Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-10
EDISON STUMBLED ON IT.
How He Happened 10 Invent the Pho
nograph.

Prom the New Yorh World
II have never seen in print true account OF
how Thomas A Edison frst conceived the idea
OF the phonograpb." remarked an electrician
who was ct one time in the ''wizxards" en-
ploy 10 World reporter. The photograph is
The wonder Of the world, and one Of the few
inventions which envious rivals have not
charged Edison with having stolen In fact.
even his bitterest rivals for fame, all Of whom
appear 10 harbor the idea that il h their duty
TO detract from his reputation for genius and
honesty, - . rule concede that Edison did
really invent the photograph II 10 an inter-
sssing story how he came 10 invent it Many
years ago, when Edison was still at Menlo park
and working night and day for fame he de-
voted months to perfecting the telephone, and
undoubtedly did more than any other inventor
70 make II practical by introducing the carbon
Plase INTO the transmitter. While experiment
ing on diaphragms for the telephone Edison
had constructed q number of small sheepskin
ofumneads to test their value as diaphragms a.
compared with metal and other substances.
10 some OF these sheepskin diaphrsgms he
mad attacheda small metal needle, which was
INTENDED TO project toward the magnet and
assist In conveying the vibrations caused by
the human voice. The sheepskin diaphragms
did not fulall Edson's expectations and be dis
carded them, and, as usual with appliances he
.oSioos W oe useless, they were thrown aside
to be removed with other rubbish.
his assistants soon discovered that by hold
ing the sheepskin diaphragms in front Of their
mouths and emitting cultural sound between
the lps q peculiar noise approaching music
could be produced. 1t was something similar
TO the alleged music produced by covering a
comb with thin paper and humming q tune on
IL In passing one of the men engaged in play-
Ing on diaphragm one day Edison playfuliy
attempted to stop the noise by touching the
projecting metal pin with his finger. and no
sooner had he done so than he gave one of his
peculiar starts. 'Ehl What's that?' said
he, which SO astonished the performer
that he dropped the diaphragm. DO
that again said the Wizard and 1t was re-
peated, and again his finger touched the pin, to
his evident delight He went about for some
time asking one after another of his assis tants
TO hum or sing against the diaphragm. and
finally he got them to talking against it. he all
the time touching the pin lightly with his fn-
ger.
4 have it. said be, finally. and he retired
to his den and commenced drawing diagrams
for new machinery, which his assistants speed
lily made, and a few days later the first phono-
graph was put together. 1t was a crude affair.
the pin making an impression on wax, and it
talked imperfectly; but it did well enough to
show Edison that he was on the right track,
and he rapidly improved it until now it is very
near perfection. A hundred men might have
felt the vibration of that pin attached to the
piece OF sheepskin, but it took an Edison to in
stantly realize that the vibrations might be
made to indent a soft substance and be suscep-
tlble OF reproducing the exact sounds of the
human voice that caused the different vibra-
tons The photograph was regarded as a toy
at first, but it sold for million dollars re-
GENTLY"