A Poor Boy At The University

Prof. A. E. Dolbear, of Tufts college near Boston, Mass., is one of the leading inventors and scientists in this country, and as he pursued some scientific studies in the University of Michigan at the close of the civil war, I thought that some account of his life might be of general interest.

Prof. A. E. Dolbear was born In Norwich, Conn., Nov. 10, 1S37. His father died when he was two years old and his mother when he was ten; and so far as he knows he has no near relative in this country. A guardian was appointed for him at Newport, R. I., and he remained there until he was ten year of age, when be was sent to New Hampshire and lived there on a farm until he was sixteen. He then entered: a machine shop at Worcester, Mass., and learned the machinist trade.

I think some time in 1858 he went to southwest Missouri and taught school about a year, when he returned to New England, and again entered a machine shop.

Up to this time his opportunities for obtaining an education had been meager, as he had attended a common district school only:two or three months in the year. Out of shop hours he read a good deal. and went through some of the required work for admittance to college, .In 1863 he entered the Ohio Wesleyan college, located at Delaware. Ohio, and graduated from there in 1866. At this time becoming satisfied that he was not familiar enough with science to teach it, he came to the University of Michigan in the fall of 1866, to pursue scientific studies in the chemical laboratory. studying two months in our historical laboratory, he was appointed an instructor therein, for which he received a small salary.

At that time I was leading the choir in the old Congregational church and employed him to play the organ, and also assisted him in obtaining pupils for instruction in Instrumental music. With money obtained from these sources he supported himself. while a student in our University. In 1867 he graduated from the University of Michigan as a mining engineer, and also received the degree of M. A. In 1867-8 he acted as assistant professor of natural history in a Kentucky University located at Lexington, Ky., when Dr. Alexander Winchell was president.

In 1869 he was called to Bethany college, West Virginia, and taught there six years. He established there, chemical and physical laboratories, and also a summer school of physics in 1872.  I think this was the first summer school of this nature established in this country. In 1874  he was called to Tuft's college, near Boston, and has remained there teaching science up to the present time.

In 1864 he worked on a plan for the writing telegraph, and followed this plan with plans for the telephone. He made models of his work at that time, but these were lost or destroyed on account of severe sickness in the family with which he was then living. While in the Michigan University at Ann Arbor, he invented an electric gyroscope for demonstrating the rotating of the earth. and I think it is now In the University. In 1876 he invented a magnetic telephone (the same as the one in common use today); and In 1879, he Invented the static telephone (embodying altogether different factors and principles). For the last invention he was awarded a silver medal n Paris in 1881, and a gold medal In London In 1882.

In 1882 he invented the air space cable for telegraph and telephone, now very extensively used, here and abroad, and In 1878 an ammeter for measuring strong electrical currents, now in extensive use. In 1882 he invented a system of wireless telegraphy similar to the one now used by Marconi. In an article on Marconi's achievements in McClure's Magazine for February. 1902, on page 295, Ray Stannard Baker says that Marconi makes no claim of being the first to experiment along the lines which lead to wireless telegraphy or the first to signal short distances without wires. He mentioned the names of several persons as inventors of wireless telegraphy and among them he names Prof. A. K. Dolbear.

Professor Dolbear says that a patent was issued to him in 1886 for his system of wireless telegraphy, but he was unable after great effort, to Induce any capitalist to make any practical use of it. Prof. Dolbear used a kite to carry the wire a great distance from the earth, the same as Marconi Is doing now.. He also invented a battery which he claims to be superior to the Grove and Bunson cell, also an acoustic mill that runs by sound waves. Prof. Dolbear invented important parts of the Bell telephone as now used and received from the Bell company, as I am informed, ten thousand dollars for his invention.

Prof. Dolbear is an author of several books, 1st. Chemical Tables; 2nd. The Art of Projecting; 3rd. Matter, Ether and Motion: 4th. A Text Book on Natural Philosophy; 5th. Modes of .Motion: 6th. Speaking Telephone. The third, fifth and sixth have been reprinted in England,

He has also written a large, number of articles for reviews, cyclopedias, etc.  He used the so-called electrical waves and other waves, several years before Hertz. (See Fahres History of Wireless Telegraphy, 2nd ed.)

In 1883 the University of Michigan conferred upon Professor Dolbear the degree of Ph. D.

