In 1878, Mr. Gardiner Hubbard, Bell's earliest backer, and now his father-in-law, became acquainted with a young man who was then serving in Washington as General Superintendent of the Railway Mail Service. This young man was Theodore N. Vail.

1878 年，贝尔最早的支持者、现在是他的岳父加德纳·哈伯德先生结识了一位当时在华盛顿担任铁路邮政总署署长的年轻人。这个年轻人就是西奥多·N·韦尔 (Theodore N. Vail)。