The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-12-10

r Vldnge, M Dc, yeSleTuuy, says inc NdV
York Press, were piled stacks and stOcIs
of dolls. There were big dolls and it'll,
dolls, fat dolls and thin dolls, handsome
dolls and plain dolls, negro dolls and
Chinese dolls, dolls OF every description,
and they possessed power that dolls
have never yet been gifted with.
NEARLY all of them can talk" said
Mr.. Edison, land they'll all be able to
talk when We get through with 'em.
Wantto hear one p
He took down q delicately formed
doll with yellow hair and an insipid OK
pression-the kind of doll that would
always be looked upon as an invalid by
its child owner. He touched q spring
in its back and from its interior there
came these fatcful words, uttered in q
deep and angry growl:
''The tariff is tax"
MY goodness gracious exclaimed
Mr.. Edison that mistake. The voice
and those words belong to Il parrot
which was to go to some friends of mine
who are Republicans"
He gave the offending doll to work
man and told him TO Jerk the insides
out of ii and'put them into the parrot.
Then he tried another doll with better
floating out the words:
'Sticks and stones may break my
bones but hard words can not hurt mt"
The "can not hurt me-" was given
with peculiar rising infection which
an injured child would use if she were
replying to the allegation of some com.
panions that she was q "tattle tale or
something equally rs bad. The effect
on the nearer was rather startling and
calculated to excite the risibles, as do
the words that come from ventrilo-
quist's dummy.
Mr. Edison's wonderful photograph
is responsible for ii all. For some time
the "Wizard" has been at work on q
baby-sized phonograph-one that he
could put into the stomach of doll and
thus turn that ordinary vapid figure into
something pretty nearly human. He
has finally succeeded. The photograph
ordinarily weighs about seventy-tive or
one hundred pounds, but by the use of
the most delicate machinery its weight
for the ''dollphones,'' as he calls them,
is only about a pound and q half. But it
is durable and strong, and so is the clock
work Which sets its metaphorical tongue
wagging.
Mr.. Edison says the machinery will
outlast the doll, probably. The doll
photograph doesn't unwind and ex-
haust itself as the ordinary monograph
does. The sound impressions are on q
tin cylinder, large or small, according to
the number Or length of the sentences,
which revolves when the clock work
starts it. There is hardly any limit to
the number of times an expression can
be repeated.
Mr.. Edison Is going to try to have
big supply of them ready so that the
company which he has formed can have
them on the market before the holidays.
He can get plenty of dolls and he is
turning out good many of infant phono-
graphs every day. He has some young
poetry and all sorts of babyish express.
ions into the talking machines, and as
soon as the cylinders are filled they are
put into the insides of the doll.
1t is expected that they will be on the
market by December 90 They will be
sold at prices ranging from So to 81 and
1t is probable that on Christmas day
many child will be staring supposedly
ut dumb-looling doll which suddenly
exclaims: II want to go to bed |" or "a
horse has four legs; one on each corner"
'How in the world did the idea strike
your" Mr.. Edison was asked.
well, it was this way he replied,
laughingly: Last summer 1 had n
couple of small monographs made and
put inside of two figures Then l pro-
ceeded to have fun with my friends.
Whenever they came in would twist
the crank and the figures would say In
unison:
"'Put a niclle in my mouth and I'll
tell you who will be the next President.
To, 4 Clax-o
land figure, but you couldn't find out
which was which until you dropped the
nickle in the mouth.
"The nickle would set the photograph
In motion. If 1t went into one, the man
looking for Information would be told
that the next President would be Ben
jamin Harrison and if into the other
then Grover Cleveland would be named.
1t was all matter of luck, but fate
seemed to have leaned toward Harrison,
for he got the most nickles. 1t struck
me one day that there would be money
In making dolls say something more
than papa or mamma as some of
them do, so Immediately went to work
with the result you see."
Then Mr.. Edison showed off the ac-
complishments of some more of the dolls.
They are all nude yet, but the spring
protudes sufficiently to be easily found
aud pressed through a dress. He took
up doll with Galway whiskers fringng
Its face. 1t was Il doll from the could
sod"
took Judy to the ball
To the ball. to the ball,
And she couldn't dance at all,
Not at all, not at all,
81 sang in fine, rich brogue. Without a
change of countenance it yelled:
"I'm liar; no amt; yes l am. You
stay here while go look Tor you Hurroo