All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

164 All About Inventions progress in Great Britain its growth is insignificant when compared with that in the United States. Naturally, this is only to be expected, bearing in mind the enormous size of that country. When Bell’s telephone became recognised as an indispensable asset to commerce, companies sprang into exist- ence all over the country. Each was alloted a dis- tinct territory in which it was free to lay its wires and maintain intercommunication. But this arrange- ment had its disabilities, Some local districts were financially successful, others were failures. After having reorganised the Bell Telephone Company and having put it upon its feet, Mr. Vail retired from the scene of his labours and finally abandoned the telephone field altogether in 1890. He had set various schemes going, and they were meeting with success. It was merely a question of routine, which did not appeal to him; and he considered that he had done sufficient to merit a well-earned rest. The company with which he had been associated was recognised as the parent concern, and it drew heavy payments in licences from the numerous subsidiaries which were in operation throughout the United States. But it was realised that the subdivision into territories, each possessing its individual com- panies, possessed many drawbacks; it would be better, as Vail had prophesied years before, if they were all woven into a homogeneous whole. Amalgamation was commenced, but it proved a costly process, and swallowed so much money with apparent little return that at last financiers point- blank refused to have anything more to do with the telephone. In 1907 the President of the Telephone