The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-05-24
The phonOgraph . Success.

Il HraW reporter yesterday that the
photograph had given him more trouble
than any other of his numerous inyen-
tons. Since it was first exhibited in this
country and in London, eleven years ago,
it has been reyolutonjzed, and the ma
chine Of to-day is entirely unlike the tin
foil recording phonograph Of 1887, except
so far as the principal on which records
sounds is concerned.
| a Herald reporter made a special visit
to Mr. Edson's laboratory at Llewellyn
Park yesterday afternoon. On entering
the experimental room he heard cornet
playing, without horns OF musicians in
sight. 1t was Edison's wonderful phono-
graph throwing ont ::'nusic like a brass
band. Half an hour previously horrs
had been played near the instrument.
Not note was lost.
"The music would come out Just as
good fifty years hence as now," said Tie
Wizard to the astonished visitors who
we're gathered around the strange me-
chine. The same musicians were called
in, and they played waltzes, sonatas and
military marches. A big funnel, six feet
long, coaxed in the music and focused
it against the tiny drum of the phono.
graph, which in tu-a, vibrated under
each sound wave aud punched l.ltle
needle against wax cylinder revolving
by electric battery power ct the rate of
100 revolutions minute.
All the music was faithfully recorded,
and in few minute: the phonograph
was repeating those ~ld and stormy
notes as well rs the softer cooing passages
to delighted human cars. In the centre
of the room stood concert grand piano.
at was made by the manufactures
for little Jo.ef Hoffman," said Mr..
Edison. by request this instrument Was
also played ard lis music reproduced
again and sgain nearly as it came from
the fingers Of the man on the paHo
stool.
Mr.. Edison said that having perfected
the photograph for Tie human voice he
was now trying to make it capable o; re
producing music exactly as j, is written
and played. He had found great di'li-
Guilty in determining the proper speed
for the machine, and The proper length
and focus Of the receiving c"ne which,
like an ear trumpet, conducts sound to
its little end attached to be phonographs'
drum.
Experiments showed that music p!ayel
| in low octave WAS Transformed into
piccolo by the phonograih vixen run st
high speed, while the high notes tc
come rich bass with lower speed of the
phonograph roller. II the speed of the
role. and pitch Of The receiving cone he
Just right tho music will be transmitted
and reproduced exactly as played. y
coed illustration was given vixen ore Of
the experts said that mans image was
exactly reproduced without distortion
in two mirrors If they we're placed at lF"
proper angles. The slightest deviation
from correct position would make mans
reflection appear too tall, too short or cut
of proportion, 81 in concavc or convex
mirrors. The laws governing sound,
waves and light ere somewhat similar.
The Wizard said he expected to have his
musical monographs ready for use in
few weeks.
The speaking phonograFh was tested
in various ways. 1t Was success. lie
wax cylinders, on which the sound i'm
pressions are registered, are hollow, ionr
inches long and about two inches in di'
ameter-the shell being from sixteenth
to an eighth of au inch thick. They
closely resemble four inches of large
church wax candle, bored out and turned
smooth. The phonoeraph, with its wax
cylinder revolving, looks like boys
turning lathe, the cutting chisel being
the pin fastened to the little drum Of the
receiving tube and which records on the
wax roller the sound. They are mere
dots 80 fine that one can scarcely di5Iin-
guish them without glass.
One thousand words are taken on ole
of these cylinders aud no eye can dis.
tinguish them. The screw that prope!s
it hiss 100 threads to the square inch, and
tie ordinary speed is seventy revolutions
a minute. A ten minutes talk Of dicta-
ton fills tie roll. 4 type writer man can
copy it thousand times end then put it
away in a box 10 repeat in the tones Of
the original human voice that first utter
ell the sentences. Mr. Edison said he
would soou be turning out the talking ma
chine at the rate of 200 Q day.
TO test the practicabilty of the ma
chine, extracts were read to it by the
reporter and dctation given it. Every
word was taken and then copied off on a
type writer by Mr.. Elison's secretary.
lie said that their correspondence WAS
dictated to tie wax rolls and copied and
preserved. They were cheap. Zach
would contain 10000 words before worn
out. a little knife pares oil the surface
of the roll when filled if the last dicta-
ton i, not to be preserved, otherwise q
new roll must be used.
ifr. Ellison said the machine would do
away with much Of the labor OF steno.
graphy for dict:tion and private cores.
pondence. For taking public speeches
the biz music funne! must be used as
when recording from ~ orchestra.
4 Little Too Smart.
heard the other day of clerk in =
dry goods store who was smart and quick,