Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-23
A PAPER THATTALKS.
The Latest and Most Marvellous Con-
ception of the Wizard, Edison.
a Newspaper That Reads You the News and
Sings You the Latest Opera While
You are at Breakfast.
New York World.

time it could be uncorked ana heard to
ceived the statement with open sceptic-
ism. Now, if Mr.. Edison were to an
nounce that he could talk with persons
on the planet Mars, it would be generally
credited. The Wizard of Menlo Park has
not quite accomplished that much, how
ever, but he proposes to do something
almost as wonderful in the near future.
The modern newspaper as eXemplifed
by the World is triumph of the creative
power of man. But Mr.. Edison proposes
to revolutiouiZe journalism by starting Il
newspaper WHICH can be appreciated by
the blind and even by the Dliterate. To
obtain the news of the day from Mr.. Ed
ison S proposed newspaper, all that one
Will have to do will be to turn crank and
listen. The newspaper will read itself to
him. y
Some inkling of this. marvellous pro-
ject of the great inventor having reached
the World, reporter went out to Mr.
Edison 5 laboratory. 'at Orange, n. j.. :,
yesterday Mr. Edison was greatly sur
prised that any hint of his new invention
had got abroad, and at first was 10th to
talk about it. 1t is simply one of the
practical uses to which the phOnograph +,
in'its full perfection can be put. The
scheme is still in embryo, but with the
rapid progress now beng made in the
perfection of the photograph and the
marvellous resources of Mr.. Edison IS in
yeptive brain, it is safe TO say that the
TALKING newspaper will be as well known
as the telephone is in the near future
1t is not generally known to the people
at large that Mr.. Edison has succeeded
in turning out what ne calls correspond
ence phonOgrams. These phonOgrams
are of Il peculiar waXy composition and
can be folded and put iii an envelope the
same as an ordinary letter. When the
message has been traced upon them by
the photographic needle is to be made
audible they are wrapped around the
photographic cylinder and by 4 reWOlu-
ton of the motor emit the sounds of the
voice which originally talked to them.
These correspondence phonOgrams can be
multiplied to any extent by wonderful
process, the details of which are yet to be
made public.
1t was stated at the laboratory yester-
day by one in the secret that, if neccs-
sary, 20 ,000 or more copies of the same
cylinder could be turned out in one hour.
They can be adjusted to any phonograph,
so that 20 600 or more of the talking
machines can repeat the same sentence
at given moment.
The possibility of this suggested to the
inventor the plan of utilizing 1t for the
benefit of those who wish to keep abreast
of the news. of the day, but who from
failing eyesight or from other causes are
not at present able to read the news
U',l
Compeny will supply its patrons with
monographs at an annual rental Of It
small sum. These monographs can be
used the same as any others to reproduce
singing piano playing, whistliug, band
music and elocution. But they will be
especially designed for the correspond
ence phono@rams.
The latter Will contain each day all the
latest news III a condensed form and will
cover each subdivision, such as the cable
and telegraphic, political, dramatic, com
mercial monetary, etc. Each phonO-
gram will be plainly marked so that the
reader, or rather the nearer, can choose
for himself which one he cares to use
first. If q new opera
has been produced the night
before he can listen to an able but
concise criticism of it and enjoy the novel
sensation of having repeated to his de-
lighted ears the choicest passages of the
music precisely rs they were rendered at
the theater.
If an important congressional debate is
going on the subscriber will be treated to
the most eloquent portions of the speeches
in the original tone of the orator. Nay
even the applause or laughter which
greets his bon mOts will be faithfully re-
produced.
In short, any matter of news which
embraces the speaking of one or more
people can be reported so that the sub
scriber can shut his eyes and imagine
himself present and listening to them
The purely descriptive items of news will
he given in Il crisp, terse and pungent
language by trained takers.
1t is not probable, however, that this
miraculous newspaper Will at once
achieve all these grand possibilities. AT
first it will be only designed, as has been
stated, to furnish synopsis of the daily
news, and for this purpose the first edi-
tons of the regular newspapers will be
read, condensed and repeated to the re-
ceiving monographs, multiplied on the
corresponding phonOgramS, and delivered
by carriers to the subscribers homes.
IN tnlS way the subscriber Will be aDle TO
learn all the news as he sits at his break
fast table, and not only he, but each
member OF his family can listen to it
at tue same time. By the time he has
eaten his breakfast he will know all that
has happened worth recording from the
four quarters of the globe during the
preceding twenty-four hours.
There will be, however, when the pro-
ject has been thoroughly established sew
eral editions of the talking newspaper
Some of them will be elaborate, and will
give in full reports of the most impor-
tant happenings.
1t was suggested by the reporter that
the talking newspaper would require
large and we'll trained staff of newspa-
per men and electricians to start with.
But he was informed that such would not
necessarily be the case. Arrangements,
it was said, would probably be made with
some great newspaper, such as the
World, whereby Il condensation of the
news columns of that paper could be pro-
cured at or before the time of going to
press, and Immediately transmitted to
ahe correspondence-ph onograms. The
talking newspaper, while it will be inval-
liable to those who for some reason are
unable to read newspapers, will not be
confined exclusively to them.
1t will not be necessary with the talking