The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-04-04
by CLINKSCALES & LANGSTON. ~
BILL ARP.
Arp speaks OF Edison, the Inventor.
atlanta Constitution.

Arp speaKs OF Edison, the Inventor.
atlanta Constitution.
/ was looking at likeness ofEdison-
Tom Edison as they call him. He does
not look very smart. His forehead does
not strike you as brainy, but he has q
determined, earnest look. The study Of
his life is a lesson to every ambitious
youth ia the land. Long before his day
lightning had been partially tanned, but it
is now manufactured to order in quanti'
ties to suit purchasers. The mysterious
subtle fluid that leaps from the heavens
to the earth in chains and flashes has
been subdued to wonderful uses and is
becoming the motive power of the ages.
Edison is the wizard of the elements and
now We read that he has perfected the
pbonograph, and can bottle up sound and
keep it and ship it anywhere for future
use. We are assured that his last inVen.
tion, when placed iu a rooln; will faith.
fully record every sound-every word
spoken-and will reproduce them weeks
of years afterwards. At private exhi'
bition recently given in New York alady
sing some operatic pieces while the pho
n3grsph was near, and the machine was
then sent to Chicago, where her friends
and relatives resided and they gathered
irI parlor to hear those songs repeated
and they we're repeated in tone and key
and swell and whisper to the very life so
that everyone knew that it was her and
no mistake. What about this? What
are the probabilities and possibilities of
the phonograph?. Some of ,us were dis
cussing this last night and | thought it a
good subsection a letter for the boys and
girls, something that would put them to
thinking. Msybeit might induce them
inventive genius to contrive gate latch
or an Eolian harp or cotton picker Or
son ething else. Not long ago I saw a
little contrivance that fastened the nut on
a bolt so that after it was screwed down
tight it could not work loose. This
invention was sold for twenty thousand
dollars to a great hardware house in St.
Louis.
While we we're talking about the phono.
graph lawyer said there will be one in
every courtroom: while court is in session.
The stenographer will be no more.
The phono will take his place. twill
be placed in front of every witness and
record his testimony in every important
case. twill record the speeches Of the
lawyers and Che charge Of the Judge. If
the case is carried to higher court there
will be no conflict Of memory in making
up The record. A preacher who was
present said: IF am not we'll enough to
90 TO church, / can speak my sermon in
my room and send the machine to the
church and place it on the pulpit desk
ant let it FIRE away at the congregation.
Maybe the wonder Of the thing would
keep them awake better than I can.
Then again, one preacher could supply
three OF fouz country churches, if each
had machine, fer you know the tinfoil
THAI receives the sound is just wrapped
round the.cylinder. and you can take it
offsnd send it by mail and wrap it around
another cylinder and let it go to talking
A lady said: Aud when my good hus.
band comes home cross, and finds fault
with everything, and goes to ripping
round, the phono will take down all his
rippings, and sometime afterward I can
turn loose the machine and let him hear
what a goose he made Of himself. Just
so, said her husband I wish I had one
right now, to take down your conjugal
sass and your delightful lectures when I
come home at night. An elderly lady
said: want one to keep hidden behind
the parlor sofa, and record something
courting at our house-some of the baby
talk that an engaged couple are indulg.
ing in; and if am ever engaged ,
married and the gentleman changes L-s
mind and denies his promises, I want the
machine to confront him when I sue for
breach Of promise. A careworn father
said our little chap has got the worse
temper in the world, and he kicks aud
squalls and flies to pieces forty times q
day. I-would like to bottle up about
one days yelling and keep it for him
until be is did enough to understand
what little scamp he was. This morn
ing about daybresk he got his little fat
hand through one'of the openings be-
tween the stats of his crib, and he yelled
and kicked like he wa; in yellow;jacket
nest. My wife and I beth jumped out of
bed to see what was killing him, and we
had to soap his hand to get it back again
l wish Edison would invent machine
to stop his everlasting bawling, especially
in the night.
One of the party wanted to know if it
didn't mix up all sorts Of sounds promis'
cuous. For instance, he said, sometimes
when ne are sitting by the fire in family
conversation FELTON, Jones's donkey goes
to braying, and maybe there is a COW
lowing and a rooster Growing and dog
barking and your peafowls screaming all
about the same time. Will the phono
take in the whole business and put in the
the music on the piano at the same
time.
No, no, said the philosopher, and right
there is the wonder of the invention. 1t
will MT nav anv attention to any sounds