrument worked, even when the armature was in absolute contact with both poles of the electromagnet, and as the magnet did not during the experiments lose its hold on the armature, it was clear that the effects were due to alterations in the intensity of the magnetism of the magnet. The apparatus was shewn at the November meeting of the Dublin Philosophical Society, when singing and words were transmitted. With a careful adjustment it was possible to distinguish all the quality of the note sung into the transmitter and to distinguish the difference between any two voices. The instruments were then sold to the late Rev. Mr. Kernan, who was then Professor of Physics in Clongowes Wood College. The following recent letter from Mr. Yeates corroborates the above facts.]“2, Grafton Street, Dublin,“March 1st, 1883.“Dear Sir,“There are several residing at present in Dublin who were present at my telephonic experiments in 1865; three of them, namely, Dr. W. Frazer, Mr. A. M. Vereker, and Mr. E. C. Tuke, took an active part in the experiments, and remember all the circumstances connected with them. The voice of each was instantly recognised in the receiver; in fact, this point attracted special attention at the time.“I had no knowledge at that time that Reis had used an electromagnetic receiver, nor did I know that Reis was the inventor of the instrument which I got from Mr. Ladd.“The original instrument made by me is, I believe, still in the Museum at Clongowes Wood College. The President kindly lent it to me some time ago, and I returned it to him again after showing it to Professor Barrett. I have a cut of this receiver, which I will send to you if it will be of any use to you.“Yours truly,“S. M. Yeates.”William Frazer, Esq., M. D.,“20, Harcourt Street, Dublin,“March 13, 1883.“Dear Sir,“I have a distinct recollection of the Telephone. We had a small private club meeting once each month for scientific purposes. On referring to my note-books, I find that there was a meeting on Thursday evening, October 5th, 1865. It was held in Nassau Street, at the residence Mr. Horatio Yeates, now in Australia, and brother of Mr. Stephen Yeates. The Telephone was upstairs, in the third story of the house, and the voice heard in the hall. Mr. Vereker, of the Bank of Ireland, Mr. John Rigby, of rifle celebrity, the two Mr. Yeates, and, I think, Mr. Tuke, were present with myself. There were some others, whom I cannot now recollect, but our club was small.“Rigby sang ‘Patrick’s Day’ and ‘God save the Queen,’ and various questions were asked and answered. The separate words were most distinct, the singing less so; but there was no difficulty in recognising the individual who spoke by his voice.“Being much interested in the subject, I got Mr. Yeates toallow the apparatus to be shewn at a Conversazione (Presbyterian Young Men’s) at the Rotunda on October 12, at 8P.M.His assistant, Mr. Tuke, took charge of it that night. It was placed in a side room off the main round room of the buildings.“I exhibited at the October 5th meeting of our club a specimen termed ‘Locust gum,’ probably derived from someRobinia, but really can tell you nothing more about it. There is merely a brief note of it in my private memoranda.“Yours, dear Sir,Believe me very truly,“William Frazer,“Fellow and Examiner, Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, Member of Council, Royal Irish Academy, &c.”“Silvanus P. Thompson, Esq., University College, Bristol.”

[Professor Quincke, whose name is so well known in connection with his researches in molecular physics and in many problems of the highest interest to those acquainted with electrical science, was one of those present at the Naturforscher Versammlung held at Giessen in 1864, where Reis’s Telephone was publicly exhibited by its inventor, see page 93,ante. His testimony, coming from so high authority, is therefore of exceptional value.]

“Dear Sir,

“I was present at the Assembly of the German Naturalists’ Association (Naturforscher Versammlung) held in the year 1864 in Giessen, when Mr. Philipp Reis, at that time teacher in the Garnier Institute at Friedrichsdorf, near Frankfort-on-the-Main, showed and explained to the assembly the Telephone which he had invented.

“I witnessed the performance of the instruments, and, with the assistance of the late Professor Böttger, heard them for myself.

“The apparatus used consisted of two parts—a transmitterand a receiver. The transmitter was a box, one side of which was furnished with a tube into which the speaking was to be done. At the top or the side of the box there was a circular opening, covered by a tympanum of membrane, upon which was fastened a piece of platinum. This piece of platinum was in communication with one pole of the galvanic battery. Over the membrane, resting upon the platinum, and in contact with it, was a piece of metal furnished with a platinum point, also in connection with one pole of the battery.

