San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-11-09
First Words of the Photograph.

In all thnt mas been written concern
ing the Edison monograph" aaid
Grandfather Lickshingle yesterday. "the
first words uttered by the machine have
not been mentioned. Mr.. Edison doubt
less has delicacy in giving them to re-
porters, but rs il is matter of national
interest, and as l was the only other
person present in his workshop at Mcplo
Park when the phonograph first gave
uttemnce, I feel it my duty to speak
up
"Why, grandfather, when were you at
Menlo Park? You have scarcely been
cut of your armchair in two years" said
one of the children.
Without seeming to hear this, grand.
father went on: Pa. .,"r os
"You know Mr.. Edison worked long
time at his machine, and met with many
exasperating difficulties. He told me
himself that he often felt like kicking
the blamed thing into the street. But
he didn't. He worked away at it night
and day, and when anything went wrong
restrained himself us well as he could.
"When he asked me into his shop to
look at the machine, he had no idea it
was as nearly perfect as it proved to be.
He put on new tinfoil, frightened some
of the screws and things, and explained
to me how he expected it to work after
awhile. After monkeying around it foi
few minutes, he took hold of the crank
and gave it 4 whirl or two. 1t gave n
screech like Comanche, and we both
involuntarily felt of our scalps to see il
they were all right.
Mr.. Edison was the first to recover
himself, and remarked facetiously tina;
he didn't know it was loaded.
ale tinkered little more on the in
side of the thing, creased the piston Oh
something, and started her up, The first
turn Of the crank brought out in n
wheezy sort of tone: Dig e,,,
"'Confound the confounded thing to
contamination and be confound to i'll
This confused Mr.. Edison somewhat
and thought he wished he had not in
vited me in. could see quite plainly
that he had rather it had said something
else, but he was ct the same time so
much elated that it should say anything
at all that he continued to turn the crank
and the machine continued to talk. 1t
was terrible to hear it. For instance:
"'Ye blamed old fraud of thing, amt
We never goin' to talk? Yer worse than
the Keely motor, and for two cents I'd
throw yer inter the riverp
"'What does it mean?' I ventured to
ask Mr.. Edison.
"'Blest if I can tell he replied, and
continued to turn the crank.
"'If We don't talk before the Fourth of
july yelled the machine in an angry
and desperate tone; If we don't talk be-
fore the Fourth of July I'll smash ye
with an ak and sell We for old junk. Now,
listen ter me- and it ratified the words
out as if some one was shaking it. I've
fooled with We about as long as intend
ter, an the next thing we know ye won't
know nothin.'
"Mr. Edison was completely overcome,
and leaned up against u workbench for
support.
II took hold of the crank, and turned
it, and the machine yelled at the top of
its voice:
"'Holy mother of Moses, amt We new
err goin' to say word? Here I've spent
over s75 on We, and still yer dumber
than rotten oyster! I'll put on some
fresh tinfoil, file off the dufunny little,
an give We one more chance! Ifye don't
speak ND then I'll kick the stuffin' out of
We, so help me-
Here, said grandfather, "Mr. Edison
implored me to leave the machine alone,
rs its language was disgrace to civil
cation. oil City Derrick.
Il FrighTHi Disaster.