should be told what to do by a man called the
director. He could not make us all hear if we were out of doors and
scattered about in groups, but he would telephone orders to his
helpers. One of these would be with each large crowd of actors.
Perhaps the telephones would be hanging on the side of a tree or set
up in rude fashion on a box. Nevertheless, that would not interfere
with their use and we should receive directions over them to do our
part in the scene then being photographed.

These uses seem wonderful to us, but each year sees the telephone
helping man more and more in strange and powerful ways. It is likely
that we have just begun to know a little of what this great invention
can do for us.

However, if we had been boys and girls in 1875 we should have known
nothing about talking over a telephone, for that was the year when the
public first heard that it was possible to send sounds of the human
voice along a wire from one place to another.

There was a great fair in 1876. It was held in Philadelphia and was
called the Centennial because it celebrated the one-hundredth birthday
of our land. Persons came from foreign countries to attend the fair.
Among these visitors was a famous Brazilian gentleman. He was a man
of great knowledge and was interested in inventions. His name was Don
Pedro, and at that time he was Emperor of Brazil. Because he was the
ruler of a country, the officers of the Centennial showed him every
attention, and tried to make his visit alive with interest.

Late one afternoon they took him to the room where the judges were
examining objects entered for exhibits. The judges were tired and
wanted to go home. They did not care to listen to a young man standing
before them. This young man was telling them that he had a new
invention; it was a telephone, and would carry the sounds of the human
voice by electricity. The judges did not believe this, and were about
to dismiss the young man without even putting the receiver to their
ears and seeing if he spoke the truth. Don Pedro stood in the doorway
listening. He looked at the judges; he looked at the young man, and
was disgusted and angered that an invention should not receive a fair
trial. He stepped forward and as he did so looked squarely at the
young man. To his surprise he recognized in him an acquaintance made
while visiting in Boston.

At once Don Pedro examined the new instrument and then turning to the
judges asked permission to make