“The receiver consisted of a common knitting needle of steel, surrounded by a magnetising coil of insulated wire, which also formed a part of the circuit, the whole resting on a resonant box.

“I listened at the latter part of the apparatus, and heard distinctly both singing and talking. I distinctly remember having heard the words of the German poem, ‘Ach! du lieber Augustin, Alles ist hin!’” &c.

“The members of the Association were astonished and delighted, and heartily congratulated Mr. Reis upon the success of his researches in Telephony.

(Signed)“Dr. G. Quincke, Professor.

“Heidelberg, 10th March, 1883.”

[Professor C. Bohn, of Aschaffenburg, was formerly Secretary to the German “Naturforscher” Association, was also Secretary to the Physical Section of this Society (vide p. 93). In that capacity he had every opportunity of knowing what was going on in science; hence the following (translated) letter, addressed to the author of this book, is of peculiar value.]

“Most esteemed Sir,

“I willingly answer, as well as I am able to do so, the questions put by you. In order to explain that my recollectionsmay not have all the sharpness that might be wished, I make the following prefatory statement. I have, about 1863, held numerous conferences with Mr. Reis and with my deceased colleague, Professor H. Buff, of Giessen, and on these occasions have argued the question how it is that the transmission of thoughts to a distance by the sensation of the ear has a distinctly less value than transmission by that which is written....

“And now to your questions. I was not at Stettin in 1863. At the experiments at Giessen in the Naturforscher Assembly on 21st September, 1864, I was present; the short notice about them in the journal (‘Tagesblatt’) is from my pen. I was Secretary of the Assembly and of the Physical Section. I remember, however, almost absolutely nothing abouttheseexperiments. But I remember well thatpreviously—therefore probably as early as 1863—having jointly made the experiments with Reis’s telephone in Buff’s house in Giessen.... I havemyself, as speaker and as hearer, at least twice, in the presence of Reis, made the experiments.

“It was known to me (in 1863-64) that Reis intended to transmit words, and certainly spoken words as well as those sung. My interest in the matter was, however, a purely scientific one, not directed to the application as a means of profit.

“With great attention the sense of the words was understood. I have understood such myself, without knowing previously what would be the nature of the communication through the telephone. Words sung, especially well accentuated and peculiarly intoned, were somewhat better (or rather less incompletely) understood than those spoken in the ordinary manner. There was indeed a boy (son of Privy-Councillor Ihering, now of Göttingen, then of Giessen), who was known as specially accomplished as a speaker. He had a rather harsh North-German dialect, and after the first experimentshit on the right way to speak best, essential for understanding. I myselfdid notunderstand Professor Buff through the telephone. Whether the speaker could be recognized by his voice I doubt. We knew beforehand each time who speaks. Yet I remember that a girl could be distinguished from that boy by the voice.

“The ear was at times laid upon the box of the apparatus, also upon the table which supported the telephone. Then it was attempted to hear at a distance, with the ear in the air; in this respect, when singing, with good result. At times the lid was taken off, or the same was connected more or less tightly or loosely with the lower part. The result of these changes I can no longer give with distinctness....

“Should you desire further information, I am ready to give you it according to my best knowledge.

“Hochachtungsvoll ergebenster,“Dr. C. Bohn.

“Aschaffenburg,“10th September, 1882.”

[Herr Léon Garnier, Proprietor and Principal of the Garnier Institute at Friedrichsdorf, is the son of the late Burgomaster Garnier, who founded the establishment, and who, as previously narrated, encouraged Philipp Reis in his work and offered him the post of teacher of Natural Science. Herr Léon Garnier owns the small collection of instruments which Reis left behind, and which are preserved in the Physical Cabinet attached to the Institute, where also may be seen the gravitation machine—an ingenious combination of the principles of Atwood’s and Morin’s machines—and the automatic weather-recorder invented by Reis, both, however, very greatly out of repair. Herr Garnier has furnished to a friend the following particulars about Reis and his invention.]

