Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-06-07

THE rSvENToEs ACCOUNT OF HIS woSDERE VI
NnXEITY

l.
NOVELTY.
Mr.. Edison gives in tho current North
Amaicm Eeuielo his notions concerning the
future Of his very interesting invention. the
| phonograph. We believe that he himself has
invented many things besides which he
deems quite equal in merit and importance
| to this novelty whicn has SO caught the pub
| lie attention, among them many of the most
valuable developments III telegnphy. But
| he has now set himself to the extension and
| application of the principle OF the phono-
| graph confessing that he himself is as yet
| ''in II somewhat chaotic condition OF mind
/ rs TO Its limits, since q mere triile may to-
morrow extend almost indefinitely its poss'-
bilities. What is already accomplished We
have recently made some account of. Mr..
Edison has now nearly completed II new form
of apparatus which will be competent to
many of the uses which he foresees, hut new
| applications will then arise, SO that the pho
nograph rs IT may be il yet Il good ways in
| the future.
The new will be- ho says. the standard
phonograph, adapted expressly to the practi-
cal uses Of letter writing editorial work. etc.
Writing Il letter by phonogmph involves for
its perfect value the possession of phono-
graphy by the one who receives it, though if
he had none, the writing might still be done
and the secretary or clerk thus dictate to
| himself nj his leisure the letter ho must copy.
The sheets of foil prepared for the purpose of
transmitting IN envelopes now made with
the spiral grooves in which the Jewel point
moves set 10 close together that about 40 =
| 900 words NAV be- inscribed on each sheet
These sheets can be filed away and kept as
records, and will have this advantage over
written letters that there will lie no him
drance by ylllanous bad handwriting. II is
Mr.. Edison's opinion that IL printer would
| rather set up copy from hearing the utter
ance of phonograph, than from II written
pAgo. lie has Il thought for the sick III hos
pitfalls. and talks of their having phonograph-
Ic sheets prepared from the voices Of profess
sional readers in rendering poems, dcscrip-
tions, orations or even entire books, which
may be put INTO the phonograph again and
roeled oil to entertain these patients wthal (,
and the same way for music There does
not appear to Ice any smile upon Mr.. Edi-
son 8 face. Mt least it isn't visible i'll the
printed remark when lie observes upon the
value of the phonograph for preserving the
'hast words of dying friends OF of great
men. In touching upon the possible value
of this instrument III preserving languages,
MIR. Edison hits upon want III regard to
certain tongues Oi chronological value OF
our Indians, that really need this process,
which seems invented Tor their preser vation
Wnen tue lew HuINlNOih vi tntli Ihtb nave
disappeared.
Finally, however, Mr.. Edison intends TINT
the phonograph shall perfect the telephone,
and the combined instrument rcvoutionixo
present systems of tcleerhphy. There will
he no difficulty, he explains. achieving this
combination. Both inventions cause IL plate
or disk to yibrate, and produce sound waves
in harmony with their source. II may easily
be devised that the same disk shall both
transmit and record the messege and asks
Edison. What system OF telegruphy can ap-
proach that 2 A singular combination Mt
the other end of the wiro will enable the re
ceyer to hear the message while 1t is record
ed. Mr. Edison has already got n new in
strument which he calls tho Carbon tele-
phone, noarly TO the point OF accomplishing
this result. The Telegraph company Of the
future. hs predicts. will be simply an or
ganizaiion having huge system OF wires,
central and sub-central stations. managed 10y
skilled attendants, whose sole duty it will he
to keep wires IN proper repair. and give by
switch or Rhunt arrangement, prompt at
tention to subscriber No. y23 in New York.
when he signals his desire to have private
communication with subscriber No / ,00I in
Boston, for three minutes