Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-02-15
The Talking Phonograph on Exhibition.
Scientific American.

SclcHtliic AllcilcdH
Mr.. Thomas A. Edison recently cx-
hibited his talking monograph before
the Polytechnic Association Of the
American Institute, in this city. This
was the first public showing of the in
strument, and although much yet re-
mains to be done to make it fulfill the
design of the inventor, its capabilities
have already been advanced beyond
those which it possessed when displayed
to us in this Office shortly after its origi-
nation. The mechanical construction,
that is, the rotating sliding cylinder,
the vibratory membrane and the tin foil
strip which receives the indentation
and in turn transmits the pulsations to
the receiving diaphragm, have not been
materially modified, but by the use of
refectors Mr. Edsion has succeeded in
magnifying the sound so as to render
the same quite audible throughout a
large apartment The scientists who
assembled to hear the monograph man
Tested genuine establishment, and the
instrument itself, apparently on its
good behavior, did its best to strengthen
the impression. 1t proved it's capacity
as linguist by repeating sentences
spoken to it in English, Dutch, German,
French, Spanish, and the Hebrew. 1t
initiated with marvellous fidelity the
barking of dogs, growing OF cocks, etc,
and then taking a severe cold coughed
and sneezed and wheezed, until the ply
sicians in the audience instinctively
began to write prescriptions. After the
inventor had exhibited its reproduction
of his remarks, his auditors wanted the
machine to initiate theirs also, and for
a long time the apparatus was made the
recipient probably OF all the different
sounds that the human voice could pro-
duce or scientific ingenuity devise. 1t
withstood the test triumphantly, and
remained in modest silence while praises
were lavished upon it and suggestions
innumerable made as to its future uses.
Another proposal was to produce fig
ures of popular speakers in life size
electrotype Mr.. Beecher, for instance
reproduce his speech in tin foil, put a
phonograph, run by ock-work, inside
of him-the statue, not the man-and
stand him on platform to repeat the
new lecture on the Wastes and Burd-
ems of Society" Another suggestion
was that public speakers might repeat
their speeches to the monograph, and
then twenty -four hours later have the
phonograph repeat the words to them.
They could thus prevent themselves
from making rash or overheatcd or silly
remarks. An irreverent individual
didn't see but that now, with the pho
nograph and singing telephone, clergy
men and choirs were out of date. The
monograph could repeat service every
Sunday and run off old sermons with
wonderful accuracy; while, by having
enough telephones, one choir would
supply music to all the churches in the
city" An amendment to this was the
suggestion to use only the monograph,
because it could sing as well as speak,
and thus it might do the duty Of both
preacher and choir. An indolent listner
to the foregoing wanted to know if
monograph could not be combined with
clock SO as at the proper times to re-
mark, - clock, time to get up ~
o'clock, go to dinner and so on. The
audience some of the members of which
were at first rather doubtful as to the
foundation for all we had said regard
ing Mr.. Edisons invention, left well con
WINGED as to its wonderful capabilities.
Meanwhile the, inventor is relaxing no