St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-03-22
Our New York Letter.

CURRENCY QUEsTION--HOw SILVER is
RECEIvED-TwEED's LIFE INSURANCE
ABOUT INSURANCE COMMISSIONERS.
NEW YORK, March Is, 1873.
To the Editor of the Caledonian:
Scientific discoveries of an incredible
nature have trodden upon each others
heels for so long that now no sensible
man dares to be incredulOus regarding
the widest claims of inventors until he
has investigated them. The latest as
tonisher that has been thrown at us, is
that worthy successor of the telephone,
the phonOgraph. The startling per-
Torrance of this instrument, although
it is as yet very crude and imperfect, is
enough to awaken in the most matter
of-fact mind at least momentary sym
pathy with the most extravagant prOph-
ecies regarding the future of scientific
research and inventive achievement.
Like its forerunner, the telephone,
the photograph Tor ''SOund aUriter') has
to do with the human voice, but unlike
the former, is not dependent upon cleo
tricity for its operation. On Thursday
evening, | attended club reception,
the principal feature of which was the
exhibition and explanation by promi
nent scientist and electrician of this
wonderful continuance, When / speak
of the photograph as wonderful, | refer
to the idea it embOdies the machine
itself being simple enough, consisting
of an iron wheel, say five inches in
diameter, with a twO-inch face, upon
which is cut a continuous shallow groove
like the thread of a fine screw, attached
to the frame of the machine, in such a
manner that it can he swung against or
away fiom the wheel at pleasure, is a
small thin disc OF membrane of iron
framed in mouthpiece, and having
affixed to its outer surface sort of
pencil point of iron when it is wished
to use the instrument, a strip of tinfoil
is bound smoothly around the groOved
surface of the iron wheel, aud the
mOuthpiece and disc are brought down
till the little iron pencil point above
mentioned touches this tinfoil. All is
now in readiness, and the person whose
voice is to be reproduced places bis
mouth to the mOuthpiece and talks,
sings, whistles or crows according to
his fancy, meanwhile revolving the iron
wheel by means of Il crank provided for
the purpose.
The result is as follows: The waves
of air, set in motion by the voice, strike
upon the the thin iron .lisc before de-
scribed, and set it in vibration, which
vibration is transmitted to the pencil
point, which meanwhile is following, and
pressing the tinfoil into the spiral
groove upon the face of the wheel.
When the whole length of the groove
has been traversed, the tinfoil therein
displays series of dots and ridges vary
ing in depth and fineness according to
the meditation of the Voice producing
them. BY means of a thread on the
crank, the iron wheel is now turned
back to the starting place; and the disc
and pencil point being replaced in the
groove is revOlved at the same speed as
on its previous journey. Then the lis
tener usually to his amazement, if not
alarm, hears issuing from the mouth
piece, the identical words or musical
tones which, a few moments before had
been poured into the same receptacle.
The reason for this is evident. The
pencil point, travelling rapidly over the
dots, and ridges in the tinfoil which it
had on its previous trip itself made, is
caused to yibrate, and these vibrations
transmitted back to the disc, are rem
dered audible.
AS l have previously intimated, the
photograph is still crude and faulty in
its working; but it is already successful
enough to furnish strong hint of the
possibilities of the principle involved.
When the cOntrivance is entirely per-
fected, who can tell what blessings may
not be conferred by this process of
''salting down" so to speak, the invisi-
BILE tremors of the atmosphere? In the
words of Philadelphia journalist, a
housekeeper, for instance, who is going
out to spend the day may speak into
the machine full directions for the con-
duct of affairs in her absence, and the
servants can grind out instructions from
time to time, as they are wanted. If a
mother, she may murmur cradle song
into the mOuthpiece, and have the nurse
give the crank few turns each time
the baby stirs in it's cradle. A naval
officer who is going upon a long cruise
can spend two or three days at the ma
chine, and leave behind him enough
conversation to entertain his family IN
til his return. A distant lover, having
recorded his VOWS upon the plate of the
instrument, can mail it to his darling,
who may listen to the very tones of his
voice. A husband, about to die, might
put away enough of affectionate talk to
console his widow in her loneliness un-
til she married again. A man who was
married, say for the third time, might,
when his wife scolded him too venom
Ously, bring out the plates of his first
and second, and console himself with
their gentle utterances while he covered
his third with humiliation. 1t is a great
invention.
The history of general events for the
week here is quite barren of interest.
The money question attracts perhaps
more notice than any other. The I'M
expected course of gold which persists
in lowering about par, has caused much
surprise, and has induced several firms
among them Steyart'sretail department,
to give out gold for change in large guam
titles. The first batch of the new silver
dollars has been received, and is eager
| ly sought for, largely, | presume on
be worth only 90 cents as the anti-silver
men claim, but notice that you cannot
go down to the Sub-TreasuPy on Wall
street, and get one of them without Civ
ing a gold dollar for 1T. Greenbacks
are not looked upon as good enough.
This course, although somewhat annoy
| ing to those who wish the new coins, is
| plainly the only one open to the Gov
ernment. Congress having declared the
silver dollar equal to the gold one, could
! not consistently accept anything less