The history of the telephone, from its invention to its present state of perfection, is interesting in the extreme, and affords a striking example of the fact that great inventions are almost invariably the result of long and careful study on the part of many workers, rather than the sudden inspiration of a single genius.

These steps were made in logical order, the knowledge contributed by each investigator making possible a deeper insight into the subject on the part of his successors.

Today's cell phones are packed with advanced technology too intricate to easily understand. They represent the very pinnacle of personal technology and the science and craft of their designers is clearly evident. In this article, I want to show you just how far we have come in our technology by revisiting the early developers of the first telephones, and showing what technology they created.

The invention of the microphone was a result of the development of the telephone. As a technology was developed to transmit sound over a distance as an electrical signal, methods of converting sound into electrical impulses were required. The very first microphones were bulky, awkward and performed poorly. They used liquid mercury as a variable resistor, and tended to muffle out sound.

The great pipe organs are marvels for variety of tonal coloring. The pipe organ manual has more "stops" to pull and more gadgets to work than the dash of an airplane or the control room of a submarine.

But the orchestra excels even the pipe organ in the variety of beauty of its tonal coloring and in the amazing wealth of its musical effects.

The warp and woof of music are rhythm and melody, and the drums are the rhythm instruments par excellence. It is easier to recognize a song by its rhythm without melody than it is by its melody without rhythm, which shows what a basic part of music is rhythm.

Primitive music is more rhythm than it is melody, Some of this primitive music is tremendously expressive.

In 1590 French churchman Guillaume of Auxerre invented the serpent, a weird-looking wind instrument about eight feet long. Its tubing was made in a shape suggesting a squirming snake which had been struck with a stick. For about two hundred years it flourished as an important bass instrument, but now it is chiefly known for its many and varied progeny.

After Bach and Handel, trumpet playing declined. Haydn, the great successor of these two masters, did not do well with trumpets. When Haydn entered the service of Prince Esterhazy, music-loving prince of Austria, his orchestra at first did not include trumpets at all.

As late as 1766, the regular personnel of this orchestra, one of the foremost in Europe, consisted of six violins and violas, one cello, one string bass, one flute, two oboes, two bassoons and four horns but no trumpets or cornets.

There are many other odd and interesting woods which will be found in every symphony orchestra. Drumsticks will be found made of snakewood from Dutch Guiana, a reddish-brown wood with spots in color from brown to black, similar in markings to that of a snake.

The fingerboards, pegs and tailpieces of violins are made from African ebony, brought ail the way from the tropical forests of Africa.

Makers of the instruments of the band and orchestra search the world for their materials. The collecting of these materials furnishes enough romance to fill a volume.

The mellow clarinet note in today's concert reminds us of great labors and sacrifices of native peoples in the tropical wastes of South Africa. The weird sound from the temple block echoes the woodsman's ax in the depth of the redwood forest of China.

Games with numbers can be great fun and excercise the mind! Below are a few number games with directions on how to play:

Who Can Reach 100 First? This game is easy to understand, and many people can tQ taken in by it. The game may be played several times without the opponent guessing the trick of winning. Two players are needed. The winner is the one who reaches 100 first.