“Mr WATSON, COME HERE. I WANT YOU.”

It was a sultry afternoon.
Boston, 10 March 1876.

Thomas Watson was listening intently to the tuning fork sounds coming distantly from the closet of his boss TWO ROOMS APART. His boss had closeted himself two rooms away. A wire was connected between these two rooms.

Assistant Watson was ordered to listen for any sound coming over the thin wire from two rooms apart. He was at his job.

Suddenly he heard his boss cry out, clear like a whistle:
– “Mr Watson, Come Here. I Want You.” It was clear but painful.

He ran, in panic to his boss closeted two rooms away. His boss had spilled the battery acid and his trousers were burnt.
The man was in pain and he said, “I heard your words, sir.”

The acid burnt man stopped dead, looked at him, forgot the pain and broke into a fire dance.

They had done the UNTHINKABLE.
For the FIRST TIME in the HISTORY of mankind, THEIR VOICE was CARRIED OVER a WIRE BEYOND a CLOSED WALL.

The first telephone was born.
It was March 10, 1876.
…
Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone on July 19, 1877.

The small company that he created in 1877, turned into today’s giant AT&T and is still going strong 140 years after.

40 years after that fateful day, on January 25, 1915 Bell put another call again to his assistant. This time he was in New York and Watson was in San Francisco.

– “Mr WATSON, COME HERE. I WANT YOU.” He chimed in his most mellifluous voice.

And Watson heard his voice 2500 miles apart in San Francisco.

This time Watson replied,
– ” But It will take me an week to reach you sir.”

Long distance telephony was born.