, 1878-05-15
Washington Letter.
OUR OWN CoRREsPONDENT.

The scenes witnessed before the Senate
and House Committees on Patents last
Friday recalled to mind the early days
when Morse under great difficulties was
seeking to interest Congress in the con-
struction of the first telegraph line be-
tween this city and Baltimore. The
muster genius of his late occasion was
Thomas A. Elision who sat ut the table
before the Phsnograph, his latest inven-
tion, and one that has made his fame
world wide. This young man just past
thirty has already taken out15S patents
mostly in Telegraph and electrical app
aratus. The Committee rooms were fill.
ed with Senators. Members men and
women from among the most cultured
and scientific in the land.
All eyes were upon the beardless Edl-
son whose shaggy brown hair stood out
at every angle IN spite OF comb and
brush. His eyes of piercing gray looko d
out from under high arched forehead.
while his prominent nose and nervous
fingers suggeted the artisan just in from
his work shop. The Phon ograph isa cyl
inder Governed with small spiral grooves,
at the end is crank by which it may be-
turned. The speaking disk or diaphragm
rests againls the cylinder and on the out
er side it mouth-pece. On the inner
side Of this ad elicate steel point is ad-
justed 80 as to follow the grooves as the
cylinder reyolves. This cylinder is
covered with tintoIl, the crank is turL-
ed, while the inventor talks, sings, shouts,
and whistles into the mouth peice of
the instrument, the sound waving on the
reverse side OF the diaphgram or tympa-
mum forces the needle to make lmpres.
slons upon the ii foil Reversing the
instrument the needle drops into the
same points in the groove as the cylinder
revolves. These indcntations cause
sound waves to he given back from
the mouth peice in the exact tones
Of voice, with their original pathos and
intonatiOns, and 50 distinct that they
were distinctly heard by every one in the
room. "Old Uncle Ned" was sung,
Yankee Doodle whistlcd, poetry WAS re-
cited. s. 5. Cox made q speech, and
when the cylinder was reversed, and
again set III motion, whistle, speech and
poetry all sounds forth clear aud distinct.
One unbelievng member thought it was
ventriloqusm and insisted upon Edisons
leaving The room, after which he tried
the experiment himself leaning back in
his chair with face full of astonishment
exclaimed, It'll be id if the thing
don't talk" We should like to tell more
of this wonderful inventor and invention
but We must turn now to more practical
things. This time the cry comes from
the Postoflice Department who report
ten thousand Postoffices out of Registered
letter blanks and no money to print any
to send them. That this is inconyenien-
cling the public is shown by the fact that
the Department has on file orders for
over three million and q half blanks.
The manifest improvement in the
busines, outlook is greatly encouraging
all classes. Many banks are paying ont
specie, and thousands upon thousands OF
gold is coming into use thereby greatly
increasing the amount of money in cir
culatioD. It is stated that over $lOO,
600, 900 of gold and silver that has long
heen hidden out Of sight will now be
added to the available capital of the
country. This imitation OF the currency
Is good thing, will stimulate the de-
pressed valuations and give them stabil.
ity. 1t makes little difference now
whether the Presumption act" is re-
peaIed or not. Practical resumption
has already commenced. FAX.
----s-S-S-