In the fall of 1866 when I was leading the choir in the old Congregational Church, located on the corner of Fifth avenue and Washington street, where the Zion Lutheran church now stands, a rather pale, nervous appearing young man entered the vestibule where we were singing, and asked me if I would like to have some one play the old cabinet organ we were then using, as we were then without an organist. I did not think that he looked like a very promising subject to fill the place but treated him politely, and asked him 'to play for us that evening. The young ladies in the choir were rather wide awake, and inclined to make sport of the apparently timid new player. He however sat down to the organ and played one of the grand old hymns, with so much accuracy and vigor that I certainly was astonished.  He also got even with the young ladies before the evening was over, by playing very readily some very difficult anthems, which the young ladies could not sing at all without much practice, and he suggested that they were quite easy and simple. At the close of the choir meeting he told me that his name was A. E. Dolbear. that he was from Delaware, Ohio and had come here to do some scientific work in our University.  He also told me :that his entire possessions consisted of $30 in money and the suit of clothes he had on. He asked me if I would like to have him play our organ. I saw that he was an accomplished organist and musician and told him that I hardly thought that he would care to play our cabinet organ for one dollar a Sunday, as that was all we were paying.  He said he would be glad indeed to get the job at that price. He then asked me if I could assist. him in obtaining pupils. to receive instructions in instrumental music.   I told him I would be pleased to do so, and introduced him to several families of my acquaintances and he proved to be so able and successful a teacher in instrumental music that in a short time he had more scholars than he could attend to.  Prof.. Dolbear had never received much instruction in instrumental music from competent teachers. Music and invention came to him intuitively.

After working in the chemical laboratory in the University for a month or more he proved to be so competent that my older brother, Prof. H. S. Cheever, obtained for him an appointment as assistant in the laboratory at a small salary. From these sources he supported himself while in our University. 

In the spring of 1867 he went on some scientific expeditions on our lakes, I think with Dr. Winchell.  He returned to Ann Arbor I believe on commencement day and I met him at Dr. Havens' at the President soiree. He looked pale and sick and I asked him what was the matter and if he had been ill.  He said "no" that he was not sick, but that his lake expedition had used up all his funds and he did not have a cent left, and he had been without his dinner and asked me to get him into the dining room as soon as convenient.  I did so, and requested the servant girls to bring up some sandwiches and coffee for the gentleman there, who is in somewhat of a hurry. They kindly replied with my request and brought up a very generous plate of sandwiches.  lt. Is needless to say that our friend made a scientific disposal with great rapidity of all the sandwiches and coffee on the table.  I took him home with me and he told me on the way that he had heard of a position to teach that he could obtain in a college at Lexington, Kentucky, but he had no money to get there, and no relatives or friends in the country to whom he could apply for aid. I loaned him $200 which he repaid In about two years with interest.  His subsequent course and what he achieved in teaching and in Invention is perhaps sufficiently In the brief statement above.

I have given these details of the life of Professor Dolbear while in Ann Arbor, and my own In connection with the same, which ordinarily would not be stated in this public manner, because in no other way could the people of this state and the general public be Impressed with the Importance of the education of the able, ambitious but needy young men, and women. Professor Dolbear was a student coming from other states, usually called a "foreign student." He was an orphan without relatives or friends and without sources of financial aid, except what he earned himself. He came to Michigan university because through wise and farseeing generosity of our people education costs almost nothing in our University.  He obtained In our University the foundation for scientific knowledge that made him a teacher and Inventor well known and honored, in this country and Europe. The people of this country are indebted to him among others for the perfection of the telegraph and the' invention and practical use of the telephone, and many other valuable scientific inventions as enumerated above.

The people of our good state often complain that they are taxed to educate foreign students.  In reply to this complaint I wish to say, that Professor A. E. Dolbear alone, through his great Inventions, has repaid to the people of Michigan, in dollars and cents, many times more than they have expended upon the education of all the foreign students attending our University since the University was established. 

This poor orphan boy, urged on by great genius and ambition, and aided by the generosity of the people of Michigan, has demonstrated conclusively that it pays to educate and train the able and ambitious boys and girls from the classes, that in a financial sense are denominated the middle and lower classes in this republic of America.

NOAH W. OHEEVER.

December 1. 1902.