St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-02
thus gain all: believein and respect the
liberty of every human soul, then mar
rage and life will be success in the
broadcast, truest and best sense.
G.. JIG.
A REMARKABLE INVENTION.

A REMARKABLE INVENTION.
Johanna Examines the Grapha-
phone and Pictures Its Uses in
Connection With Widowers.
Written for the Globe
Going downtown one day last week |
could not help hearing conversation
carried on in the street car by two la
dies who sat opposite me. They were
discussing remarkable invention
which is on exhibition at the Merchants.
One said it was only monograph
after all, but the other one could not de-
eide whether it was a nophograph or a
graphonaph or graphaphone. ''It
doesn't make any difference" she
finally added after 1oundering about a
while On the graphs and phones: what
ever it is, it is thing that makes you
talk back at yourself, and | am going
to see lt.'' 1t suddenly oc-
CURED to me to crafty my own
curiosity by visiting this double
back-action telephone and | started at
once in search OF my own voice, and
succeeded in bringing home bottled
"Reminiscences of myself, as 1T were, on
pasteboard tube covered with some
sort of rubber compound, made to re-
ceive the sound. There were two in
strumentS in the room, one the phOnO-
graph, and the other much simpler
looking arrangement mounted on sew
ing machine frame and worked in the
same way was the graphaphone. When
| entered it was holding forth in the
ears of an old lady who sat with two
rubber tubes hanging from her ears,
and looking into vacancy with that rapt
attitude of listening to some unseen
sound, occasionally laughing over what
was being ground out to her.
In fact, this antiquated dame
looked so pleased wnen she rose
and laid aside her hearing, remarking.
Yes, yes; that is the same old story"
was strongly inclined to suspect the
graye-looking operator of having read
her love letter. Next in order came
young woman, evidently from the
country, land apparently bride. Now"
said the operator, ''say something in
this moutnpiece, rather loudly, just as
you would talk through telephone,
then Pll put 1t in the instrument, and
you can hear your own voice." 1t is
astonishing how little we want to say
when we know it is going to be repeated
word for word. and for moment the
girl could think of nothing. Finally
one of her companions suggested, Say
anything at all: say Mary had little
lamb"
MARY had little lamb" bleated the
bride into the trumpet, and finished the
verse. Now we will let you hear your
self say it," he said, and demonstrated
the fact. Then he took the cylinder
upon which her immortal quotation was
engraved and presented her with it..
One of her friends was trying to per-
suade her to go home with her to lunch,
but she declined, saying John would be
waiting for her at the hotel, and she
would not disappoint him. Another
one suggested: Just send him that
cylinder and explain that it is your
voice, and he will embrace it and be
satisfied"
But what good would that do me?''
innOcently asked the bluShing bride,
aud all of us paused and pondered over
the utility Of this wonderful machine,
trying to determine just where it
leaves off assisting us. If one could
pour into its receptive mouth all the
tender tones, the words that now are so
precious to our beloved, and let them
come back after we are dead, would 1t
Ilak0 III edSlci w USdI tiiC oCPoiooioii'
1t is barely probable that ones husband
might burn those pasteboard messen-
gers of sound, as he would so many old
letters, considering them only harrow
ing associations with the past. The
most successful plan would be to resort
to the mother-in-law system-and leave
these legacieS in our mothers hands,
feeling assured that with wOmanly tact
and understanding she will have them
ground out in due and opportune sea-
son. Let me draw picture from real
life, one year from now, when these
curious machines will be in al
most every Office. The festive
widower is picking up what he
thinks is the last letter from his be-
trothed. longing to soothe the tumultu-
Gus beating of his faithful heart by
listening to the dulcet tones OF her
silvery voice. He has read the letter
thrice, but he could never tire OF her
tones, so he places the letter In the IN
/ strument, hangs the little rubber tubes
in his anxious ears, and 1t begins:
'sDear Charley, you must be, conscious
of my presence, for | am here, here
with you, not only in sound but In soul.
can put out my hand and touch you.
Believe me, [ can see your race
ooh. Lord! It's Mary Ann" he
pasns. and flies around the room IN
Search of her, looking in every nook
and corner. peeps under his chair. peers
into the coal nod, lifts up the rug-bus
no Mary Ann. sit was a dream" he
says, wiping the cold perspiration from
his brow. THAT was certainly Llzzie's
letter. Back to the graphaphone he
tremblinglg goes, seats himself doubt
fully. after one more searching glance
around the room. and begins again to
reassure his senses. "You will always
be mine, DEAR" it says. 1.-The tie that
binds us will forever remain unbroken.
The" Here he swoons, ana me
mother-in-law from her observatory, the
ransom. looks down with a satisfied
smile, and crawling down from her
perch on the step-ladder, prOnounces
the graphaphone decided success.
JOHANNA.