The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-05-23
.aaaersots gatelaigeueer.
THE AURkPHONE.
Walls are to Have Ears-What is to Be-
come of Society.

This new invention of the great inYen-
tor Edison is briefly described as follows: !:
In the ceiling of his private office,
concealed from view, with the exception
of small, ear-shaped funnel, of dark
color, he has fitted between the rafters
and the floor above one of his double
recording aud speaking machines. In
the room above portion Of the machine
rises through the floor, and attached to
it is a small wooden box, and tc contain
the. coils of the pipe of the trumpet, the
: bell or mouth of which opens through
one side, and is made of the new sub
stance discovered by Mr.. Edison. With
the exception Of the box, all other por-
.tions of the machine are open to inspec-
ton. Every word uttered in the room
below is repeated in the room above,
with about treble or quadruple the vol
ume of.sound, (although it can be ar
ranged in vast excess OF this while at
the same time it is being recorded on the
matrix- plate for future reference and
preservation through the electrotyping
process. The effect produced by the
anrarhone is not only comically weird,
5 but, in many ways, alarming. Sending
an assistant to the room below il order
to test its capacity for catching whispers,
the orator, directed by Mr.. Edison, bent
down his ear to the little box only to be
deafened by the inquiry, aWhat do you
think of the auraphone?" shouted in
tones that almost made the house rock,
followed by laugh so mockingly hid.
eous and unearthly as to make the blood
curdle with horror. This We soon dis
covered to be one of peculiar jokes Incl.
dental to an introduction to the aura
,phone, always hugely enjoyed by the in:
: ventor and his attaches. Subsequent
experiments proved the exquisite seDsi-
,iyeness of the machine. The faintest
whisper, the ticking of a clock, the roll
ing OF lead pencil over the desk, the
tearing of small piece of newspaper, o
sigh, tune hummed in the lowest reg.
ister-all were. successfully delivered in
] the room above in exaggerated volume
At night, when the quiet is more pro.
/. found, Mr.. Edison informed US that he
could plainly hear the purring of his ca
in the Office below.
The effects to be produced by the in
PRODUCTION of the auraphone will be
wonderful. When all walls have ears
literally, what is to become of our con-
fidences? With the spy ever in wait fol
us, not only to repeat them, but to also
manufacture their indispntable proof
for transmission and preservation, what
are we TO do Will society become
thoroughly honest, yirtuous, and good
. or will It'll be torn asunder by dissention
and ,relegated to savagery? When q
mans sons are popping up in judgment
at all times and places; when man is
forced to go through the world with Q
!, window, as it were, in his bosom, will II
longer be pleasant or even an endur.
3 able place to live in? And yet to face
this actual contingency we are brought
by Mr.. Edison and his new auraphone
The subject for contemplation is SC
entirely new and so absolutely startling
in its nature, that we may well shrink
from considering its more serious as.
poets, in view Of It's almost boundless
/. possibilities and results. But there is
happily, no shade without sunshine
and it is not without its comical.
though not less vexatious Sides
Fifty or sixty dollars, at most, Mr.
Edison informed us, would cover the
expense of placing one of these ma
chimes, or mechanical ears, in the cell.
ing of any room, 80 nicely concealed as
to escape observation, and capable oi
being so nicely adjusted that "the drop.
ping of pin upon the carpeted floor
could be heard in the room above. y
Just think of Paterfamilias up stairs
With such trap set, while Anastatia
and Aiphonso are cooling in the parlor
below! Keeping tally of the sighs and
weighing the intensity of each caress,
and all this with two turtle doves in
blissful ignorance of any supervision.
Think of the gay deceiver in breach Of
! promise case suddenly confronted in
Court with half dozen witnesses, who,
though absent personally, heard the de-
sired proposal, each armed with sstereo-
typed plate upon which every VOW, every
murmur, every "swish" of the embez-
zled kisses is indelibly stamped! Think
of Old BulIion's clerks and Mrs. Clear
sides servants under the espionage OF
the mechanical ear! Indeed, it looks
now as though people will soon have to
regret Mr.. Edison's birth having taken
place at so late period in history, and
that they will be apt to grow much more
charitable toward those sensible old an
cestors who always had stake or chop