The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-03-14
MARVELLOUS.
The Greatest Wonder of the
Age.

A Machine That Talks, Sings,
and Whistles - Bottled Up
Speeches, Poems. EjaculatiOns
Two Voices At the Same Time
The Performances and Ca
pabilities of the PhOnOgraph.
From the New York Sun.
The writer visited Menlo Park, N.
j., on Saturday to chat with Profess.
or Thomas A. Edison. This gentle
man is the inventor of the automatic
telegraph, quadruplex and sextuplex
dispatches, the carbon telephone. the
stock indicator, the electric pen, the
0iraphone, the marvellous speaking
phonograph, and score or more of
similar machines. He is also the dis.
coverer of the electric-motograph, by
which dispatches may be telegraphed
without magnetism. Scientific men
regard it as his greatest discovery, and
predict that it will some day prove of
immense value.
Menlo Park is small place on the
line of the New York & Philadelphia
Railroad,two miles north of Metuchin.
Mr.. Edison's mandatory stands for
ty rods west of the depot. A high
bank shuts out the view from the car
window. The building is a long
wooden structure, something like an
old fashioned Baptist tabernacle. 1t
faces to the east. Nine lightning rods,
pierce the sky aboye it. A dozen tele-
graph wires are led into it by sentry
like poles connecting with the main
line along the railroad. The front
doors open directly into the Office.
The writer entered. A man sat at a
table studying q mechanical drawing.
An inquiry for Mr.. Edison drew from
him. the words, "Go right us stairs and
you'll find him singing into some in
strument."
The stairs were climbed, and the
writer stepped into long room form
ing the second story. 1t was an i'm
mense laboratory, filled with electrical
instruments. A thousand jars of che
micals were arranged against the walls
A circle of kerosene lamps was smok-
ing viciously on an empty brick forge.
There was no disagreeable smell, for
the smoke was drawn off by the draft
of the forge. An open rack loaded
with jars Of vitriol stood in the mid
die of the room, and the rays Of the
sun struck through them, flecking the
floor with green patches. The west
ern end of the apartment was occu-
pied by telephones and other instru'
ments, and there was q small organ in
the southwestern corner.
Professor Edison was seated at a ia
BILE near the center of the room. He
looks like anything but professor,
and reminded me Of boy apprentice
to an iron moulder. His hands were
grimy with SCOT and oil; his straight,
dark hair stood nine ways for Sunday ;
his face was entirely beardless, but
sadly needed shaving his black clothes
were seedy, his shirt dirty and collar
less. and his shoes ridged with red
Jersey mud; but the fire of genius
shone in his keen gray eyes, and the
clean cut nostrils aud broad forehead
indicated strong mental activity. He
seems to be always looking for some
thing of great value, and 10 be just on
the point of fndihg it. Unfortunately
he is quite deaf, but this infirmity
seems to increase his affability and
playful boyishness. A man of com
mon sense would feel at home will
him in minute; but q mob or prif
would be sadly out of place. Though
but 81 years old, the occasional CLEAN
of q silvery hair tells the story of hi
application.
The Professor was manipulating
machine upon the table before him
He had something resembling quit