"This electric toy has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."
William Orton, president of Western Union, in 1876, Western Union internal memo, 1876, when Alexander Graham Bell tried to sell the company his invention. (Bell offers to sell out to the Western Union company for $100,000. They refuse. Bell went on and founded Bell Telephone July 9, 1877)