But, vital as they are to its success, the, telephone art requires more than engineers and scientists.  So we find that in the building and operation and maintenance of that vast continental telephone system which bears the name of Bell, in honor of the great inventor, there are at work each day more than 170,000 employees, of which nearly 20,000 are engaged in the manufacture of telephones, switchboards, cables, and all of the thousands and tens of thousands of parts required for the operation of the telephone system of America.

The remaining 150,000 are distributed throughout all of the States of the Union.  About 80,000 of these are women, largely telephone operators; 50,000 are linemen, installers, cable splicers, and the like, engaged in the building and maintaining of the continental plant.  There are thousands of other employees in the accounting, legal, commercial and other departments.  There are 2,100 engineers located in different parts of the country.  The majority of these engineers have received technical training in American technical schools, colleges, and universities.  This number does not include by any means all of those in the other departments who have received technical or college training.

In view of the technical and scientific nature of the telephone art, an unusually high-grade personnel is required in all departments, and the amount of unskilled labor employed is relatively very small.  No other art calls forth in a higher degree those qualities of initiative, judgment, skill, enterprise, and high character which have in all times distinguished the great achievements of America.

In 1876 the telephone plant of the whole world could be carried away in the arms of one man.  It consisted of two crude telephones like the one now before you, connected together by a wire of about one hundred feet in length.  A piece cut from this wire by Mr. Watson himself is here in this little glass case.

At this time there was no practical telephone transmitter, no hard-drawn copper wire, no transposed and balanced metallic circuits, no multiple telephone switchboard, or telephone switchboard of any kind, no telephone cable that would work satisfactorily; in fact, there were none of the multitude of parts which now constitute the telephone system.

The first practical telephone line was a copy of the best telegraph line of the day.  A line wire was strung on the poles and housetops, using the ground for the return circuit.  Electrical disturbances, coming from no one knows where, were picked up by this line.  Frequently the disturbances were so loud in the telephone as to destroy conversation.  When a second telephone line was strung alongside the first, even though perfectly insulated, another surprise awaited the telephone pioneers.  Conversation carried on over one of these wires could plainly be heard on the other.  Another strange thing was discovered.  Iron wire was not so good a conductor for the telephone current as it was for the telegraph current.  The talking distance, therefore, was limited by the imperfect carrying power of the conductor and by the confusing effect of all sorts of disturbing currents from the atmosphere and from neighboring telephone and telegraph wires.