324 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



another way this unexpectedly rapid growth was depressing in char- 

 acter, because it had not been anticipated and consequently the plant 

 had not been constructed on corresponding lines. Where the invest- 

 ment was not of a speculative nature, but made on a permanent basis, 

 the owners soon realized that they had not been just to themselves 

 nor to the public in building so cheaply and so sparingly. Again, the 

 funds necessary to meet these constantly changing conditions were not 

 readily forthcoming, for not one in ten of the pioneer organizations 

 earned dividends prior to 1882. 



In 1880, the parent Bell company gave this sensible advice to its 

 operating companies: 



Don't expect people to ' study up ' the instruments themselves, but have 

 them explained politely and patiently. Some large exchanges publish a monthly 

 pamphlet containing corrected lists of subscribers, new information, etc., and 

 defray the whole or part of the expense of its publication by accepting adver- 

 tisements for alternate pages. A pamphlet issued in this way costs little or 

 nothing, and its monthly coming is appreciated by subscribers. Don't forget 

 that the local papers are a valuable means of popularizing your business. 

 Advertise in them as much as circumstances demand and warrant. 



The parent company also stated that printed lists of subscribers 

 should be prepared in ' form like a dancing programme.' Inciden- 

 tally it may be added that current subscribers' directories in cities like 

 Pittsburgh now weigh about three pounds each, while the directory 

 used in New York City weighs nearly twice as much. The latter con- 

 tains the names of more than three hundred thousand individuals or 

 firms and about four hundred thousand copies of each issue are dis- 

 tributed. Owing to the frequent revision of Bell subscriber-lists these 

 ' dancing-programmes ' are admittedly the most reliable directories in 

 the cities. 



Although Graham Bell's hand telephone transmitted messages with 

 remarkable clearness, even over long distances where no disturbing 

 causes interfered, yet it did not possess sufficient power to satisfac- 

 torily serve under the varied conditions that developed as the scope 

 of telephone service expanded in all directions. Even though there 

 were no electric-light circuits and no trolley lines, the inductive effect 

 and the zone of noise was always in evidence; for telegraph lines par- 

 alleled many telephone circuits and, as practically all lines were 

 grounded, the effect of earth currents was often plainly perceptible. 

 So sensitive was the telephone found to be, that scientists employed 

 it in delicate researches to detect the flow of electrical currents so 

 minute as to be inappreciable to all other instruments. And Graham 

 Bell stated that in standing on a large board placed on his lawn, if 

 a single spear of grass came in contact with his foot while experi- 

 menting with his telephone, the effect of ground currents was instantly 

 perceptible, yet disappeared the moment the connection was broken 

 between shoe and grass. 



