Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-11-07
THE NEW PHoNocRAPA
A View OF its Operations when la Full
Blast la the Newspaper Omoe.

BgaAt Iva the Newspaper Omoe.
Edison claims that his new phono-
graph, few of which are now on the
market, is going 10 work revolution
in newspaper offices. The editor or
reporter will talk what he has to say
right into the photograph. The metal
strip which receives the remarks. which
Mr.. Edison calls the phonogram, but
which probably should more properly
be called the gilder-huke, is then re-
moved and sent to the COMPOSING
room, where it will be inserted in the
compOsitor's monograph. He will press
a lever with his foot, and the machine
will casually mention ten words, and
then relapse into deep thought, till he
sets them and repeats the perform
auce. If he doesn't catch the remarks
he kicks another lever and the ma
chine repeats.
All this has very interesting ap-
pearance at distance. but it does not
seem as if the cOmposng-room will be-
altogether free from trouble, even
when there is an able photograph
wearing a swallow-tail coat and opera
debating scholarly editorial and graph
ic descriptive matter. II will make
the composing partake some
thing of the nature OF an anarchists
meeting 10 have half dozen phono-
graphs in an elocutionary voice talk
ing of editorials, while twice as many
are rolling out editorial matter,
aud another gang are making very
earnest remarks about the markets,
aud stlll another lot are roaring out
the advertisements. When one OF the
editorial machines begins to get deep
ly in earnest and puts one hand under
its coat-tails, swelis out its breast and
throws back its head and begins to
talk very loud about "a Crying Need
Of the Hour" it will only help TO con-
luse matters. So also will the Gov
trnment chemist in The baking powder
advertisement, aud the reduction sale
dry goods aunouuu5ments; when these
photographs begin to paw tue case,
and howl and occasionally shoot out an
blectrotvpe cut of new summer suit
on something, aud take the compositor
In the ear. aud knock him down aud
then get mad because he isn't up aud
at work, it is going to make exciting
times.
While the unsuspecting phouograph
is leaniag over and pouring its ten
words in to the compositor's ear he
will forget, aud m Ike his well-known
and heated remarks about the lean
ness Of the type or unsatisfactory
character OF his take or he will
make oyertures 10 another c0mposltor
looking toward the loan of some to-
bacco, and the photograph will take
il and mix il up with an editorial
on The Progress OF Church Work, y
aud ne will set it this way and subse-
Quently the earnest, glowing swear
word Of the proof-reader will DO noted
as IL floats out from another room.
Then one OF those eXCitable nervous
men viii los working on case With a
quick. impulsiye photograph, and the
foot lever will break, or something,
and the phonograph will so right on
talking, and he will try 20 set as fast
as il can talk. The casual spectator
will observe a tall, rouud-shouldered
man, with no suspenders on, humping
down over the ease aud making des-
perate and Ughtning-like grabs after
letters out of two boxes at once. The
mir T,il be filled VITA type flying in all
directions, and above the roar of the
phuuugraph, gallopiug along on a ca
Die dispatch full Of Russian Generals
mamie, will be heard the red. molten
remarks of an eXcjta1ic, nervous COM
pusitur The type lu tneair will grow
thicker, pieces of The partitions be-
tween tho boxes will Join the cloud,
the urtyou. man viii double over stiIl
more and clutch whole hdudfuils Of
"e 5 and tlrep-em spaces aud hurl
them up to The ceiling, scrape down
the uppe.-caSe. tearing away the
boxes, all the time yelling stopper
err 10 which the machine will only
reply with % huarse. hollow laugh. ill
at last hu Wl, seize H. and tear 10 from
its place, aud beat tlr d 3or with the
helpless mechanism till it becomes a
shapeless mass, aud hasn't a word to
say, and till the tall, excitah.o CONF
positor has TO be be carried away to
the hospital.
Such scenes as these will tend to
disturb the armony of the composing
room and cause friction.
Again, when the editor is pour
ing his tale into phonograph, per-
haps door will slam. for instance,
and the thfu,instrumeut will record
il; and when it is repeated for the
compositur, If he doesn't happen to
fully understand the thing, he will