The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-03-22
SPEAKING PHONOGR4PH.
THE MOST WONDERFUL INVENTION OF THE
NINETEENTH CENTURY.

NINETEENTH CENTURY.
The experiments made with Professor
Edison's Recording Phonograph are some
thing wonderful. The instrument itself is
said to be of very simple construction, and
does not occupy more space than a volume
| CT Webster's Unabridged. 4 thin dia-
phragm, made of type metal, is inserted in
gatta percha mouth piece. The vibra-
tions of the voice jar the diaphragm, wb ich
has IN its center, on the under side, fine
steel point. Around a finely grooved brass
cylinder is wrapped sheet of tin foil
| Turning the cylinder with a crank, the
| operator talks into the mouth-piece, and
the vibrations caused are recorded by the
| steel point upon the revolving tin foil in n
! series of dots like those made by the old
| Morse recording telegraph. After the
sentences are completed, the operator
| turns the cylinder back to the point of
| starting. The steel point kept down by a
rubber spring, trips from hole to hole in
| the tin foil, causing the diaphragm to vi
! brate just as it did when the operator was
! talking, Their vibration causes a CORES
ponding opening and closing of the valves
| OF the diaphragm, and reproduces the
| words, intonatiuus and accents of the
speaker with perfect accuracy. Ii is said
! Shat no mimic could do SO well. There is
in it the accuracy of mechanism. Matrices
! in sulphur of the indented tin fail are east
ly made, and can be indefinitely multiplied.
| So that it is possible to reproduce not only
! the language, but the tones and accents of
speaker as often as one may desire. Sim
| pie as the contrivance is, it is marvellous in
| It's results. Like other inventions, it is,
| doubtless, capable of great improvements
Its sentitiveness to sound for example,
| will be so refined as not to make it neces-
! sary To speak into the month piece in order
! to set the diaphragm and the steel point in
! motion. 1t will become like the human
I ear, in its acute reception and transmission
of sounds. All that will then be necessary
| will be TO possess a Photographic instru
ment, aud turn the crank when speaking
| is in order, to have it accurately recorded.
! Already one instrument has been cOnstruc-
! ted capable of recording 4S, 600.
Now, with one of these instruments land
they are of portable size) under his arm,
one can attend lecture or a public
meeting, ana not only enjoy it himself,
| but take so faithful record of it that he
can reproduce not only word for word but
! tone for tone. The audiences of the future
| will present curious spec acle-each aud
| itor not only listening, but turning the
crank of phonograph instrument with the
motion of the grinders of a burdy gurdy,
| that he may have it for reproduction in Tie
| home circle.
Such an instrument must prove invalua-
|
| there have been matrimonial difficulties
leading to suits for divorce. the domestic
| phouograph will be called for as the high
| est forms of evidence and the exact words
| of husband and wife be reproduced in the
hearing of Cont and jury. For we take
! it FOR granted that every prudent husband
! and faithful wife will be provided with enc
! of these little instruments, tn take down
| w0rds that may pass between them which
! ha hpa, ,itfr IN tl1a 10
| Courts will need them to take the evidence
| of witnesses. They cannot err, and even
| shorthand reporters may do that. Bat tie
! monographs will be as fai hful as the pho
tograps, aud if dispu es arise, as they fire.
quently do between opposing counsel, all
! The Court will need To do will be to call for
the sheet of tiufoil on which John Smiths
or Bill Jones' testimony is recorded, aud
have it repeated, Tn { viii emo The dispute.
Indeed there is hardly a conceivable cir
| cumstance in human life where The phOno-
graphs will not be Invaluable. In verbal
| transactions between merchants a I'd Gusi-
| ness men, in intercourse with distinguished
| people, all that is said and done may be
| put on record and in such way that
whenever required, eithe; in business OF
pleasure, it may be reproduced with ahso
! lutte accuracy. The notes of Patti, of y lis
son. of Carey, and of ali the great singers,
| aud drama lists, may be bottled up, to
speak and carried home with you. They
! may be multiplied, if worth the trouble, ten
thousand times. Everybody eau have a
prma donna, or q great iragcdian, or a fine
comedian, barring presence and gesture, in
| his own house, aud whenever he requires
| them If lie wants to know how Edwin
! Booth interpreted a doubtful passage in
! Shakespeare, or how Patti rendered diff
ficuit aria in Verdi or Rossini, or how a
great reader accented sentence in '''aIa-
disc Lost" or any other work of literature.
he will have only to turn to the record of
his phonograph and reproduce i -CiHciR-
mutt Commercial.
POSSIBILITIES OF THE MACHINE.
The Graphic representative attended an
exhibition of the phonograph in New York
| on Tuesday, at which IL repeated several
sheets of East aseek's tall. lie discouI ses
of the possibilities Of the mgchius as fol
lows
When ii is Developed, a gsaat preacher
| can preach into it, and the sheets dgPiica-
| ted to any number, can be SOLD chraUly, and
when laid on, another phonug phic cylin-
| der anywhere another aIdi8nce can hear
the sermon in the exact voice of The preacher.
A man can talk in'o il, and unborn g''urr-
! atioms Thousand years hence can use the
! matrix and hear his very tones.
A great opera singer can sing into it, and
the sheets can he sold like sheet music.
| and listeners on distant continents or Ia fn-
! ture centuries can hear her sing,
If Washington, or Napoleon, or Webster.
or Lincoln had spoken into phun2graph,
| his voice could npw Ire distinctly heard.
A traveller in distant lands can talk TO a
| phonograph send the sheets home and his
friends can hear his own vocal na raiive o;
/ his wanderings aId adventures at their own
! fresides There is hardly any limit 10 the
! possibilities of this invention, which is yet
! i'm its infancy.
As spectator of it's exploits yesterday
| observed Gym Glad 1 tiidu' L die before this
/ was discovered"
TRADE KISsEs.-Ihe isarnesville WV
| Enterprise says that n curious diVoIce case
! is on the tapis in Harrison county. y wife
who was greatly i'm need OF a mess of cab
bage made bargain aud sale" with a
neighbor, trading three kisses for three
| heads &c cabbage. TIE irase husband ac-
| cused her of the act. when she owned up
aud said she thought she made good
bargaln The husband did bot care much
for the loss of the kisses, but fearful that