Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-03-28
New and Wonderful.

sun. Solomon said there was not but
that was a good while ago and he is
not reckoned among the prophets.
Printing by movable types was some
thing new. The steam engine was
something new, Photography was
something new. The telegraph was
something new. These new things
have ali become old and are no long
er wonders. Something still more
marvellous is the thing now. Talk.
ing machines have been heard of for
years. Barnum had one. But talk
ing by machinery, with machine of
pipes, valves, cords, fans, wheels, pull
leys, slides and stops was ridiculous
farce. The new thing we want to
talk about is the Photograph. 1t is a
little machine of not much more con-
sequence, similar in appearance and
no more complicated than little
hand sausage grinder. Like the little
sausage grinder it has little hopper
on the side. Sit down by it and talk
into the hopper while the cylinder un
der it is turning and every word you
utter, every articulation, every modu-
lation of the voice will be recorded
upon the machine. When you are
done talking move the cylinder back
to its starting place and turn it with
the crank and it will repeat every
word, every articulation, every modu.
lation of your voice. A listener who
could not see you would declare you
were repeating your own words. Is
not this something new under the
sun? A late number of Harper's
Weekly gives excellent illustrations
of this wonderful machine Srribner's
Monthly suggests some of its uses as
follows:
"For public uses we shall have gal
leries where photograph sheets will
be preserved as photographs and
books now are. The utterances of
great speakers and singers will be
there kept for thousands of years. In
these galleries spoken languages will
be preserved from century to century
with all the peculiarlties Of pronunci
alton dialect or brogue. As we now
go to see the stereopticon, we shall
90 to public halls to hear these treas,
ures OF speech and song brought out
and reproduced as loud, or louder
than when spoken or sung by the tru-
ly great ones of earth. Certainly
| within dozen years will be induced
to sing into the ear of the phono-
graph and the electrotspe cylinders
thence obtained will be put into the
hand-organs of the street and we shall
hear the actual voice OF Christine Nil.
sson or Miss Cary ground out at ev.
cry corner.
In public exhibitions, also, we shall
have reproductions of the sounds in
nature, and of noises familiar and I'm.
familiar. 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 oil
animals, the putting and rush of the
railroad train, the rolling of thunder
or even the tumult Of a battle.
| When popular airs are sung into
the photograph, and the notes arc
then reproduced in reverse order
, very curious and beautiful musical eff
fects are oftentimes produced having
, no apparent resemblance to those con
tanned in their originals. The instru
ment may thus be used as a sort o
musical kaleidoscope, by means o
which an infinite variety of new com
binations may be produced from thu
: musical compositions now in exist
ence.
The speaking photograph will
doubtless be applied to bell-punches
clocks, complaint boxes in public con
veyances and to toys of all kinds. 1
will supersede the Shorthand write
in taking letters by dictation and il
the taking of testimony before refer
ees. Photographic letters will b.
. sent by mail, the foil being wound Oh
f paper cylinders of the size OF finger
1t will recite poems in the voice o
the author, land reproduce the speeche
of celebrated orators. Dramas viii
be produced in which all the part
will be "well spoken,-wiih good &C
{ cert and good discretion )" the orig
, inal matrice being prepared on on
machine provided with rubber tub
having several mouthpieces an
3 Madame Tussaud's figures will here
after talk, as well as look, like thei
3 great prototypes !"
Tfyou want to communicate with
+ friend when this machine is perfecte
q you will only have to sit down an
talk. When you are through, tax
from the instrument a sheet of ii
foil and send it to the friend. If b
g has similar instrument he will pu
q the sheet of foil in it and set it goina
1t will repeat what you said and tn
4. friend will have the satisfaction
! hearing yonr own voice. The voic
itself can be preserved as long as tn
q material on which it is impressed ca
, be kept. There are numberless use
to which the curious machine may b
. applied. 1t is the invention of tele
graph operator named Thomas Ed
, son.