“I knew Philipp Reis, now deceased, during his life-time.... About the year 1859, he was employed by my father, then proprietor and director of the Friedrichsdorf Garnier Institute, as teacher of mathematics and natural sciences.He employed his hours of leisure in experimenting for himself in a house occupied by himself, and in which he had established a physical laboratory with a view mainly of realizing an idea which he had conceived sometime before of transmitting the human voice over divers metallic conductors by means of a galvanic current.... I remember especially, that, standing at the end of the wire or conductor, Mr. Reis speaking through his instrument, I distinctly heard the words: ‘Guten Morgen, Herr Fischer’ (Good morning, Mr. Fischer); ‘Ich komme gleich’ (I am coming directly); ‘Passe auf!’ (Pay attention!); ‘Wie viel Uhr ist es?’ (What o’clock is it?); ‘Wie heisst du?’ (What’s your name?) We often spoke for an hour at a time. The distance was about 150 feet.

“Léon Garnier.”

“Manchester,Dec. 2, 1882.

“Professor S. P. Thompson,“Dear Sir,

“In reply to your favour of 31st instant, I shall be very happy to give you all the information I can with respect to the telephonic experiments of my late friend and teacher Mr. Philipp Reis. I would express my gratification at finding that you are trying to put my old teacher’s claims on their just basis. I have always felt that in this race for telephonic fame, his claims have been very coolly put aside or ignored. That he did invent the Telephone there is not the remotest doubt. I was, I think, a great favourite of his; and at the time his assumption was that I was destined for a scientific career, either as a physicist or a chemist; and I believe that he said more to me about the telephone than to any one; and I assisted him in most of his experiments prior to the spring of 1862.

“Philipp Reis intended to transmit speech by his telephone—this was his chief aim; the transmitting of musical tones being only an after-thought, worked out for the convenience of public exhibition (which took place at the Physical Society at Frankfort-on-the-Main). I myself spent considerable time with him in transmitting words through the instruments. We never (in my time) got the length of transmitting complete sentences successfully, but certain words, such as ‘Wer da?’ ‘gewiss,’ ‘warm,’ ‘kalt,’ were undoubtedly transmitted without previous arrangement. I believe Reis made similar experiments with his brother-in-law.

Fig. 35.

Fig. 36.

“I recollect the instrument in the shape of the human ear very well: it was Reis’s earliest form of transmitter. The transmitter underwent a great many changes, even during my time. The form you sketch (Fig. 9, p. 20) was almost the oldest one, and was soon superseded by the funnel-shape (Fig. 35). The back was always closed by a tympanum of bladder, and many a hundred bladders were stretched, torn, and discarded during his experiments. I recollect him stating to me that he thought a very thin metal tympanum would eventually become the proper thing, and one was actually tried, coated over on one side with shellac, and on the other likewise, except at the point of contact (Fig. 36). I believe it was made of very thin brass, but at the time the experiments were not satisfactory. Talc was also tried, but without success, the platinum contacts being in all cases preserved.

“I remember very well indeed the receiver with a steel wire, surrounded by silk-covered copper wire. The first one was placed on an empty cigar-box, arranged thus:—

Fig. 37.

“The wire was a knitting-needle and the copper wire was spooled on a paper case.

Paper case

“The spiral was supported by a little block of wood, so as to allow the knitting-needle not to touch it anywhere. Later on a smaller cigar-box was invented as a cover—thus; (Fig. 38)—having two holes cut into it like thef-holes in a violin.

Fig. 38.

“The practice was to place the ear close to the receiver, more particularly so when the transmission of words was attempted.

“The spiral was, during the early experiments, placed on a violin—in fact, a violin which I now possess was sometimes used, as it was of a peculiar shape, which Reis thought would help the power of tone.

“I have already enumerated some of the words which weretransmitted, but there were many more; on one occasion a song, known in this country as ‘The Young Recruit’ (Wer will unter die Soldaten) was transmitted, the air andmanyof the words being clearly intelligible.

