The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-06-15
Edison Eclipses Himself-The Latest
and Most Remarkable Inven-
ton Yet.
New York Star.1


Mr.. Thomas F. Edison, the Napoleon
laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey,
an improvement upon the photograph,
which is calculated not only to astonish
the world, but to almost revolutionize
the accepted .usages of society. Mr.
Edison is not only inventive, but he is
also industrious, and since the produc-
ton of the phonograph, only a few
weeks ago, has, without intermission,
devoted himself to its further develop
ment. From day to day he has added
improvements, until at last he seems to
have reached the limits of perfection it
self. His very last achievement is a
modification by which he Utterly gives to
every wall its ear, and hereafter there
can be no actual certainty of privacy in
any conversation unless held in desert
or through the medium of the deaf and
dumb alphabet. The cost of the new
machine is, moreover, so insignificant as
to place it within reach of people of the
most moderate means, while its advan-
tages, in protective sense, are so mani
testify obvious, that in very shortsti
it is destined to come into very extern
sive, if not general use.
A few days since the Star published q
description of the latest improvements
and notifications made by Mr.. Edison
upon the original or cylinder machine.
Prominent among the improvements was
the substitution of fiat plate for the
cylinder and the utilization of clock
work in its movement. 1t was also
Cta tpA no. hn bod
its capacity so as to enable it to record
the notes of the human voice in the
tone uttered at distance of thirteen
feet from the instrument. Since that
time its capacity has been still further
enlarged, until now the very faintest
whisper uttered in room, where pro-
found silence is otherwise maintained,
can not only be recorded, but can also be
repeated in any increased volume. In
fact. to quote Mr.. Edison, " a maiden's
sigh can be given in the magnitude of
an earthquakep'
The reasoning or inductive process by
which Mr.. Edison arrived at this
marvellous development is seemingly so
simple and natural as to commend itself
to the most ordinary intellect. Indeed,
smiling at its manifest and almost
child-like simplicity, and though the
inventor, he seems to marvel at the re-
suits achieved quite as much as the
listener.
While Mr.. Edison was testing one of
his lately improved machines recently,
his restless intellect conceived the pos
sibility of making it record and speak
simultaneously. To think, with him, is
to act. To conceive new problem, is
to set about its solution, which, in this
instance, was soon accomplished. By
the introduction of second, or follow
ing needle, and diaphragm to the re-
cording needle, and in close proximity,
the one plate and its system of clock
work causes the machine to both record
and talk almost simultaneously. In
two days Mr.. Edison had one in success
full operation, and his fertile Imagination
was again wandering off into new fields
of conquest.
Parties who have personally inspected
and listened to the Talking Machine !"
now on exhibition in this city, will re.
call to mind the metallic hoarseness of
tone as well as slight falling off in
volume of its utterances. Many attrib-
uted this to the use of tin trumpet in
delivering the sound, and experiment
has since shown this superstition to have
been correct. Long ago Mr.. Edison had
realized the necessity of utilizing some
other and less defective medium, more
sensitive, and less resonant in material
and construction. After many failures,
ne at last succeeded in supplying this
want by constructing a delivery horn
out of new substance, compounded
mainly of caoutchouc gelatine and the
sensitive carbon, which enters so largely
into Mr.. Edison's manufactures. A
modification was also made on it's shape
and construction, more especially adapt
ing it to the needed purposes. Upon
the very first time it was found to be al
most perfect in action, repeating the
voice with such absolute fidelity in tone
and infection as to actually startle the
experimenters themselves. Upon the
subsequent day, while again testing its
merits, the tube portion Of the trumpet
accidentally became twisted, when the
eyer-watchful ear of the inventor at
once detected an increase of volume of
sound. His attention was at once d.
rected to the economy of the convoInt;on