The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-04-13


and speculation. The photograph prop
er is thin plate of metal set in a rub
Der mouth-piece. This is placed in an
arm which swings in front of brass
cylinder turned by a crank. A blunt
pointed steel needle touches the plate
with one extremity, and bears lightly
on the grooved cylinder with the other.
The cylinder is covered with sheet of
tin-foil. The operator, turning the crank,
puts his mouth. to the rubber and talks
loudly and strongly The needle fol-
lows the vibrations, and dancing up
and down, dots the tin-foil with deli
cate points. Where the sound is strong
the mark is well defined, and the laws
of sound as to clearness are followed
in the record.
To produce the sound the needle is
removed, the cylinder turned back to
the first points of the record, and a
common tin resounding tube is fastened
to the disc. The crank is turned, and
the contents of the foil sheet are talked
by the phonograpb, with great care as
to infection and emphasis. From this
tln-toll plate matrix in sulphur may
be taken, from which plates can be
multiplied indefinitely and at any time
while the matriX is in existence. In
this way one speech talked into the
monograph may be reproduced CEN
fury after the time it was spoken and
in many places. This is, in brief, the
photograph, and the idea was sug-
gested to the inventor during an eX-
pertinent with the telephone. His fin
ger happening to rest on the telephone
needle he felt it pricking him, and it
occurred to him that if these vibrations
could be recorded on metal surface.
speech might be in this way preserved
and reproduced.
The instruments first produced are
necessarily imperfect The crank must
be turned for producing conversation
Just as it was turned for recording.
The slightest deviation makes confu-
sion. For some unexplained reason
the young monographs, now before the
people, talk with nasal twang as
though they had too much nose. The
movement of the cylinder can be regu-
lated by machinery, and all machines
gagged alike, so one difficulty is easily
remedied. The nasal twang is posi-
bly, caused by the character of the re-
sounding tube, and just how much i'm
prOvement can be made in this particu-
lar remains to be seen.
The theory of the reproduction is that
when the needle-point is run over the
grooves the indentations previously
made by it cause vibrations of the metal
plate corresponding exactly to that
produced by waves of sound. Give the
monograph good sounding-tube, and
it will undoubtedly cease to talk through
the nose.
The possibilities of such an invention
are so great as to exceed the bounds of
credibility. As the art of photography,
calling in the aid of the stereoscope,
brings to our parlors views of stataarv
and the finest landscapes, so NAV the
photograph bring to our parlors the
singing of the most famous prime dome
or the speaking of the most eloquent
orators. In the future roll of oper-
attic gems as sung by the PATHS, Nils
sons, and Kelloggs of the age will be
an Indispensable adjunct of luxurious
parlors, and a bundle of short orations
by the best speakers will be found in
every reputable school-room. Phono-
graphs will be as common as pianos,
and will not cost half as much, and the
family will call out a singer or speaker
a thousand miles from them, or hun
dred years dead, at their own sweet
will.
Photographs of distinguished person.
ages will be accompanied by little me-
tallic rolls, giving samples of their con-
versation, and with the family pictures
will be assorted packages of records,
showing how Tommy screamed at the
age of three months, how he talked
when he first said Mamma" and re-
producing his interesting speech when
he arrived at the dignity of wearing his
first boots. An evening over the old,
odd speeches of the Youngsters of
family will be as amusing as is now an
evening over the quaint, old-fashioned
pictures in old albums. The mother
who prizes the photograph now because
it shows how her boy, now dead,
looked when he was with her, will prize
the photograph because it will show
her how the boy talked, and repeat in
his old tones some boyish speech.
Instead of choirs, churches may have
assorted packages of solos, quartets,
etc., as rendered by the most famous
singers, and may operate the church
photograph with no more trouble than
is now given to a musc-box. Lecture
committees and bureaus will order their
lectures instead of engaging lecturers,
and possibly churches may occasionally
order sermons in the same way.
If the telephone keeps up with the
times it will be possible to use it in con-
nection with the monograph in taking
speeches delivered at distance, and in
bottling them up for future use. The
photographic principle will doubtless
be applied to many things in common
use. Clocks will call or sing the hour
instead of striking, self-rocking cradles
will be mounted with Photographs
warranted to sing the best nursery
rhymes, and tell stories without end.
Locomotive whistles will be supplanted
by monographs of tremendous power.
ready to thunder out orders suited to
the occasion. 1t looks very much as
though this generation had missed q
good deal of the fun that is to come to
the fellows who come after u.s. Chicago
| Init