“I do not recollect seeing the receiver shewn in the woodcut (Fig. 21), but Reis often said that he would make such a one, although the sketch he made for me then differed in some details from your woodcut. Reis intended to keep me fully informed of all he could achieve, but, immediately after leaving his tuition, I fell ill, and was laid up for a very long time. Shortly afterwards I left for England, and then he died, and I never saw him again. The electromagnet form was certainly strongly in his mind at the time we parted, and he drew many alternative suggestions on paper, which have probably been destroyed; but the electromagnets in all of them were placed upright, sometimes attached to the top of a hollow box, and sometimes to the bottom of a box arranged thus (Figs.39,40); but, to my recollection, they never got beyond the stage of drawings, whatever he may have done after he and I parted company.

Fig. 39.

Fig. 40.

“In conclusion, I beg to send you herewith a photograph of Philipp Reis (seeFig. 12, p. 23), holding in his hand the instrument I helped him to make, and which photograph he took of himself, exposing the camera by a pneumatic arrangement of his own, and which formed part of a little machine which he concocted for turning over the leaves of music-books.

“The instrument used by Reis at the Physical Society mayhave been the square block form: I believe that this cone-form was not quite completed then. At the Saalbau (Hochstift), however, I amsurethe instrument shown in my photograph was employed; not with a tin cone, but a wooden one. I send you herewith a sketch of what I remember that instrument to have been. I am not absolutely certain whether in the instrument there was not an electromagnet introduced, but I think not. My recollection leads me to suppose that the electromagnet arrangement was added subsequently. Thinking it over again, I should, however, think that the instrument in the photo must have been one in which a bent lever was placed behind the tympanum, and that the rectangular patch seen above was a wooden casing to shelter the parts. There may be some confusion in my mind as to the position of this box, but I somehow think the rectangular patch is only part of a larger box which is not apparent in the photograph. I have no idea where the original instrument is now, but I should hardly think it could be in existence. Reis used to take some instruments to pieces to utilise parts in subsequent experiments, and I recollect how keen he used to be about the bits of platinum, which he always described as ‘ein sehr kostbares Metall.’ What always was a great puzzle was the attaching of the platinum plate to the membrane, which he did generally by sealing-wax, saying at the same time: ‘Es ist nicht recht so, aber ich weiss nicht wie es anders gemacht werden kann!’

“Believe me, my dear Sir, yours truly,“Ernest Horkheimer.”

[The following letter from Dr. Rudolph Messel, F.C.S., addressed to the author of this book, in reply to enquiries concerning Reis and his inventions, speaks for itself. Dr. Messel’s letter differs from almost all theothers here reprinted in having been specially written for the purpose of being inserted in this volume.—S. P. T.]

“36, Mark Lane, London,30th April, 1883.

“Dear Professor Thompson,

“At last I find a moment to comply with your request. My knowledge of Philipp Reis dates from 1860, when I was a pupil at Professor Garnier’s School at Friedrichsdorf, of which school Reis was one of the undermasters. Reis, naturally communicative, was very fond of talking to us boys about his scientific researches. And it was on the occasion of one of our daily walks together that he told me how, when an apprentice at Beyerbach’s (colour-manufacturer), in Frankfurt-a.-M., he was one day amusing himself in watching the behaviour of a small magnetic compass. This compass he found, on being placed near to the base of various iron columns in the warehouse, was attracted. Disturbed by the entrance of one of the principals, who imagined that Reis ought to employ his time more profitably, he withdrew to a stage where he could pursue his experiments unobserved. Much to his surprise, he now found that the pole attracted by the base was repulsed at the top of the columns, which observation led him to examine other pieces of iron on the premises. He next built up a column with all the weights in the warehouse, and having verified his previous observations, he communicated what he believed to be his first and great discovery either to Professor Böttger or to Dr. Oppel. Great was his disappointment to learn at this interview that he had unwittingly stumbled across a well-known physical fact: but his disappointment stimulated in him the desire to learn more of the marvellous laws and mysteries of nature. That Reis evoked a similar desire in those with whom he came in contact need not cause surprise, and thus it came about that Horkheimer, Küster, Schmidt, and myself, soonenjoyed the privilege of private instructions in physics, and of being permitted to witness his telephonic experiments amongst others. I was, however, very young, and am sorry that much that I then saw and heard has been forgotten, Reis insisted that his transmitter (which he called the ‘ear’) should be capable of performing the functions of that organ, and he never tired of drawing diagrams of the numerous curves of sounds to explain how necessary it was that the transmitter should follow these curves before perfect speaking could be attained, and which kind of curves the instrument so far could reproduce. Numerous experiments were made with transmitters, exaggerating or diminishing the various component parts of the ear. Wooden and metallic apparatus, rough and smooth, were constructed in order to find out what was essential, and what was not.

