heroes of the telegraph-第43部分

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　of　brick；　in　three　stories；　but　there　are　several　annexes。　　Each　workshop　and　testing　room　is　devoted　to　a　particular　purpose。　　The　machine　shops　and　dynamo　rooms　are　equipped　with　the　best　engines　and　tools；　the　laboratories　with　the　finest　instruments　that　money　can　procure。　　There　are　drawing；　photographic；　and　photometric　chambers；　physical；　chemical；　and　metallurgical　laboratories。　　There　is　a　fine　lecture…hall；　and　a　splendid　library　and　reading…room。　　He　employs　several　hundred　workmen　and　assistants；　all　chosen　for　their　intelligence　and　skill。　　In　this　retreat　Edison　is　surrounded　with　everything　that　his　heart　desires。　In　the　words　of　a　reporter；　the　place　is　equally　capable　of　turning　out　a　'chronometer　or　a　Cunard　steamer。'　It　is　probably　the　finest　laboratory　in　the　world。

In　1889；　Edison；　accompanied　by　his　second　wife；　paid　a　holiday　visit　to　Europe　and　the　Paris　Exhibition。　He　was　received　everywhere　with　the　greatest　enthusiasm；　and　the　King　of　Italy　created　him　a　Grand　Officer　of　the　Crown　of　Italy；　with　the　title　of　Count。　　But　the　phonograph　speaks　more　for　his　genius　than　the　voice　of　the　multitude；　the　electric　light　is　a　better　illustration　of　his　energy　than　the　ribbon　of　an　order；　and　the　finest　monument　to　his　pluck；　sagacity；　and　perseverance　is　the　magnificent　laboratory　which　has　been　built　through　his　own　efforts　at　Llewellyn　Park。　＇One　of　his　characteristic　sayings　may　be　quoted　here：　　'Genius　is　an　exhaustless　capacity　for　work　in　detail；　which；　combined　with　grit　and　gumption　and　love　of　right；　ensures　to　every　man　success　and　happiness　in　this　world　and　the　next。'＇



CHAPTER　X。

DAVID　EDWIN　HUGHES。

There　are　some　leading　electricians　who　enjoy　a　reputation　based　partly　on　their　own　efforts　and　partly　on　those　of　their　paid　assistants。　Edison；　for　example；　has　a　large　following；　who　not　only　work　out　his　ideas；　but　suggest；　improve；　and　invent　of　themselves。　　The　master　in　such　a　case　is　able　to　avail　himself　of　their　abilities　and　magnify　his　own　genius；　so　to　speak。　　He　is　not　one　mind；　but　the　chief　of　many　minds；　and　absorbs　into　himself　the　glory　and　the　work　of　a　hundred　willing　subjects。

Professor　Hughes　is　not　one　of　these。　　His　fame　is　entirely　self…earned。　All　that　he　has　accomplished；　and　he　has　done　great　things；　has　been　the　labour　of　his　own　hand　and　brain。　　He　is　an　artist　in　invention；　working　out　his　own　conceptions　in　silence　and　retirement；　with　the　artist's　love　and　self…absorption。　　This　is　but　saying　that　he　is　a　true　inventor；　for　a　mere　manufacturer　of　inventions；　who　employs　others　to　assist　him　in　the　work；　is　not　an　inventor　in　the　old　and　truest　sense。

Genius；　they　say；　makes　its　own　tools；　and　the　adage　is　strikingly　verified　in　the　case　of　Professor　Hughes；　who　actually　discovered　the　microphone　in　his　own　drawing…room；　and　constructed　it　of　toy　boxes　and　sealing　wax。　　He　required　neither　lathe；　laboratory；　nor　assistant　to　give　the　world　this　remarkable　and　priceless　instrument。

Having　first　become　known　to　fame　in　America；　Professor　Hughes　is　usually　claimed　by　the　Americans　as　a　countryman；　and　through　some　error；　the　very　date　and　place　of　his　birth　there　are　often　given　in　American　publications；　but　we　have　the　best　authority　for　the　accuracy　of　the　following　facts；　namely　that　of　the　inventor　himself。

David　Edwin　Hughes　was　born　in　London　in　1831。　　His　parents　came　from　Bala；　at　the　foot　of　Snowdon；　in　North　Wales；　and　in　1838；　when　David　was　seven　years　old；　his　father；　taking　with　him　his　family；　emigrated　to　the　United　States；　and　became　a　planter　in　Virginia。　　The　elder　Mr。　Hughes　and　his　children　seem　to　have　inherited　the　Welsh　musical　gift；　for　they　were　all　accomplished　musicians。　　While　a　mere　child；　David　could　improvise　tunes　in　a　remarkable　manner；　and　when　he　grew　up　this　talent　attracted　the　notice　of　Herr　Hast；　an　eminent　German　pianist　in　America；　who　procured　for　him　the　professorship　of　music　in　the　College　of　Bardstown；　Kentucky。　　Mr。　Hughes　entered　upon　his　academical　career　at　Bardstown　in　1850；　when　he　was　nineteen　years　of　age。　Although　very　fond　of　music　and　endowered　by　Nature　with　exceptional　powers　for　its　cultivation；　Professor　Hughes　had；　in　addition；　an　inborn　liking　and　fitness　for　physical　science　and　mechanical　invention。　　This　duality　of　taste　and　genius　may　seem　at　first　sight　strange；　but　experience　shows　that　there　are　many　men　of　science　and　inventors　who　are　also　votaries　of　music　and　art。　　The　source　of　this　apparent　anomaly　is　to　be　found　in　the　imagination；　which　is　the　fountain…head　of　all　kinds　of　creation。

