LONG AGO STORIES

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1935, Page 6 (Supplement)

LONG AGO STORIES

FREDERICK’S TELEPHONE CALL. Frederick came down to breakfast at eight o’clock as usual on April 1, 1879. Because of his interest in that extraordinary m ac hine called the telephone he was considered a little mad by his family. His grandfather had told him that in the year 1821 Mr. Wheatstone had conveyed the sounds of a musical box from a cellar to an upper room, and from that moment Frederick had dreamed of talking on a telephone. His father could do nothing with him, so at last he was sent to learn all there was to know about talking machines. In January, 1878. Frederick travelled with Mr. Preece from London to Osborn in the Isle of Wight to show the Queen a telephone. Hu was sick with fear in case it would not work—but it did, and Queen Victoria was amazed! After that Frederick’s life became one round of heart-breaking excitement. He had three miles of wire fixed from his house to the house of the engineer with whom he worked, and he declared that he could distinguish words quite clearly and hear laughing and singing. But people shook their heads and asked what good that was to anybody. Frederick said that one day they Would be able to sit in London and talk to their friends all over England, but again they shook their heads. Then came that first of April. Frederick’s mother was pouting out tea for breakfast And his father was eating a game pie, arid Frederick was just about to play his little April fool jokes upon .them when he heard his telephone wire

humming. He went to it and listened eagerly for some time, tor it was not very distinct. When he returned to the dinipg-room his face was scarlet and he was trembling with excitement. “I have just heard,, sir,” he explained, “that we are to put up a Telephone Exchange in Lombard Street, London, and ten offices are to .be Connected. Ten, fiir —ten places from which people can talk to one another. Ten, sir-ten!” “My dear Frederick, allow me to warn you of one thing,” said his father. “It is the first of April.” All joy vanished. You see it was the fashion to play all sorts of jokes on All Fool’s Day, and poor Frederick could not eat his breakfast, nor had he the heart to play the little jokes which he had carefully arranged. As he walked to the house where he worked with a great engineer he had a dreadful feeling that never, never would the telephone become practical. “Good morning, sir,” he said to his employer, “I would like to tell you that I did not believe you this morning. It is the ' first of April.”

“Didn’t believe me?” cried the man. “Frederick—it’s true! And if it goes well and people can hear one another we’re going to put a wire between Liverpool and Manchester. Frederick—this is the greatest day of our lives and the world’s watching us!” Then Frederick stood on his head with joy.