Fig. 41.

“One form of transmitter was at that time constructed which I miss amongst the various woodcuts you were good enough to send me, and one which Reis based great hopes upon. The instrument was very rough, however, consisting of a wooden bung of a beer-barrel (which I had hollowed out for an earlier telephone—it was not turned inside like others), and this was closed with a membrane. The favourite ‘Hämmerchen’ was replaced by a straight wire, fixed in the usual way with sealing-wax, and the apparatus stood within a sort of tripod, membrane downwards, the pin just touching the surface of a drop of mercury contained in a small cup forming one of the terminals of the circuit. The apparatus started off with splendid results, but may probably have been abandoned on account of its great uncertainty, thus sharing the fate of other of his earlier instruments. In my belief it is to these mechanical imperfections, due principally to the want of sufficient meansat his command, that we must look to find the reason why Reis’s telephone did not come to an earlier fame. Thus Reis informed me that he intended to exhibit it once at some scientific meeting at Cassel, but notwithstanding a perfect rehearsal it was impossible to show the working to the audience; the failure was attributed by Reis to atmospheric influence (stretching of the diaphragm), and he felt much grieved at having lost his chance. To make matters worse, the early transmitters had no adjusting screws, and the contact was only regulated by a piece of bent wire, and the ‘hammer’ was fixed to the membrane. Philipp Schmidt should recollect what I state, as many experiments were made when only he, Reis, and myself were present, he being at one and I at the other end of the apparatus. The wire was stretched from Reis’s house, in the main road, through the yard to a hayloft, near the garden or field. We transmitted musical sounds (organ, &c.), singing popular songs (‘Wer will unter die Soldaten,’ ‘Ich hatt’ einen Kameraden,’ &c.) and speaking, or, more correctly, reading. We had a book, and were to find out what part of the page the reader was just transmitting. We frequently used a sort of ‘Exercier Reglement,’ a soldiers’ instruction book, or something of that sort. I have a distinct recollection of electromagnetic receivers being used, but not of their construction, except that the use of one of them was accompanied by a rattling and disturbing noise. The knitting-needle put in thefof a violin was, however, the more favoured receiver, but at this time, in Reis’s mind, all seemed to hinge on the electromagnet, as it had before, and, I dare say, did again afterwards on the transmitter. I left Friedrichsdorf in ’62, and rarely saw Reis after that, except a few times at Mechanicus Albert’s (who made some of his apparatus), and at Professor Böttger’s, to whom he introduced me. Reis attended Professor Böttger’s lectures at the Physikalischer Verein, when in Frankfort, prior to hissettling down at Friedrichsdorf; but I do not know that any particularly intimate relation existed between them. Dr. Poppe, director of the Gewerbeschule (Trade School), now deceased, on whose advice he chiefly relied, was then one of his more intimate friends, Professor Oppel being occasionally consulted about more intricate mathematical problems. Of the ‘meteorological recorder’ invented by Reis I recollect but its existence, but nothing at all of a ‘fall-machine’ of his construction. The velocipede I only recollect, because he lent it to me for a masquerade. At his suggestion we altered it into a large musical-box, putting Herr Peter inside, who played on the clarinet when I turned a handle. Dr. Kellner states that its chief merit consisted in being able to go downhill, and that poor Reis came back (uphill) puffing away, dragging his velocipede behind him. Kellner no doubt could give valuable information on Reis’s theory of electricity, his conviction that there was only one kind of electricity, his acoustic researches, and those on radiation of electricity, his galvanoplastic experiments, &c., &c.

“In personal appearance Reis was not very refined, but he had a striking countenance and a very powerful look. Though occasionally very irritable, especially with dunces, he was always warm-hearted, and showed great kindness to those who cared to understand him. Reis’s views of the telephone may, of course, have changed after I knew him, and looking at his later instruments, one of which I possess, I cannot help thinking they did; at any rate, I do not see how, in these instruments, the current got interrupted at all, and the instruments must have acted like microphones, whether known or unknown to him. When listening to the instrument he frequently said to me, “You understand it is a ‘molekular Bewegung’ (molecular motion).