Professor　Hughes　now　taught　music　by　day　for　his　livelihood；　and　studied　science　at　night　for　his　recreation；　thus　reversing　the　usual　order　of　things。　　The　college　authorities；　knowing　his　proficiency　in　the　subject；　also　offered　him　the　Chair　of　Natural　Philosophy；　which　became　vacant；　and　he　united　the　two　seemingly　incongruous　professorships　of　music　and　physics　in　himself。　　He　had　long　cherished　the　idea　of　inventing　a　new　telegraph；　and　especially　one　which　should　print　the　message　in　Roman　characters　as　it　is　received。　　So　it　happened　that　one　evening　while　he　was　under　the　excitement　of　a　musical　improvisation；　a　solution　of　the　problem　flashed　into　his　ken。　　His　music　and　his　science　had　met　at　this　nodal　point。

All　his　spare　time　was　thenceforth　devoted　to　the　development　of　his　design　and　the　construction　of　a　practical　type…printer。　　As　the　work　grew　on　his　hands；　the　pale　young　student；　beardless　but　careworn；　became　more　and　more　engrossed　with　it；　until　his　nights　were　almost　entirely　given　to　experiment。　　He　begrudged　the　time　which　had　to　be　spent　in　teaching　his　classes　and　the　fatigue　was　telling　upon　his　health；　so　in　1853　he　removed　to　Bowlingreen；　in　Warren　Co。；　Kentucky；　where　he　acquired　more　freedom　by　taking　pupils。

The　main　principle　of　his　type…printer　was　the　printing　of　each　letter　by　a　single　current；　the　Morse　instrument；　then　the　principal　receiver　in　America；　required；　on　the　other　hand；　an　average　of　three　currents　for　each　signal。　　In　order　to　carry　out　this　principle　it　was　necessary　that　the　sending　and　receiving　apparatus　should　keep　in　strict　time　with　each　other；　or　be　synchronous　in　action；　and　to　effect　this　was　the　prime　difficulty　which　Professor　Hughes　had　to　overcome　in　his　work。　　In　estimating　the　Hughes'　type…printer　as　an　invention　we　must　not　forget　the　state　of　science　at　that　early　period。　　He　had　to　devise　his　own　governors　for　the　synchronous　mechanism；　and　here　his　knowledge　of　acoustics　helped　him。　　Centrifugal　governors　and　pendulums　would　not　do；　and　he　tried　vibrators；　such　as　piano…strings　and　tuning…forks。　　He　at　last　found　what　he　wanted　in　two　darning　needles；　borrowed　from　an　old　lady　in　the　house　where　he　lived。　　These　steel　rods　fixed　at　one　end　vibrated　with　equal　periods；　and　could　be　utilised　in　such　a　way　that　the　printing　wheel　could　be　corrected　into　absolute　synchronism　by　each　signal　current。

In　1854；　Professor　Hughes　went　to　Louisville　to　superintend　the　making　of　his　first　instrument；　but　it　was　unprotected　by　a　patent　in　the　United　States　until　1855。　　In　that　form　straight　vibrators　were　used　as　governors；　and　a　separate　train　of　wheel…work　was　employed　in　correcting：　　but　in　later　forms　the　spiral　governor　was　adopted；　and　the　printing　and　correcting　is　now　done　by　the　same　action。　　In　1855；　the　invention　may　be　said　to　have　become　fit　for　employment；　and　no　sooner　was　this　the　case；　than　Professor　Hughes　received　a　telegram　from　the　editors　of　the　New　York　Associated　Press；　summoning　him　to　that　city。　The　American　Telegraph　Company；　then　a　leading　one；　was　in　possession　of　the　Morse　instrument；　and　levied　rates　for　transmission　of　news　which　the　editors　found　oppressive。　　They　took　up　the　Hughes'　instrument　in　opposition　to　the　Morse；　and　introduced　it　on　the　lines　of　several　companies。　After　a　time；　however；　the　separate　companies　amalgamated　into　one　large　corporation；　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company　of　to…　day。　　With　the　Morse；　Hughes；　and　other　apparatus　in　its　power；　the　editors　were　again　left　in　the　lurch。

In　1857；　Professor　Hughes　leaving　his　instrument　in　the　hands　of　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company；　came　to　England　to　effect　its　introduction　here。　He　endeavoured　to　get　the　old　Electric　Telegraph　Company　to　adopt　it；　but　after　two　years　of　indecision　on　their　part；　he　went　over　to　France　in　1860；　where　he　met　with　a　more　encouraging　reception。　　The　French　Government　Telegraph　Administration　became　at　once　interested　in　the　new　receiver；　and　a　commission　of　eminent　electricians；　consisting　of　Du　Moncel；　Blavier；　Froment；　Gaugain；　and　other　practical　and　theoretical　specialists；　was　appointed　to　decide　on　its　merits。　The　first　trial　of　the　type…printer　took　place　on　the　Paris　to　Lyons　circuit；　and　there　is　a　little　anecdote　connected　with　it　which　is　worthy　of　being　told。　　The　instrument　was　started；　and　for　a　while　worked　as　well　as　could　be　desired；　but　suddenly　it　came　to　a　stop；　and　to　the　utter　discomfiture　of　the　inventor　he　could　neither　find　out　what　was　wrong　nor　get　the　printer　to　go　again。　　In　the　midst　of　his　confusion；　it　seemed　like　satire　to　him　to　hear　the　commissioners　say；