The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1878-05-11
The PhOnogra
AMUSING EXPERIMENTS ILLUSTRATING
IFS POWERS TO SPEAK.

| H~H Cu ripuIicI, tue CltN6t
English artist, drew his picture.
showing that in the future the
notes OF operate singers would be
bottled and stored away in bin 10
be drawn ut leisure he little
thought how soon his sarcastic hit
would be realized by an ingenious
American mechanic. 1t can be
done at present III u much more
simple manner. and in place Of
glass bottles, which are liable to
break, the notes of Albani or Cary
can he transferred to thin sheets
of tn foiI that can be carried eaallv
ID ones vest pocket.
All this and much raore can be
performed by the wonderful speak
my phonograph which was exhib-
tied to small party OF invited
guests IN Philadelphia by 1ir.
Henry Bently, president of the
Local Telegraph Company. This
little instrument, when resembles
an old fashioned coffee mill more
than anything else. was invented
by L. A. Edison. Of New Jersey.
VINO Is now engaged III construct
my Il much larger one when is ID
have a capacity of $4,000 words
The one exhibited was capable If
reproducing about $50 words in
every variety of accent and tone.
A rubber mouthpiece enclosed
thin diaphragm of ferr0iype metal.
which was easily Jared BY the
voice, causing Steel needle M
derneath to vibrate in. unison.
Around grooved iron cyhuder
WAS wrapped a sheet of tinioil, and
the moutbpiece adjusted ST. that
the needle point rested lightly up
on the foil.
The operator talks INTO the
moutLpiere and turns the cNiinder {
at the same time, and the needle
travels in the grooves around the
tinfoIi, making indentatinn in the
surface at every vibration caused .
by the voice. When the entire
surface has been traversed the }
mouthpieoe is readjusted 10 the
starting point, and as the crank Is
turned tie needle springs FROM
hole to hole IN the tinfoil, causing
the dIaphram to vibrate rs u Gia
when originally Jared by the voice
As this causes the opening md /
shutting of the valves of the dIa-
phram, everything that has been
said III the mou,hpiece Is repro
duced with startling accuracy.
The explanation having been con
cluded, the operator said slowly
and distinctly IN the mouthpiece:
Now is the winter of our discomfort
Made glorious summer by this son of
York;
And and all the clouds that lowered upon
our house,
In the dep bosom of the ocean buried,
Hipi Hip. Hnrlahl! Three cheers Iof
Gen. Grant
Houp la Houp le! va hoo!
The cylinder was then reset. and
the machine repeated the words IN
precisely the same tone, causing
shouts of laughter from the spec
taiors. Another trial was then 4
made, then operator saying III th,
nouthpiece:
Once in Persia lived a King.
Who upon his signet ring
Grived a maxim wise and true,
Which he ever kept in view,
And repeated day by day:
''Eveu this shall pass away
My little instrument, if | ha,!
you at the Centennial Exhibition
wc haze astonished the
'Ireigners? / rather think so
fonidn't the Chinese have opened /
.heir almond ewes When they :
leard you talking 10 them in bro
ten China? Heighol All. ha-a- :
Ia ~
The effects Of this speech, when }
eprodGced by the machine, v-ls !
,ldlcous IN the extreme, and for 7
everal minutes nothing could he S
Ieard but roars of laughter of all /
resent. lii which the operator y
oiued heartily. 4 number Of other = =
peeches were then given IN the :
leuthpiece. includiug the lines j
0or old Ned Adams used 20 de- j.
Iver so pathetically IN The Dead d
ieart:'
Nineteen years IN the Bastlle, l =,
my name upon the wall \
nd that name was Robert Landry" }
THIS was repeated by the phono- j.
raph Ia IL manner that would !i'
ave brought down the house" =,
non any occasion. After several =