“I am sorry that, owing to the lapse of time, I am unableto throw more light on Reis’s original labours in a field of physical science which promised so much for the future; but insufficient as are my recollections, they may not be without public interest, and at any rate I am glad of this opportunity of offering my humble tribute of regard and affection to the memory of my old teacher and friend.

“Yours truly,

“Rudolph Messel.”

[Herr Hold, formerly a colleague of Philipp Reis in the Garnier Institute at Friedrichsdorf, but now proprietor of a leather factory in the same place, was teacher of mathematics. He was in his younger days a fellow-student of Professor Tyndall at Halle, and was well acquainted with physical science in general. His intimate connection with Reis, and close knowledge of Reis’s work, enable him to confirm the testimony of others in many important points.]

To ProfessorS. P. Thompsonin Bristol.

“Esteemed Sir,

“I have much pleasure in furnishing you with the following particulars concerning my late colleague Philipp Reis, the inventor of the Telephone. He was himself educated at the Garnier’s Institute in Friedrichsdorf where I was also teacher of mathematics. I knew him very well during his life-time. Among his numerous original researches, his invention of the telephone was the principal one. His idea was to reproduce the tones both of musical instruments and of the human voice by means of electricity, using a covered wire wound in a spiral round an iron core, the same being placed upon a resonant box. In this he succeeded, inasmuch as with an apparatus, which he showed to the Physikalischer Verein in Frankfurt-a.-M., in the year 1861, he reproduced music, singing, single words and short sentences; all of which were distinctly audible over a short distance fromhis dwelling-house through the yard to the barn. Every voice was not equally well adapted for speaking into the apparatus, neither could every ear understand the telephone language equally well. Words spoken slowly, and singing, both in a middle tone, were the most easy to reproduce. I helped Mr. Reis to make many of his experiments, and have spoken and sung into the telephone, the same being generally heard and understood. I have also heard and understood short sentences when I was standing at the end station. A brother-in-law of Mr. Reis, who is now paymaster in the Imperial Navy at Wilhelmshavn, generally conducted the speaking and singing in the telephone.

“Heinrich Hold.”

[Herr Peter is still Music-teacher in the Garnier Institute, and has a vivid recollection of his former colleague Philipp Reis, and of the experiments with the telephone.]

“Dear Sir,

“The following particulars concerning Reis’s Telephone I have several times narrated. I was teacher of music in Garnier’s Institute at the time when Mr. Reis invented the telephone, in the year 1861. I was much interested in his experiments, and visited him daily, giving him help and making suggestions. His first idea was to imitate the construction of the human ear. He constructed a funnel-shaped instrument, the back of which was covered with a skin of isinglass, upon which was fastened a piece of platinum, against which rested a platinum point. As receiver of the electric current he used a common knitting-needle, surrounded by a coil of insulated green wire, which was at first merely laid on a table. At first the tones were very much interfered with by a buzzing noise. At my suggestionhe placed the spiral upon my violin as a resonant-box; whereupon the tones were perfectly understood, though still accompanied by the buzzing noise. He continued experimenting, trying various kinds of membranes, and made continual improvements in the apparatus. I was present and assisted at the experiments at Frankfort-on-the-Main, on the 26th of October, 1861; and after the meeting broke-up, I saw the members of the Society as they came and congratulated Mr. Reis on the success of his experiments. I played upon the English horn, and Philipp Schmidt sang. The singing was heard much better than the playing. At an experiment which we made at Friedrichsdorf, in the presence of Hofrath Dr. Müller, Apothecary Müller, and Professor Dr. Schenk, formerly Director of Garnier’s Institute, an incident occurred which will interest you. Singing was at first tried; and afterwards his brother-in-law, Philipp Schmidt, read long sentences from Spiess’s ‘Turnbuch’ (Book of Gymnastics), which sentences Philipp Reis, who was listening, understood perfectly, and repeated to us. I said to him, ‘Philipp, you know that whole book by heart;’ and I was unwilling to believe that his experiment could be so successful unless he would repeat for me the sentences which I would give him. So I then went up into the room where stood the telephone, and purposely uttered some nonsensical sentences, for instance: ‘Die Sonne ist von Kupfer’ (The sun is made of copper), which Reis understood as, ‘Die Sonne ist von Zucker’ (The sun is made of sugar); ‘Das Pferd frisst keinen Gurkensalat’ (The horse eats no cucumber-salad); which Reis understood as ‘Das Pferd frisst....’ (The horse eats ...). This was the last of these experiments which we tried. Those who were present were very greatly astonished, and were convinced that Reis’s invention had opened out a great future.

