Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-04-24
Our Washington Letter.


am sitting by an open window at six =. NJ, with
coat ant collar of, engaged in the rather discour
aging occupation Of trying to keep comfortably
cool Such Is really the case. The thermometer
marks Up among the nnetes there is hardly a
breath " air stirring, while the sun has been
blazinghot all day. Our heated term may be
said tohave commenced in dead earnest
In leu Of Congressional and political topics,
which ire just now at u low ebb in Washington,
we prpose to give some account of that wonderful
trump Of inventive genius known as
THE rHoNoGRArH
Mr.. Thomas A. Edison the inventor has been
in the ,ity for the past few days with his nven-
ton ard 1t is safe to say has created the sensation
of the season. Mr. Edison appeared first by invi-
taton, before the National Academy of Sciences,
which has been in session during the week at the
Smithsonian Institute, and afterwards gave exhi-
billions at the Patent office and Mt the Capitol 1t
may perhaps be unnecessary to state that the phon
ogmph is an invention by which sounds are
preserved and reproduced with perfect imitation
of the original at any time The instrument is
not only mechanical invention, but scientific
discovery of great Importance. The discoverer,
Edison mas stepped out from the times in which
u
earnes, and intense application, has carved for
himself fame which will continue to grow
brighter rs years roll on It Is not alone for the
phonoggph that Mr. Edison deserves his fame.
That would in itself be enough But there are
one hundred and fifty-eight inventions which
stand recorded in his name at the Patent Office.
Let us, however, pay our compliments to the phon-
ograpl. When placed upon Secretary Schurzs
table il the Patent office, we saw thin disc or
diaphragm of iron, beneath which was fine
steel point, which moves up and down by the vi
brations Of the disc. Beneath this was revolv-
ing cylinder, on which was spiral groove. On
the skis of the cylinder Is a screw, the distance
between the threads being the same as the dis
tanp between the grooves on the cylinder This
cylinder Is covered with sheet of tin-fol and
when the cylinder was revolved the steel point
pressed the n.fo into the spiral groove. II no
words were spoken into the mouth-pece the steel
point would only form a regular indentation But
wopls spoken into the mouth-piece caused vibra-
ton in the steel point as it indented the tin-fo
BY reversing the machine by crank, and the
steel point placed where IT commenccd its journey,
as the cylinder again revolved the same vibra-
tons were produced in the steel which originally
caused the indentaton, and were translated into
sound waves and spoken from the mouth-piece.
The same sound wave first made is returned in
whatever shape it was made The words in fact
are preserved in the tn-foil, and will come back
upon the application of the instrument, years af-
forwards. in exactly the same tone of voice in
| which they were spoken. This tongueless, tooth
less instrument, without larnx, or pharynx, dumb,
voiceless matter as it is, nevertheless mimics
your tones, speaks with your voice, utters YOU
words, and centuries after you have crumbled
into dust will repeat again and again, to a genera
ton to whom You are unknown, every idle
thought, every fond fancy every vain word that
| you choose to whisper against this iron dia
| phragm Here is food indeed for wonder and az
constituent It is impossible to express in word,
the wonder which is felt by those who see ant
hear this little machine for the first time Al
though every person in the room had heard o
the phonograph and was familiar with its history
vet no one there but confessed to himself an ute
surprise at witnessing its practical application
To think that a plate vibrated by n delicate stee
point rising and falling in the little punctures o
a piece of tin-foil, should initiate any sound
whether the complicated infections Of the human
voice or the curious notes Of bird it was in
comprehensive.
THE OPERATIONS OF THE INSTRUMENT
were watched with eager and breathless interest
Mr.. Edison smooths out sheet of tin-fo abou
five inches broad and long enough to reacl
around brass cylinder four or five inches il
diameter and revolving delicatey THREADED
steel screw The tin-foil is wrapped around til
cylinder and its ends pasted together with muci
| iora IL brnuobt
cylinder the inventor puts his mouth to tn
orifice and business at once commences. II
talks in half dozen different tones; he laugh,
crows like a chicken, whistles, news like cat
coughs and talks French--all the while turnin
the screw. Then the motion Is reversed and tn
cylinder brought back to the starting point.
piece of paper rolled in tine shape of n funnel
fitted into the mouth-pece the cylinder is agai
turned, and one after another the whole series {
laughs, whistles, crows and coughs break upo
the ears of the listeners. In this way the audienC
were kept in merry mood fora long time. Ther
was something wierd and uncanny about it a
which puzzled the behoder and which rveted HI
attention more closely " / declare, said one VIII
had heard it before, it sounds more like the dev
every time" Long selections of poetry were r,
produced and operate airs sung with all the a
curacy and dstinctness imaginable, until, to tn
regret Of every one, Mr. Edison closed his FIRE
entertainment and started for the Capitol
MIR. EDISON, THE INVENTOR,
is boyish in appearance, quiet, modest and retii
ing in manners. He is rather under the mediul
size, well built and good-looking His forehea
is broad rather than high, moderately full in til
temporal regions indicating preponderance
ideality. His shaggy brown hair stands ont
all angles in defiance of court rules, and his fac
is innocent of beard. His eyes are grayish-blu
clear and bright, and in conversation brighte
wonderfully. The mouth is large whose smile
IA pleasant one, n large nose, square, rath'
prominent chin, and a white skin, completes IL
facial description. His greatest drawback is h
Deafness although not so deaf but that he hea
his photograph lie looks the mechanic straigl
from the shop, appeared plainly dressed and cuf
less. His age is thirty-one years His create
inventions he declares are yet TO come, which
likely to be verified, as he is constantly at wor
and continually discovering something new.
The uses for which the photograph is pract
cally available are many A business man, for il
stance can speak letter TO the machine, and h
office boy, who need not be a shorthand write
CdH NIlte II uOWn NJ any tlle, uS idllulN OF SLOW
as he desires 1t can also be used to enable pc
sons to enjoy good music at home For exampl
let Kellogg Cary sing their finest songs into Il
phonograph. The perforated tin foil on which Il
songs are impressed can be reproduced and so
in sheets, and can be listened TO in any paro
The tones of great elocutionist can he preserve
h or the accents of foreign tongue can be produce
~ and used for imitation by students. One of Il
- most important fruits of this invention is the il
q provement upon it, called the erophone, also Il
+ invention of Mr. Edison. BY this discovery Il
a words from the phonognph can be made audh
a for as many miles as the largest steam whist
\ can he heard
j, One of the most exciting topics Of discussion
the Capital the past week has been
r THE coNKLING INTERVIEW
Is ms published in the New York World That pap
N came to hand one morning early in the week wi
a FIVE of It's columns devoted to an interview wi
Is Senator Conbling upon the political questions
: the day The sentiments expressed were Of
, personal character that they could not fail
IN produce Il sensation wherever read, and all t
D. leading papers have published copious extra,
At therefrom The Senator's opinions concerni
n. the President and his administration formed t
ie leading feature of the interview, while sol
u severe reflections were made upon several of
y brother Senators. The first thing attempted
n those interested here was to ascertain il the int
TX view really took place. So far as heard from,
81 Conkling has not denied the utterance of