Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-05-07

It from the phonograph may be set dow
e as follows: The captivity, permanel
e retention and reproduction at will, wit
d original characteristics, of all SCUM
e waves heretofore designated as "fug
: tives." The transmission of captiy
q sounds in material form "for purpose
D of communication or as merchantabl
e goods" The indefinite multiplicatio
(, ana preservation of sounds, without re
gard to the existence of the origins
source, and the captivation of sound
with or without the knowledge or con
sent OF the source of their origin
Among the more important prosperity
apphcatlons of the phonograph may b
mentioned letter-writing and othe
forms OF dictations, books, musical box
es, toys, clocks, advertising and signal
ing apparatus, speeches, &c.
THE LETTER-WRTTER PHONoGRAPH.
1.-The apparatus now being perfected
in mechanical details will be the stan
dard phonograph. The general princi
pies of construction are flat plate OF
disk, with spiral groove on the face
operated by clOckwork underneath the
plate, the grooves are cut very closely to-
gether so as to give the greatest length
to each inch of surface-a close calcula
ton gives as the capacity of each sheet
OF foil, upon which the record is had
in the neighborhood of forty thousand
words"
"The practical application of this form
OF phonograph for communication is
very simple. A sheet of foil is placed
in the phonograph, the clockwork is set
| in motion and the matter dictated into
the mouthpiece without other effort
than when debating to a stenographer.
1t is then removed and placed in suit
able form of envelope and sent through
the ordinary channels to the correspon-
dent for whom designed. He placing it
upon his phOnograph, starts his clock
work and listens to what his correspon-
dent has to say"
BOOKS, MUSIC, RECORDS, &c.
Books may be read by the charitably-
inclined professional reader, or by such
readers especially employed for that
purpose, and the record of such book
used in the asylums Of the blind, hos
spltals, the sick chamber, or even with
great profit and amusement by the
lady or gentlemen whose eyes and hands
may be otherwise employed; or, again,
because OF the greater enjoyment to be
had from book when read by an elo-
cutlonlst than when read by the-average
reader. The ordinary record sheet re-
peating this book from fifty to a hun.
dred times as it will, would command a
price that would pay the original reader
we'll for the slightly increased difficulty
in reading it aloud in the phonograp6.
LAS an elocutionary teacher. or "a a
primary teacher for children II will
certainly be invaluable. By 1t difficult
passages may be correctly rendered for
the pupil bat once, after which he has
only to apply to his phonograph for in.
structlon. The child may thus learn to
spell, ecMrait to memory, lesson set
for i. &c. ~
ihe photograph will undoubtedly
be literally devoted to music. A song
on the phonograph is reproduced with
marvellous accuracy and power. Thus
a TREND may, IN q morning call, sing a
song which shall delight an evening
com paAy, &c. AS a musical teacher it
WILL be used to enable one to master O
1ew air, the child to form its first songs,
or to sing him to Sleep"
A book of 10000 words upon a single
metal plate ten inches square becomes q
strong probability. The advantages of
such books over those printed are too
readily seen to need mention. Such
bo0Aa would be listened to where now
acne are read" We may add in this
connection that photographic books
would become as useful and interesting
to the unlettered as to the highly edu-
Gated, as both would receive the infor-
nation they contained by hearing only.
TOYS, CEoCISS, TEI.EGRAPHY, ETC.
1T As possible now by means of the
photograph to attach to toys, dolls, &c.,
an interest before unknown. Speaking
figures can be made to utter familiar
commonplaces and indeed carry on
prearranged conversation. Clocks with
phonograph attachment, instead of
striking the hoQr, will call it out dis
tinctly. WILL say in the morning,
Halo John, time 10 get up!n like a
forty horse power mOther-in- law, or as
Mr. Edison suggests, may politely in
ivite "dsar Charles" or "Henry" to 20
home when 10 o'clock P. M. arrives.
A more important use, however, can
be had for the phonograpA. Mr.. Edison
says of it:
Lastly, and ia quite another direction,
the photograph viii perfect the tele-
phone and rev0lutiOnize the present
systens Of telegraphy. That useful in
iventIon is now restricted in its field of
operation by reason of the fact that it
is means Of communication which
leaves no record of its transactions, thus
restricting its use to simple conversa-
tional chit chat, and such unimpOrtant
details oil business as are not considered
Of sufficient Importance to record. Were
this different, and our telephone con-
yersatioa automatically. recorded, we
Should md the reverse of the present
cl nf Tho fn1nphnnn VryNnld ho
expressly resorted to as a means of per-
feet record.
"How can this anplseatton be made ?"
will probably be asked by those unfa-
miliar with either the telephone or pho
nograph,
HSth these inventions cause plate or
/ disk to vibrate, and thus produce sound
waves in harmony with those of the
speaker. A very simple device may be
made by which the one vibrating disk
may be made TO do duty for both the
telephone and the phonOgraph, thus en-
aEling the speaker ta simultaneously
transmit and record his message. What
lsystem of telegraphy can approach that =?
A similar combination at, the distant
end of the wire enables the corresp0n
hdent, if he is present, to hear it while it
lis being recorded. Thus we have mere
passage of words for the action, but a
complete and durable record of those
words as the result of that action. Can
economy of time or money go further
than to annihilate time and space, and
bottle up for posterity the EaaTe utter
ance of man without other effort on his
part than to speak tho words.
|
A DOLTLNG DEMONSTRATION. A.
"A. Phlegar, who was elected to the Viz
Eginia State Senate as readjustef, now
Hchanges front and assails the readjusters
with considerable vigor. In recent adj.
dress to lis constituents he said:
ION my arrival in Richmond l saw
that good and true men who had beer
faithful officers were to be turned out
hwhen I saw that Legislature was tc
fritter away its time and prove untrue te
the purposes for which it was elected
+l,of +J,a ,onhlio mind was tO he aUitateC