Piqua (Ohio) Leader-Dispatch, February 16, 1906, page 1:
THE TELEVANT
What pleasing possibilities are opened by the televant. By means of this invention a man with a telephone in his house can go home to his grand opera. He can have the vaudeville show in his den. The whole world of music and song and speech is within his reach, without dressing for it, without car fare and without discomfort. Nor is its scope confined to the city in which he lives. Knowing what is going on in Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Chicago or New York, he can have what he wants and without leaving home, by communicating his desires to the divinity of the telephone exchange.
The televant is a great invention, but great as it is, it is not yet complete. By means of it we may hear, but neither can we see nor be seen. And does not the visual enjoyment represent a good half of what we pay for in buying tickets for the theatre. Neither does it give us that soul sympathy which comes with being in the crowd. We can hear, but the thrill is not there--the thrill that comes from hearts throbbing in unison. The invention will have its noble uses in making life brighter and happier for the shut-ins. It will be a convenience, a source of enjoyment and entertainment to many. What it lacks to being complete may some day come. What we may be able to see and to feel as well as to hear. This may seem visionary now, but most of us can remember when even to hear was pronounced a dream.
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An advantage of listening to a sermon by televant is that the contribution box never touches you.
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