Tom Swift and His Photo Telephone | Page 6

end was
made light. Then when that negative was printed it would come out
black, because more light comes through the light places on a
photograph negative than through the dark places. And so, with the
galvanometer making light flashes on the sensitive plate, the
galvanometer being governed by the electrical contacts five hundred
miles away, they transmitted a photograph by wire."
"But not a telephone wire, Tom."
"That doesn't make any difference, Dad. It was a wire just the same.
But I'm not going into that just now, though later I may want to send
photographs by wire. What I'm aiming at is to make an apparatus so
that when you go into a telephone booth to talk to a friend, you can see
him and he can see you, on a specially prepared plate that will be
attached to the telephone."
"You mean see him as in a looking-glass, Tom?"
"Somewhat, yes. Though I shall probably use a metal plate instead of
glass. It will be just as if you were talking over a telephone in an open
field, where you could see the other party and he could see you."
"But how are you going to do it, Tom?"

"Well, I haven't quite decided. I shall probably have to use the metal
called selenium, which is very sensitive to light, and which makes a
good or a poor electrical conductor according as more or less light falls
on it. After all, a photograph is only lights and shadows, fixed on
sensitive paper or films."
"Well, Tom, maybe you can do it, and maybe you can't. I admit you've
used some good arguments," said Mr. Swift. "But then, it all comes
down to this: What good will it be if you can succeed in sending a
picture over a telephone wire?"
"What good, Dad? Why, lots of good. Just think how important it will
be in business, if you can make sure that you are talking to the party
you think you are. As it is now, unless you know the person's voice,
you can't tell that the man on the other end of the wire is the person he
says he is. And even a voice can be imitated."
"But if you know the person yourself, he can't be imitated. If you see
him, as well as hear his voice, you are sure of what you are doing. Why,
think of the big business deals that could be made over the telephone if
the two parties could not only hear but see each other. It would be a
dead sure thing then. And Mr. Brown wouldn't have to take Mr. Smith's
word that it was he who was talking. He could even get witnesses to
look at the wire-image if he wanted to, and so clinch the thing. It will
prevent a lot of frauds."
"Well, Tom, maybe you're right. Go ahead. I'll say no more against
your plans. I wish you all success, and if I can help you, call on me."
"Thanks, Dad. I knew you'd feel that way when you understood. Now
I'm going--"
But what Tom Swift was going to do he did not say just then, for above
the heads of father and son sounded a rattling, crashing noise, and the
whole house seemed to shake Then the voice of Eradicate was heard
yelling:
"Good land! Good land ob massy! Come out yeah, Massa Tom! Come

right out yeah! Dere's a man on de roof an' he am all tangled up suthin'
scandalous! Come right out yeah befo' he falls and translocates his neck!
Come on!"
CHAPTER II
BAD NEWS
With startled glances at each other, Tom and his father rushed from the
library to the side of the house, whence came the cries of Eradicate.
"What is it, Rad! what is it?" questioned Tom.
"Is someone hurt?" Mr. Swift wanted to know.
"He mighty soon will be!" exclaimed the colored man. "Look where he
am holdin' on! Lucky fo' him he grabbed dat chimbley!"
Tom and his father looked to where Eradicate pointed, and saw a
strange sight. A small biplane-airship had become entangled in some of
the aerials of Tom's wireless apparatus, and the craft had turned turtle,
being held from falling by some of the wire braces.
The birdman had fallen out, but had managed to cling to the chimney,
so that he had not reached the ground, and there he clung, while the
motor of his airship was banging away, and revolving the propeller
blades dangerously close to his head.
"Are you hurt?" cried Tom, to the unknown birdman.
"No, but I'm likely to be unless I get out of here!" was the gasped-out
answer.
"Hold fast!" cried Tom. "We'll have you down in a jiffy. Here, Rad,
you get