The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-03-30
April Magazines.
ScrIIbner'S.

| SCribner'S.
4 large portion Of the very protusc illustra
ton of the April Scrbncr is devoted to the
Thousand Islands, u summer resort which the
magazines had apparently hitherto neglected.
Clarence Cook in the household department,
contributes paper on Macrainc Lace, illus.
trated with antique Italian and new American
designs. Deer Hunting on the Au Sable
| (Mich) IS finely illustrated sporting paper,
by w. NJ. Laiian; and "IIow Lead Pencils are
Made" is an interesting industrial paper show.
ing how American genius and machinery have
rendered the homemade pencil the'bcst in the
world The illustrated paper that will attract
most interest, however, IS that by Geo. b. Pres
colt (once an Ottawa boy on "Thc Telephone
and the Photograph" Mr.. p. grows quite en-
thlisiastic on the subject and thus glowingly
forecasts the uses Of this marvellous instrument
in the near future:
For public uses, we shall have galleries
where phonOgraph sheets will be preserved as
photographs and books now are. The utter
anccs of great speakers and singers will there
be kept for IL thousand years. In these CALLER
les spoken languages will be preserved from
century TO century, with all the peculiaritics
of pronunciation, dialect, or broguc. AS we
20 now to see the stcreopticOn, we shall 90 to
public halls to hear these treasures Of speech
and song brought out and reproduced as loud,
or louder, than when first spoken or sung by
the truly great ones of earth. Certainly, with
in dozen years, some Of the great singers will
be induced to sing into the ear of the phono-
graph, and the clectrotyped cylinders thence
obtained will be put into the hand-organs of
the streets, and we shall hear the actual voice
of Christine Nilsson or Miss Cary ground out
at every corner.
In public exhibitions, also, we shall have
reproductions of the sounds of nature and of
noises familiar and unfamiliar Nothing will
be easier than to catch the sounds of the waves
on the beach, the roar of Niagara, the discords
of the streets, the noises of animals, the pulling
and rush of the railroad train, the rolling of
thunder, or even the tumult of II battle.
When popular airs are sung into the phonO-
graph, and the notes are then reproduced I'M
reverse order, very curious and beautiful mus
ical effects are oftcntimes produced, having no
apparent resemblance to those contained in
their originals. The instrument may thus be
used as sort of musical kaleidoscope, by
means Of which an infinite variety of new com
bnations may be produced from the musical
compositions now in existence.
The speaking monograph will, doubtless,
be applied to bell-punches, clocks, complaint
boxes in public conveyanccs and to toys of all
kinds. 1t will supcrscdc the shorthand writer
in taking letters by diCtatOn and in the taking
of testimony before referees. Photographic
letters will be sent by mail, the foil being
wound on paper cylinders Of the size of II fin.
ger. 1t will rccite poems in the voice of the
author, and reproduce the speeches ofcclcbrat-
ed orators Dramas will be produced I'M
which all the parts will be "wel spoken
with good accent, and good dlscrction :" the
original matrcc beng prepared on one ma
chine provided with IA rubber tube having sew
eral mouhpicccs; and Madame Tussauds fig
urcs will hereafter talk, rs well as look, like
their great prototypes!
In the unillustratcd papers, an American
schoolmatc of the present queen of Spain
describes convent school life in Paris Mary
Blake urges women TO cultivate the hab-
it of reading and c. B. WarIng discusses the
relations of the Mosaic Creation and Modern
Science.
In fiction there are short stories by Bert llartc
and Constance f. WOolson and the continual
ton ofM! ss Traton's serial, His Inheritance"
and there are poems by Maurice f. Egan, An
ME L. Amman, Mary Aingc De We're and OH
crS.
Topics of the Times by Dr.. Holland and
the other departments are sustained with the
usual ability.