“H. F. Peter, Musiklehrer.”

Fig. 42.

[Mr. Yeates is a well-known instrument-maker in the city of Dublin, and in 1865, purchased from Mr. W. Ladd, of London, a Reis’s Telephone of the form shown in Reis’s Prospectus (Fig. 29). Mr. Yeates, after a few experiments, rejected the knitting-kneedle receiver, and replaced it by the instrument shown inFig. 42, which consisted of an electromagnet mounted above a sound-box, having a vibrating armature furnished with an adjusting screw to regulate its distance from the poles of the electromagnet. This instrument worked, even when the armature was in absolute contact with both poles of the electromagnet, and as the magnet did not during the experiments lose its hold on the armature, it was clear that the effects were due to alterations in the intensity of the magnetism of the magnet. The apparatus was shewn at the November meeting of the Dublin Philosophical Society, when singing and words were transmitted. With a careful adjustment it was possible to distinguish all the quality of the note sung into the transmitter and to distinguish the difference between any two voices. The instruments were then sold to the late Rev. Mr. Kernan, who was then Professor of Physics in Clongowes Wood College. The following recent letter from Mr. Yeates corroborates the above facts.]

“2, Grafton Street, Dublin,“March 1st, 1883.

“Dear Sir,

“There are several residing at present in Dublin who were present at my telephonic experiments in 1865; three of them, namely, Dr. W. Frazer, Mr. A. M. Vereker, and Mr. E. C. Tuke, took an active part in the experiments, and remember all the circumstances connected with them. The voice of each was instantly recognised in the receiver; in fact, this point attracted special attention at the time.

“I had no knowledge at that time that Reis had used an electromagnetic receiver, nor did I know that Reis was the inventor of the instrument which I got from Mr. Ladd.

“The original instrument made by me is, I believe, still in the Museum at Clongowes Wood College. The President kindly lent it to me some time ago, and I returned it to him again after showing it to Professor Barrett. I have a cut of this receiver, which I will send to you if it will be of any use to you.

“Yours truly,

“S. M. Yeates.”

“20, Harcourt Street, Dublin,

“March 13, 1883.

“Dear Sir,

“I have a distinct recollection of the Telephone. We had a small private club meeting once each month for scientific purposes. On referring to my note-books, I find that there was a meeting on Thursday evening, October 5th, 1865. It was held in Nassau Street, at the residence Mr. Horatio Yeates, now in Australia, and brother of Mr. Stephen Yeates. The Telephone was upstairs, in the third story of the house, and the voice heard in the hall. Mr. Vereker, of the Bank of Ireland, Mr. John Rigby, of rifle celebrity, the two Mr. Yeates, and, I think, Mr. Tuke, were present with myself. There were some others, whom I cannot now recollect, but our club was small.

“Rigby sang ‘Patrick’s Day’ and ‘God save the Queen,’ and various questions were asked and answered. The separate words were most distinct, the singing less so; but there was no difficulty in recognising the individual who spoke by his voice.

“Being much interested in the subject, I got Mr. Yeates toallow the apparatus to be shewn at a Conversazione (Presbyterian Young Men’s) at the Rotunda on October 12, at 8P.M.His assistant, Mr. Tuke, took charge of it that night. It was placed in a side room off the main round room of the buildings.

“I exhibited at the October 5th meeting of our club a specimen termed ‘Locust gum,’ probably derived from someRobinia, but really can tell you nothing more about it. There is merely a brief note of it in my private memoranda.

“Yours, dear Sir,Believe me very truly,“William Frazer,

“Fellow and Examiner, Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, Member of Council, Royal Irish Academy, &c.”“Silvanus P. Thompson, Esq., University College, Bristol.”

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