The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-12
EDISON eruMRLEp on IN.
How the Wizard of Menlo Park Hap
pened to Invent the PhonoRraph.
Frona fhe Nefg York IVorId


pened to Invent the PhonoRraph.
From the Ne,0 York World
II have never seen in print true account
OF how Thomas a Edison first conceived
the idea of the phonugraph," remarked an
electrician who was at one time ir the
Wizards" employ, to a reporter. 1.-THE
photograph is the wonder of the world,
and one OF the few inventions which envi-
Gus rivals have not charged Edison with
having stolen. In fact, even his bitterest
rivals for fame, ali of whom appear to har-
Dor the idea that il is their duty to detract
from bis reputation for genius and honesty,
as rule concede that Edison did
really invent the monograph. 1t is an in
teresting story how he came to invent it,
Many years ago WHOM 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 dia-
phragms for the telephone, Edison had con-
structed a number of small sheepskin
drumheads to test their value as diaphragms
as compared vita metal and other sub
stances.
TO some Of these sheepskin diaphragms
ne had attached q small metal nee lie, whica
was intended to project toward the magnet
and assist IN conveying the vibrations
caused by the human voice. The shcepslln
diaphragms did not fulfill Edison's expecta-
lions aud he disc 3rdei them, and as usual
with appliances he decides to be useless,
they were thrown aside to be removed with
other rubbish.
His assistants soon discovered that by
holding the sheepskin diaphragms in front
of their mouths aud emitting a cultural
sound between the lips, a peculiar moi q APP
preaching music could be prod ucad 1t was
something similar to the alleged music pro-
duced by covering a comb with thin paper
ana humming tune on it. In passing one
OF the men engageu in playing on a diaph-
ragm one day, Ellison playfully ATTEMPTED
10 stop the noise by touching the projecting
metal pin with his finger, aud no 500 er had
he done so than he gave one of his peculiar
starts. Ell What's thatP said he, which
so aS.onlshed the performer that he dropped
the diaphragm. DO that again SAID the
WIZARD and it was repeated, and again
ms niger touched the pin TO his evident de-
light. He went about for some time asking
one after another of his assistants TO hum
or slug against the diaphragm, and finally
he got them to talking against it, he all the
time touching the pin lightly with his
finger
have it, said he, finally, and he re-
tired TO his den and commenced drawing
diagrams for new machinery, which his as
slstants speedily made, and few days later
the first phonograph was put together. 1t
was crude affair, the pin making an i'm
preston on wax and it talked imperfecly,
but il did we'll enough to show Edison that
ne was on the right track, and he rapidly
improved it until now it is very nearly per-
lection. A hundred men might have felt
the vibration of that pin attached to the
piece of sheeC-skin. but it took an Edison to
instantly realize that the vibrations might
be made to indent soft substance and be
susceptible of producing the exact sounds
OF the human voice that caused the different
vibrations. The photograph was regarded
as toy at first, but it sold for 81, 900, 600 re-
centlyo