Hoy! Hoy!

views updated

"HOY! HOY!"

Telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell (18471922) and his former assistant Thomas A. Watson (18541934) tested out the new transcontinental telephone system in early 1915. Bell was in New York City and Watson was in San Francisco. So, what did they talk about? The conversation went like this: Bell: "Hoy! Hoy! Mr. Watson? Are you there? Do you hear me?" Watson: "Yes, Dr. Bell, I hear you perfectly. Do you hear me well?" Bell: "Yes, your voice is perfectly distinct. It is as clear as if you were here in New York."