128 GEORGE HERBERT STOCKBRIDGE 



Farmer was also a pioneer in the art of electric incan- 

 descent lighting. Not least worthy of mention is the fact 

 that, in 1862, himself and W. F. Channing set up in Boston 

 the first system of fire alarm telegraphs in which distinctive 

 signals for different fire precincts could be transmitted. 

 This was the starting point of a system which has since 

 spread to every town and cit}^ in the United States. The 

 question has been raised as to which of the two joint 

 workers really first invented the modern fire alarm system. 

 The evidence points strongly toward Farmer as the man 

 who both conceived and worked out into practical shape the 

 entire system in all its essential features independently of 

 any other inventor and in point of time before any other. 



In the same year Farmer gained fresh distinction by 

 inventing the first multiple telegraph for transmitting simul- 

 taneously two or more messages over the same wire. It 

 belonged to the synchronous multiple type, lately developed 

 to marvelous capacity for short lines by Mr. P, B. Delaney. 



In considering the comparatively recent history of elec- 

 trical progression, therefore, one is at once attracted to the 

 commercial telegraph, which marks an epoch in the history 

 of the world. For military and strictly governmental uses, 

 some sort of signalling and telegraphic service have been 

 known from the earliest times; but the conception of a tele- 

 graph which should furnish the means for private and busi- 

 ness correspondence, and for informing the public press, be- 

 longs to the nineteenth century. It naturally follows from 

 this that the telegraph as a medium for the quick trans- 

 mission and delivery of messages, and as an investment, is of 

 very recent origin. It dates, in fact, from the time when 

 electricity was trained to be the carrier. 



The ancient telegraph was a part of the military arma- 

 ment, an incident to the need of being constantly prepared for 

 offensive and defensive warfare. And very clumsy apparatus 

 they had, even at the end of the 18th century. But, such as 

 it was, it served tolerably well, so long as no more was ex- 

 pected of it. It was not suited to supply the service of a com- 

 mercial telegraph, but the majority of men did not realize 

 then that a commercial telegraph was a thing greatly to be 



