The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-05-30
The Speaking Photograph.

TOLD Mr.. Edison, when l wrote to
him to send me one of his Speaking
Photographs, that wanted it to give
an exhibition before a lyceum, and that
l would like to have sent with the in
strument any good things in the way of
music, recitations, and so forth, that he
had secured for use in the photograph.
He forwarded what appeared to be
quite a choice collection. 1t came in
the shape of dotted strips of tin-foil,
labeled, so that could select anything
that suited me.
Upon the evening of the entertain
ment, after explaining the machine to
the audience, picked up one of the
strips of foil, and fixing ton the phono-
graph, said:
Ladies and e ntlemen-Mr. Edison
has kindly furnished me with bit of
tin-foil upon which is recorded a part
of 'Washington's Farewell Address,
If you listen you will hear those immor-
tai words repeated distinctly
Then turned the crank, and to my
amazement, from the funnel came these
words. in loud. shrill tone:
oh, Mary had n little lamb. it jumped up to the
s shs and When it lit upon its feet it sad Hows
The audience laughed unfeclingly.
'' Edison" said, "has evidently got
ten things mixed somewhat. Labeled
the wrong strip, of course. Let us try
something else. We have here a few
strains of that tender and pathetic mel
Ody, Home, sweet hOme,' a song which
many fearful wanderer has sung with
saddened and longing heart. Twill now
produce it,
Rake her down, Sal! rang dang diddley!
a Esk: her down. Rake her down! Rang dang
It came from the photograph with
hilarious scream, to the intense delight
of the audience, with the exception of
indignant, and said he know the thing
was humbug.
81 will write to Edison about his
carelessness," said, warm with en-
barrassment. "Such mistakes are SIM
ply distressing. l find here strip Ia
beled Fragment of a sermon by Henry
Ward Beecher.' This, I know, must
be correct. will give it a turn"
l seized the crank and moved it ten
derby. The monograph thereupon ex-
uded the following observations:
"The-boy-stood-on-the the buming-deck,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
s-hat-blew-off- and broke his neck:
His-name-was-Pat-MalO
Several persons giggled. Three re-
spectable-looking men in the back part
of the room got up, and went home
The man on the front bench said that
now he k,seso it was q fraud; for Mr..
Beecher never preached any such doc
trine as that.
"This is Northumberland unfortu-
nater' said. Edison's carelessness
is simply scandalous. Let us try some
more music. Among the labels no.
tice Schubert's Serenade. l will start
it, and if it goes wrong l shall STOP"
"Meow-ow-cw! Ee-e-e-ow-ow! Pst-pht- pst-ms-
Evidently an imitation of cats"
said, stopping the crank; while the man
in front looked as if he would burst if
he couldn OF express his disgust in some
violent manner. Suppose we try "A
Life on the Ocean Wave ," Isuggested.
Edison must have some of them right.
l will paste the strip on.
ub-a-dub-dub! Three men in y tub. The
butcher the baker, the candlestick-maker, all
jumped out of a"
Four whole families rose in the middle
of the house and drifted off down the
aisle toward the door. The discon-
tented spectator in front gave hysteri-
cal laugh, waved his hand scornfully,
and SAID:
didn't tell you SOP Nothing but
the awfullest boshv'
Probably we may be more success
full with something of humorous char
acter" said, beginning to wish had
Edison in some secluded place where
could scalp him. II will now give you
part of Artemus Wards comic lee
ture on Forts"
turned the crank.
Now, / myself believe that the mind, carried
up TO its intuiti0nal state, - exalted to higher
plane and higher sphere. believe that the
best action OF any faculty Is that which is under
very high excitement. f."
Here l dropped the crank. Some Of
the people Missed. A boy in the gallery
whistled on his fingers. The person