nd left
free at the other to vibrate over the opposite pole. In addition the
transmitter had make-and-break points such as an ordinary telephone
bell has, and when these came in contact with the current, the springs
inside continually gave out a sort of wail keyed to correspond with the
pitch of the spring. As Mr. Bell had six of these instruments tuned to
as many different pitches--and six receivers to answer them--you may
picture to yourself the hideousness of the sounds amid which the
experimenters labored."

"I suppose when each transmitter sent out its particular whine its own
similarly tuned receiver spring would wriggle in response," Laurie
said.

"Exactly so."

"There must have been lovely music when all six of them began to sing!"
laughed Ted.

"Mr. Watson wrote once that it was as if all the miseries of the world
were concentrated in that workroom, and I can imagine it being true,"
answered the tutor. "Well, young Watson certainly did all he could to
make the harmonic telegraph a reality. He made the receivers and
transmitters exactly as Mr. Bell requested; but on testing them out,
great was the surprise of the inventor to find that his idea, so
feasible in theory, refused to work. Nevertheless, his faith was not
shaken. He insisted on trying to discover the flaw in his logic and
correct it, and as Watson had now completed some work that he had been
doing for Moses Farmer, the two began a series of experiments that
lasted all winter."

"Jove!" ejaculated Laurie.

"Marvels of science are not born in a moment," answered Mr. Hazen. "Yet
I do not wonder that you gasp, for think of what it must have meant to
toil for weeks and months at those wailing instruments! It is a miracle
the men did not go mad. They were not always able to work together for
Mr. Bell had his living to earn and therefore was compelled to devote a
good measure of his time to his college classes and his deaf pupils. In
consequence, he did a portion of his experimental work at Salem while
Watson carried on his at the shop, fitting it in with other odd jobs
that came his way. Frequently Mr. Bell remained in Boston in the
evening and the two worked at the Williams's shop until late into the
night."

"Wasn't it lucky there were no labor unions in those days?" put in Ted
mischievously.

"Indeed it was!" responded Mr. Hazen. "The shop would then have been
barred and bolted at five o'clock, I suppose, and Alexander Graham Bell
might have