singularly biased minds will not engage in anything which seems likely
to lead to practical use. I regard this as an error, and as the sign
of a warped judgment, for after all man is to us the most important
part of nature; but the system works well nevertheless, and the
division of labor accomplishes its object. One man investigates nature
impelled simply by his own genius, and because he feels he cannot help
it; it never occurs to him to give a reason for or to justify his
pursuits. Another subsequently utilizes his results, and applies them
to the benefit of the race. Meanwhile, however, it may happen that the
yet unapplied and unfruitful results evoke a sneer, and the question:
"Cui bono?" the only answer to which question seems to be: "No one is
wise enough to tell beforehand what gigantic developments may not
spring from the most insignificant fact."

* * * * *

TELEPHONY AND TELEGRAPHY ON THE SAME WIRES SIMULTANEOUSLY.

For the last eighteen months a system has been in active operation in
Belgium whereby the ordinary telegraph wires are used to convey
telephonic communications at the same time that they are being
employed in their ordinary work of transmitting telegraphic messages.
This system, the invention of M. Van Rysselberghe, whose previous
devices for diminishing the evil effects of induction in the telephone
service will be remembered, has lately been described in the _Journal
Telegraphique_ of Berne, by M.J. Banneux of the Belgian Telegraph
Department. Our information is derived from this article and from
others by M. Hospitalier.

The method previously adopted by Van Rysselberghe, to prevent
induction from taking place between the telegraph wires and those
running parallel to them used for telephone work, was briefly as
follows: The system of sending the dots and dashes of the
code--usually done by depressing and raising a key which suddenly
turns on the current and then suddenly turns it off--was modified so
that the current should rise gradually and fall gradually in its
strength by the introduction of suitable resistances. These were
introduced into the circuit at the moment of closing or opening by a
simple automatic arrangement worked exactly as before by a key. The
result, of the gradual opening and gradual closing of the circuit was
that the current attained its full strength gradually instead of
suddenly, and died away also gradually. And as induction