heroes of the telegraph-第39部分

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。　　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；　as　they　smiled　all　round；　and　bowed　themselves　　gracefully　off；　'TRES…　BIEN；　MONSIEUR　HUGHESTRES…BIEN；　JE　VOUS　FELICITE。'　But　the　matter　was　explained　next　morning；　when　Professor　Hughes　learned　that　the　transmitting　clerk　at　Lyons　had　been　purposely　instructed　to　earth　the　line　at　the　time　in　question；　to　test　whether　there　was　no　deception　in　the　trial；　a　proceeding　which　would　have　seemed　strange；　had　not　the　occurrence　of　a　sham　trial　some　months　previous　rendered　it　a　prudent　course。　　The　result　of　this　trial　was　that　the　French　Government　agreed　to　give　the　printer　a　year　of　practical　work　on　the　French　lines；　and　if　found　satisfactory；　it　was　to　be　finally　adopted。　　Daily　reports　were　furnished　of　its　behaviour　during　that　time；　and　at　the　expiration　of　the　term　it　was　adopted；　and　Professor　Hughes　was　constituted　by　Napoleon　III。　a　Chevalier　of　the　Legion　of　Honour。

The　patronage　of　France　paved　the　way　of　the　type…printer　into　almost　all　other　European　countries；　and　the　French　agreement　as　to　its　use　became　the　model　of　those　made　by　the　other　nations。　　On　settling　with　France　in　1862；　Professor　Hughes　went　to　Italy。　　Here　a　commission　was　likewise　appointed；　and　a　period　of　probationonly　six　monthswas　settled；　before　the　instrument　was　taken　over。　　From　Italy；　Professor　Hughes　received　the　Order　of　St。　Maurice　and　St。　Lazare。　　In　1863；　the　United　Kingdom　Telegraph　Co。；　England；　introduced　the　type…printer　　in　their　system。　　In　1865；　Professor　Hughes　proceeded　to　Russia；　and　in　that　country　his　invention　was　adopted　after　six　months'　trial　on　the　St。　Petersburg　to　Moscow　circuit。　　At　St。　Petersburg　he　had　the　honour　of　being　a　guest　of　the　Emperor　in　the　summer　palace；　Czarskoizelo；　the　Versailles　of　Russia；　where　he　was　requested　to　explain　his　invention；　and　also　to　give　a　lecture　on　electricity　to　the　Czar　and　his　court。　　He　was　there　created　a　Commander　of　the　Order　of　St。　Anne。

In　1865；　Professor　Hughes　also　went　to　Berlin；　and　introduced　his　apparatus　on　the　Prussian　lines。　　In　1867；　he　went　on　a　similar　mission　to　Austria；　where　he　received　the　Order　of　the　Iron　Crown；　and　to　Turkey；　where　the　reigning　Sultan　bestowed　on　him　the　Grand　Cross　of　the　Medjidie。　　In　this　year；　too　he　was　awarded　at　the　Paris　Exhibition；　a　grand　HORS　LIGNE　gold　medal；　one　out　of　ten　supreme　honours　designed　to　mark　the　very　highest　achievements。　　On　the　same　occasion　another　of　these　special　medals　was　bestowed　on　Cyrus　Field　and　the　Anglo…American　Telegraph　Company。　　In　1868；　he　introduced　it　into　Holland；　and　in　1869；　into　Bavaria　and　Wurtemburg；　where　he　obtained　the　Noble　Order　of　St。　Michael。　　In　1870；　he　also　installed　it　in　Switzerland　and　Belgium。

Coming　back　to　England；　the　Submarine　Telegraph　Company　adopted　the　type…printer　in　1872；　when　they　had　only　two　instruments　at　work。　　In　1878　they　had　twenty　of　them　in　constant　use；　of　which　number　nine　were　working　direct　between　London　and　Paris；　one　between　London　and　Berlin；　one　between　London　and　Cologne；　one　between　London　and　Antwerp；　and　one　between　Lon