Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-01-17
The New phnnarranh.

A crucial test of the capabilities OF
this machine was recently made in
our presence, at Edisou's laboratory,
near Llewellyn Park, Orange, N. j..
A paragraph from the morning news
paper was read to the machine iii our
absence, and when upon our return
to the instrument it was produced
geographically, every word was
distinctly understood, although the
names, localities and the circum-
stances mentioned in the article were
entirely new and strange to US. An
other test of the perfection of the
machine was the perfect reproduction
of whistling and whispering, all the
imperfections of tone, the half tones
and modulations even, being faith
fully reproduced. The perfect per-
formance of the new instrument de-
ponds upon its mechanical perfection
upon the regularity of its speed,
the susceptibility of the wax cylinder
to the impressions of the needle, and
to the delicacy of the speaking
diaphragm. No attempt is made in
this instrument to secure loud speak
ing-distinct articulation and perfect
information have been the ends sought.
The new photograph is to be used
for taking dictation, for taking testi-
mony IN court, for reporting speeches,
for the reproduction Of vocal music,
for teaching languages, for correspoh-
dence, for civil ard military orders'
for reading to the sick in hospitals
and for various other purposes too
numerous to mention.
Imagine a lawyer debating his
brief to one of these little machines;
he may talk as rapidly as he chooses,
every word and syllable will be caught
upon the delicate wax cylinder, and
after his brief is complete he may
transfer the wax cylinder to the pho
nograph of copyist, who may listen
to the words of the photograph and
write out the manuscript. This in.
strument may be stopped and started
at pleasure, and if any portion of the
speech is not understood by the
transcriber, it may be repeated as
often as necessary.
In a similar manner a composition
may set his type directly from the
dictation of the machine, without the
necessity of "copy" as it is now
known.
Mr.. Edison informs US that the
whole of Nicholas Nickleby could be
recorded upon four cylinders eacl
four inches in diameter and eigh
inches long, so that one of these in
struments in private circle or in 4;
hospital could be made to read bool
to number of persons.
The little wax cylinders upol
which the record is made are provid
ed with a rigid backing and thu
cylinders are made in dfferen
lengths; the Shortest inch long
having a capacity of 200 words, thu
next in size 400 words and so on
These cylinders are very light, and
mailing case has been devised whicl
will admit of mailing the cylinders a.
readily as letters are now mailed
The recipient of the cylinder will
place it on his own monograph ant
listen to the phonogram-in which h,
will not only get the sense of tn
words of the sender, but will recog
nize his expression, which will o
course have much to do with the in
depreciation of the true meaning O
the phonogram.
A very interesting and popular u.s.
of the photograph will be the distri
button of the songs of great singers
sermons and speeches, the words o
great men and women, the voices c
animals, etc, SO that the owner of
photograph may enjoy these thing
with little expense Scientific
American.