Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-04-03
THAT WONDERFUL EDISON.
y. WDITMORE,
Publisher and Proprietor,

PerfectIDg the Photograph Beyond
Even the Dreams of the Cartca.
Jurlats.
New York World.l
The reporter followed Mr.. Ed.
son into the workroom, where
about a dozen lathes and machines
were in full operation. On one of
the tables was the model. The
improvement in the phonograph
consists in a circular plate being
substituted for the cylinder, and
clock-work for the crank. "This
clock movement is a very import.
ant improvement" said Mr.. Edison.
-" 1t insures complete regularity and
accuracy, and can be thrown out Of
and into gear instantaneously.
We're going to start a publication
Office in New York when the pho
nograph is ready"
"What do you intend to pub
lisll?" asked the reporter.
Music, novels, general litera-
ture and many other kinds OF mat
ter that are read by persons and re-
produced by instruments or their
vocal organs for the benefit of
themselves and other persons.
Take music to begin with. We
will phonograph orchestral con-
certs by brass and string bands,
instrumental and vocal solos and
part-songs. The sheets bearing the
sound impressions of this music
will be removed from the phOno-
graph and multiplied to any extent
by electrotyping, and persons can
make selections of any compost
tions they desire. Then this music
may be reproduced by any phono-
graph, with all the original sweet
ness and expression; and not only
that, but the pitch can be raised or
lowered by increasing or diminish
ing the speed of the phonograph." &"
(" What will such a sheet of music
cost?"
"About twenty-five cents"
"But how can you take an or
chestra, when it is necessary, in
talking to the phonograph, to apply
your mouth close to the dia-
phram
"The photograph will be attach
ed to a hole in one end of barrel
and from the other end will project
afunnel like those used in ventilat-
ing steamships. This will receive
the music from the entire orchestra,
but of course not reproduce it with
so great a volume. Piano music
will be Photographed by a hood
being placed over the instrument,
and the volume of the reproduction
will be one fourth that of the
piano"
What method will be pursued
with literary matter ?" asked the
reporter.
4" We calculate that an ordinary
fifty cent novel can be got on this, .
said Mr.. Edison, tapping the circu-
lar plate which was about six inches
in diameter. Novels and valuable
literature will be read to the phono
graph by elocutionists and persons
understanding the subjects present
ed, and the matter will be multi.
plied by electrotyping, in the same
manner as music. You see, there
fore, that you can have a phono.
graph in your parlor with an album
of selected Photographic matter
lying beside it. You can take q
sheet from the album, place 1t on
the photograph and have a sym
phony performed. Then by chang.
lag The sheet YOU can listen to a
chapter or two from fayorite noyr
el, and this may be followed by a
song--a duet or quaFtette. AT the
close the young people may indulge
in waltz, in which all may join, fol
no one need be afraid to play the
dance music" "You can easily
s., g. continued the professor,
"what an advantage the photograph
will be to the blind; and, indeed, |
have already received 100 orders
fiom such persons"
SIN some respects the phono-
graph will be a blessing to persons
who are eonstitutionally tired" sug-
gested the reporter