St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-13
A MARVEL OF THE AGE.
Introductien in Minneapolis Of the Pho
noaraph-- Graphophone.
THE NEW COWPANY'S PLAN.
Tragedy Precedes Comedy in The SEN
sations Induced by Seeing the
KaGhine.
THE NEW COWPANY'S PLAN.

will be located in an Office in Minneap-
oils and be ready to TAKE orders for the
rental of machines. About three weeks
from now the machines will begin to
arrive from the manufactures the
phi Onograph from Ora ige, n. Y. where
$50 men are busily employed in
preparing machines for the initia-
tory step in the introduction
Of the machine and the photograph
graphOphone from Bridgeport, Conn.,,
where an equal number of men are also
busy in the same pursuit in regard to
their branch of the enterprise. SO,
within month the predictions of such
overwhelming proportions that have
been made during the past ten years
will begin to unfold themselves in
reality. The office in Minneapolis is to
be the central office of the state and as
rapidly as machines can he furnished.
branch offices will be established ali
over the state by the Minnesota Phono-
graph company which is simply a cor
poratOn working under the franchise
of the North American Photograph
company and Jesse III. Lippincott, sole
LicenSee Of the American GraphOphOne
company. Similar companies are being
organized all over the United States and
Canada, though Minneapolis is
IN THE LEAD OF ALL
except New York, Boston, st. Louis
and Washington. 1t is but a question
of time till Offices will be established IN
every city and town of the land. AS
machines will be placed at each station
for the use of those who cannot afford
to have one in their homes, it is bound
to be used, not only by the rich, but by
all classes. SAs the machines are all
alike there will be perfect uniformity.
The company will rent either the phon-
ograph or graphophone, which per-
form the same Office. being diff
ferent only in mechanical con-
struction: the graphophone being the
simpler machine of the two, and espec-
ially adapted to business work, while
the photograph is a more complicated
instrument, of finer mechanical adjust
ment,and will be more adapted to social
and professional uses. The company
will furnish either instrument and keep
cations are that in Minneapolis they
will come very quickly into common
use. Although no Office has yet been
opened. the operators of the machines
are receiving many calls in their rooms
in the West hotel. They say that over
400 business men of Minneapolis have
signified their desire to rent machines
as soon as possible. Among the names
mentioned by them to the GLOBE re-
porter as men eager to use the new ma
chine are prominent ministers, lawyers,
editors and social leaders of the city.
The stockholders of the Minnesota
company are all Minnesota men, many
of them being prominent citizens of
Minneapolis, so that it is entirely local
capital that is invested, and the success
of the company is that much
SUCCESS FOR TIE STATE.
In New York city over 5000 machines
have been ordered, though offices have
only recently been opened and no or
ders have been solicited at all. The
wonderful amount of confidence bust
ness men are placing i'll the success of
the machines is but recognition of the
trust placed in anything Mr.. Edison I'M
dertakes. The instrument has not been
used to any great extent anv place,
two kinds of machines in existence,
and those all in government depart
ments and in places Of exhibition, and
yet in Minneapolis, as elsewhere, every
indication goes to show that they cannot
be manufactured fast enough to fill the
demand.
The room of Mr.. Van Cleave in the
West hotel. where the machines are on
has been the scene of some
muSing incidents during the last few
weeks. People are lost in wonder and
as they read of the phono-
graph. but in hearing it and seeing the
wonders actually performed the mind
reels at the mighty possibilities that are
Enclosed in the voice OF the inanimate
thing. There are few but stand in awe
as the truth is really disclosed to them;
as when some great unknown fact is
first clearly demonstrated, but as
they grow more acquainted with
the wonder the drama changes from
the tragic to the comic. The wax cylin-
der IS placed on the machine that bears
in its etchings and lndentationS the
wailings and sobbing of a babe and
tender-hearted men acquainted with do
infant from the machine to their
fatherly arms and walk the floor to
quiet its melancholy strain. Ministers.
by nature, have seated
themselves to listen to discussion of
some learned brother of New York, and
a Wesley or a Bunyan could they be
called from upper joy to view their de-
scendents, would say the men were
crazy as they sit there by humming
of brass and wood, with a
rubber tube in either ear, now gravely
and now theoretically nod
ding and calculating: That's so; l
always said So"
COMPELS RHAPSODY.
A member of the choir of one of the
churches of Minneapolis, having heard
that ones own voice sounded very diff
to other ears. and that the only
way to know just how it sounded was
by means of the monograph, had the
large, fish-horn-lOoking tube fastened
On the receiver, and in his Sunday voice
slowed away the doxology. The opera
tor then affixed the transmitter, and the
placed the tubes in his ears.
His face darkened as the little needle
the hymn, and as the amen sounded he
sank into chair overcome with disap-
pOintment, and VOW passed his
lips never to raise his voice again in
song, and the church is now looking for
a bass singer.
Every visitor goes away in thought
full silence, and seems to have grown a
score of years in experience. He seems
to be inspired by prophesy of some
thing wonderful to come, that must
come slowly from its very greatness; a
thing that is to revolutiOniZe the news
paper. the opera and the pulpit; me-
chanical thing that will be stenog-
rapher. clerk and witnes, an Office
boy OF an educator, a pen for the au-
thor, eyes for the blind, servant for
and superintendent, and
carrier of Loves own voice
to the separated lovers. 1t will furnish
music for dances, as in New York a
stripped the fantastic to the orchestra
transmitted by the monograph. In
the words of ninety-nine out of every
who have been to see the little
wonder, whats coming next?''