the life of Philo T Farnsworth - Early Television Foundation

J2
THE STORY OF TELEVISION
wanted to search the house because there had been a report
from a neighbor that a still was probably being operated on the
premises. The house was duly ransacked. Nothing
of an alcoholic
nature was found, but the police were greatly impressed
and seemed to feel that maybe they had uncovered something
more sinister than an alcohol plant. They guardedly asked what
all the activity was, pointing to the assorted experimental apparatus
around the dining
room. When Phil told them he was
working on a television system, one of the policemen said,
"Well, I'll be darned!" Then they both left mumbling their
mystification.
The experimental work was not without its minor tragedies.
In the course of setting up one of the tests I had bought $54
worth of tubes, which were put in a chassis in the closet.
The motor generator was turned on and all stood around expectantly,
hoping
to see the results of a beam of electrons deflected
by magnetic coils. Farnsworth had not guarded against
the overloading of the line due to the surge as the motor generator
started. The result was that when it did start, more power
was turned into the tubes than they could handle and the
whole batch were burned out in a split second.
As the summer wore on it became apparent that PhiTs prediction
regarding his ability to get at least a semblance of a
picture began to fade. At best it became obvious that the only
thing that could be accomplished with the funds and time
available was to prove out one or two of the major principles
involved.
There was a time limit to these preliminary activities because
money was running short. Furthermore, by the first of September
I was scheduled to be in El Paso, Texas, on a campaign
contract. Therefore, late in July,
after a careful discussion of
future plans, it was determined that Farnsworth was to write