The Hickman courier., 1878-07-19
First Words of the Phonograph,


IN all that has been written concern
ipg the Edison phonograph, )" said Grand
father Lickshingle, ''the first words
uttered BY the machine have not been
mentioned, MIR. Edison doubtless has
deilcscy in giving them to reporters, but
as It's matter of national interest, and
asi wssthe only other person present in
his Workshop at Menlo Park when the
phonOgEaph first gave utterance, feel it
nay duty TO speak up"
Why, grandfather, when were you at
Menlo Park ? You have scarcely been
out Of your arm chair in two years." said
one OF the children.
Without seeming to hear this, grand
father went on:
You know Mr. Edison worked long
time2t his machine, and met with many
.peratiSg difficulties. He told Ime
x "A IVY As-a~ ---~----sls
the blamed thing into the street. But
he didn't. He worked away at it night
and day, and when anything went wrong,
restrained himself as well as he could.
"When he asked me into his shop to
look at the machine, he had no idea it
was as nearly perfect as it proved to be.
He put on new tinfoil, frightened some
of the screws and things, and explained to
me how he expected it to work after a
while After monkeying around it for
a few minutes, he took hold of the crank
and gave it whirl or two. 1t gave a
screech like 8 Comanche, and we both
involuntarily felt of our scslps to see if
they were all right.
"Mr. Edison was the first to recover
himself, and remarked facetiously that he
didn't know it was loaded.
He tinkered little more on the in
side of the thing, creased the piston or
something, and started her up. The first
turn of the crank brought out in a wheezy
sort of tone:
" Confound the confounded thing to
contamination and be confound to It'll
This confused Mr.. Edison somewhat,
and l thought he wished he had not in
vited me in. could see quite plainly
that he had rather it had said something
else, but he was at the same time so
much elated that it should say anything
at all, that he continued to turn the
crank and the machine continued to
talk. 1t was terrible to hear it. For
instance:
"'Ye blamed old fraud of thing,
amt We never goin' to talk? Yer worse
than the Keely motor, and for two cents
I'd throw yer inter the river
90 What does it meant / ventured
to ask Mr.. Edison.
"'Blest if 1 can tell he replied, and
continued to turn the crank.
"If ye don't talk before the Fourth
of july yelled the machine in an angry,
desperate tone; 'if ye don't talk before
the Fourth of July I'll smash ye with an
axe and sell We for old junk. Now,
= asteIl yrl me- una ~ Jset1eo tA1S wOroi
out as If some one was shaking it. I've
fooled with We about as long as intend
ter, an the next thing ye know We won't
know nothin.'
"Mr Edison was completely over
come, and leaned up again a workbench
for support.
81 took hold of the crank, and turned
il, and the machine yelled at the top of
is voice:
"'Holy mother of Moses, amt ye
never goin' to say wordH Here I've
spent over SIS on ye, an still yer
dumber than rotten oyster I'll put on
some fresh tinfoil, file off the dufunny a
little, an give ye one more chance Ifye
don't speak up then I'll kick the stufin'
out ofye, so help me
Here, said grandfather, "Mr. Edison
mplored me to leave the machine alone,
as it's language was disgrace TO civili-
zstion.-IOil City Derrick.