Milford chronicle., 1889-09-27
gpIsoN sTuMeLEp ON u.
How the Wizard Of Menio Park Happened
to Invent the Photograph.

How the Wizard Of aIenio Park Happened
to Invent the Photograph.
have never seen in print a true account
Of how Thomas A Edison first conceived the
idea Of the photograph, remarked an cleo
trician who was at one time in the wiz
ards" employ The photograph is the won
der Of the world, and one Of the few inven-
lions which envious rivals have not charged
Edison with having stolen. In fact, even his
bitterest rivals for fame, all Of whom appear
TO harbor the idea that it is their duty to de
tract from his reputation for genius and hon
esty, as a rule concede that Edison did
really invent the phonograph.n It is an in
teresting story how be came to invent it.
Many years ago, when Edison was still at
Menlo Park and working night and day for
fame, he devoted months to perfecting the
telephone, and undoubtedly did more than
any other inventor to make it practical by
introducing the carbon plate into the trans
mitter. While experimenting on diaphragms
for the telephone, Edison had constructed a
number Of small sheepskin drumheads, to test
-AAsir yzl=s as diaskragrss IS compared with
metal end other substances
To some of these sheeps1in diaphrngnls he
had attached ii small metal needle, which was
intended to project towards the magnet and
assist in conveying the vibrations caused by
the human voice. The sheepskin diaphragms
did not fulfill ltdison's expectations and he dis
carded them and, rs usual with appliances he
decides to be useless, they we're thrown aside
to be removed with other rubbish.
His assistants soon discovered that by hold
ing the sheepskin diaphragins in front Of
their mouths and emitting cultural sound
between the lips a peculiar noise approaching
music could be produced. It was something
similar to the alleged music produced by Gov
ering a comb with thin paper and humming
a tune on it. In passing one Of the men en-
gagged In playing on diaphragm one day,
Edison playfully 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 thatm said he, which so astonished
the performer that he dropped the diaphragm.
"Do that again" said the wizard and it
was repeated, and again his finger touched
the pin to his evident delight He went
about for some time asking one after an
other Of his assistants to hum or sing against
the diaphragm, and finally he got them to
talking against it, be all the time touching
the pin lightly with his finger.
81 have it," said he, finally, and he retired
to his den and commenced drawing diagrams
for new machinery, which his assistants
speedily made, and few days later tho first
phonograph was put together. It was a
crude affair, the pin making an impression
on wax, and it talked imperfectly, but it did
well enough to show Edison that be was on
the right track, and he rapidly improved it
until now it is very nearly perfection. A
hundred men might have felt the vibration
Of that pin attached to the piece Of sheepskin,
but it took an Edison to instantly realize that
the vibrations might be made to indent soft
substance and be susceptible Of reproducing
the exact sounds Of the human voice that
caused the different vibrations Tho phone
graph was regarded as a toy at first, but it
sold for a million dollars recently.-NeW
York World.