Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/301

gation. Father Murgas realized that there was no time, now, nor opportunity for painting, but when at length his parish duties grew less arduous, he turned his attention to a subjct that had held, for a long time, a curious fascination for him,—electricity; and, as a particular field, he chose wireless telegraphy.

He arranged a small laboratory in his parish house and about 1908 began his investigations and experiments. The fruits of these are the inventions and improvements covered by fourteen patents, the last of which was issued in Aug. 10, 1909. Another invention, application for the patent of which was filed in 1909, has not yet been patented.

The explanations of these inventions are, perhaps, too technical for the layman, but since they all came at a time when wireless telegraphy was in its infancy, all relate to the basic principles of this system of communication. To cite at least the names of a few of Father Murgas’ inventions, we find, among the specifications of letters patent, an improved means for producing electro-magnetic waves (Pat. No. 876,383), an improved electric transformer (Pat. No. 848,676), an improved wavemeter (Pat. No. 848,675), an improved magnetic detector (Pat. No. 930,780), and the “tone” method of wireless communication (Pat, No. 759,826).

As soon as Father Murgas’ first invention was patented, May 10, 1904, a company was formed in Philadelphia to put his system into practical operation. In 1905 a successful public test, witnessed by the members of the “Universal Aether Company,” as it was called, and by Lieutenant Robinson of the U. S. Navy, took place. But the inventor was doomed to disappointment. That same year two prominent members of the company died, and this, with further setbacks, forced the company to abandon its plans for the time.

In 1913 and 1914, the priority of Father Murgas’ “tone” system to the system of the Marconi Company and the Fessenden Company was virtually declared by the Supreme Court of the State of New York. However, before any plans could be carried out, the outbreak of the World War focussed all attention on Europe.

Father Murgas was not slow in realizing Slovakia’s opportunity for independence and interested himself whole-heartedly in this cause, abandoning, patriotically, his former projects. From 1917 to 1920 he acted as solicitor for the Slovak League of America in collecting a fund to defray diplomatic expenses. In this time he collected $640,000. It is for his services during this period, incidentally that he received the Revolutionary Medal.

To these perhaps more spectacular achievments, Father Murgas has added that of organizing and developing a large Slovak parish. When he arrived at Wilkes-Barre in 1896, he found there a parish of 65 Slovak families attending a small frame church which was not yet completed. By 1908 construction on a new church and rectory was finished. The church is in Old