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281
Heroes of the Telegraph
·
John Munro
159
CHAPTER
VII.
JOHANN
PHILIPP
REIS.
Johann
Philipp
Reis,
the
first
inventor
of
an
electric
telephone,
was
born
on
January
7,
1834,
at
the
little
town
of
Gelnhausen,
in
Cassel,
where
his
father
was
a
master
baker
and
petty
farmer.
The
boy
lost
his
mother
during
his
infancy,
and
was
brought
up
by
his
paternal
grandmother,
a
well-read,
intelligent
woman,
of
a
religious
turn.
While
his
father
taught
him
to
observe
the
material
world,
his
grandmother
opened
his
mind
to
the
Unseen.
At
the
age
of
six
he
was
sent
to
the
common
school
of
the
town,
where
his
talents
attracted
the
notice
of
his
instructors,
who
advised
his
father
to
extend
his
education
at
a
higher
college.
Mr.
Reis
died
before
his
son
was
ten
years
old;
but
his
grandmother
and
guardians
afterwards
placed
him
at
Garnier's
Institute,
in
Friedrichsdorf,
where
he
showed
a
taste
for
languages,
and
acquired
both
French
and
English,
as
well
as
a
stock
of
miscellaneous
information
from
the
library.
At
the
end
of
his
fourteenth
year
he
passed
to
Hassel's
Institute,
at
Frankfort-on-the-Main,
where
he
picked
up
Latin
and
Italian.
A
love
of
science
now
began
to
show
itself,
and
his
guardians
were
recommended
to
send
him
to
the
Polytechnic
School
of
Carlsruhe;
but
one
of
them,
his
uncle,
wished
him
to
become
a
merchant,
and
on
March
1,
1850,
Reis
was
apprenticed
to
the
colour
trade
in
the
establishment
of
Mr.
J.
F
Beyerbach,
of
Frankfort,
against
his
own
will.
He
told
his
uncle
that
he
would
learn
the
business
chosen
for
him,
but
should
continue
his
proper
studies
by-and-by.
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