Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-08
LIGHTNING.
MORE ABOUT TIE PARIS EXHIBITION
OF ELECTRICAL WORKS.
Edison's Department Electric Lights Com
pared-Curious ard Delicate Electro
cal Machines-The Telephone-Etc
PARIS, September II. 1881.

PARIS, September IL. 1881.
The most interesting as well as most
popular of the inventions exposed in the
Department Edison at the Electrical Ex-
hibition is his telephone, which differs
very much from others to be found through
ont the Exposition building. Instead of
tubes being held to the operators ears,
the person wishing to hear merely
stands before speaking trumpet,
turning with his right hand a
small wheel adjoining, while situated
at his right side is a circular disc at the
elev alton of his head, and through which
issue the sounds so loud and distinct that
they can be heard throughout the entire
room. The gentleman who speaks through
| this telephone is three rooms off, and yet
when he sang, and particularly when he
| Whistled, the audience Turned around, eX-
peeSing to find MIN hidden in some corner
of the hall This distinctness and loudness
of sound is explained as produced by the
aid of simple piece of chalk. The per.
son who speaks through the instrument
uses his ordinary tone of voice, yet there is
manner of doing it which contributes
more or less to the success of the operation,
and so that the effect might prove as ad-
vantageous as possible, it is generally the
same young gentleman who delights the
audience with his improvisations.
THE CURIOSITY OF THE PUBLIC
Is such that his services day and evening
are almost constantly in demand, and as
subjects of conversation become more and
more rare, he is induced to the recital of
iniantile rhymes such as, for instance,
&c Mary had little lamb" or to the
whistling of Yankee Doodle" all of
which make the English-speaking part of
the audience smile, while the French listen
with great gravity, supposing the words to
refer to some scientific explanation. This
young gentleman has been SIX years with
MIR. Edison, working, he said, not only all
day, but all night, and Sundays, too. he
| added in low voice, as though afraid OF
being censured for his wickedness. then
| informed him that he could mention the
fact in as loud voice as he pleased IN this
country, for Sunday was day ON
which one did as he wished, which was,
generally amusing himself, and l did
not doubt thar such work to MIR. Edison
was play. eyes, it was" he answered
60 he cared for nothing else but his work
| shops, and no one can imagine how inter-
esting and absorbing suca work is. That
which seemed to me charming operation
was the transmission of the handwriting
| over any required space. was asked to
write something upon piece OF paper
such as is prepared for that purpose, and
found it an excellent opportunity OF ex-
pressing my admiration of MIR. Edison's
| genius | assisted at the operation of
placing the paper on a horizontal cylinder,
which was Immediately put in motion, and
! then adiourning to the next room, per-
ceived on a similar cylinder, also in mo-
ton, piece of paper on which my words
and the exact handwriting was becoming
visible, producing the characters from the
top, so that the first upper half of the letters
were first seen. Three COPIES were given
to me- but as many could be obtained as
one might desire. The electric pen proved
source of interest to all visitors,
very probably because it was possible
to come into possession of it in ex-
| change for certain number of dollars,
which places it within the reach of moder-
ate purses. His machine is not cumber.
some, for it can be placed upon quite
small table which would comfortably hold
the entire apparatus. The pen and pen.
holder are very little larger than ordinary
ones, and besides are light and easy to
write with, and the only difference 1e-
CURED in penning the words is in holding
the pen in a more vertical position and in
L Abar heavily NJ hon tho
paper is flied out it is placed in sort of
box the size of large foolscap sheets, closed
over other paper and a roller run over the
kind of ink from the roller. 1t requires
but motion of the hand to produce
AN EXACT COPY
OF the original, and as many copies may
be obtained successfully as desired, even
I'D to five thousand, without the last being
less distinct, as in the case with engravings.
There was very pretty machine, such as
is used to record the names OF shares and
the figures Of the Stock Board when IL
session. By turning the hand of dial
| placed upon table, one causes the little
machine beside him to mark on an inter-
minable slip of paper the letters and figures
| desired, which, as fast as printed, are
showed on by the machine. The mechan.
| ism is very delicate, and it is very
interesting to perceive how intelligently the
little machine moves internally from right
to left and back again as letter or
| figure is wanted. A movement of the
dial produces spaces as well, so that the
words are distinctly separated and the
reading of them very easy and simple This
! is but one part of the work, for while this
machine is operating in the stockboard-
room, similar machines, placed in the Off
ces of merchants, brokers and others, are
acting at the same time through electricity,
producing only and exactly that which it
produced in the stock board, and thereby
The telephone has in part supp!anted
this invention, but it is still preferred
by stockholders. was shown small
machine for telegraphing, and for which in
vention Mr.. Edison has been paid hundred
thousand dollars by a company, although
they have never claimed it, as their object
is TO prevent its falling into the hands of
Others, which circumstance would prove
financially disastrous to them. noticed
very delicate machine, called a machine of
precision, which seemed to be
A FLUTTERING, LIVING CREATURE,
Owing to its delicacy and sensitiveness.
It was placed under glass case, and
even then each jar of the table ap-
peared to affect its nerves." In fact all
Mr.. Edisen'sinventions are graceful and del
icate and seem the expression of a sensitive
and delicate intellect. What is particu-
larly beautiful about them is the simplicity
to which they are reduced, that while mar
yelling at the genius of this man one
wonders why it was no one had thought
of them before. All these machines
appeared to me so many young prodigies
who were saying: "We shall yet be much
more wonderful when we grow up;" and,
in fact, they most likely are the A, B.
G of marvellous book which the