several of its machines had been superseded by telephones. refused it. "What use," he asked pleasantly, "could this company make of using the private lines of the Western Union Telegraph Company. But besides the operation of its own wires, the Western Union was telegraphs, some of which could transmit sixty words a minute. These leasing telephones two by two, to business men who previously had been others. In one moment of discouragement they had offered the telephone telephone service to applauding audiences, Sanders and Hubbard were This great corporation was at the time their natural and inevitable patent with as little concern as an elephant can have when he tramples monopolize all methods of communication by wire. The rosiest hope that accurate instruments, it believed, could never be displaced by such a nibbling at its business must be stopped. It took action quickly and until one of its subsidiary companies--the Gold and Stock--reported that upon an ant's nest. To the complete bewilderment of Bell, it coolly scientific oddity as the telephone. And it continued to believe this At once the Western Union awoke from its indifference. Even this tiny organized the "American Speaking-Telephone Company," with $300,000 supplying customers with various kinds of printing-telegraphs and dial an electrical toy?" on its staff. With all the bulk of its great wealth and prestige, it conclude to buy the Bell patents, just as it had already bought many capital, and with three electrical inventors, Edison, Gray, and Dolbear, swept down upon Bell and his little bodyguard. It trampled upon Bell's to President Orton, of the Western Union, for $100,000; and Orton had shone in front of Sanders and Hubbard was that the Western Union might enemy. It had swallowed most of its competitors, and was reaching out to