Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-24
A Small Portion OF an Evening De-
voted to Talking at the Machine.
THE REFLECTIONS OF 20 MINUTES
As to the Difficulties and Fun fOrBeginners
With 1t.
ITS BUSINESS ADVENT AND FUTURE

success, but there is lots of fun with them in
the meantime.
When the phonograph was first talked of
predictions were plenty as to the many uses
for it. Prominent among them was the dis
placement of shorthand writers and amanu-
enses; but experience may check too ex-
alted hopes on this score. The processes of
working the phonograph treadle, such as is
attached to sewing machine, and conduct
ing the mental operations are not managed
simultaneously with ease.
The art of composition will have to change
materially if it is to be conducted on the
spur of the moment through a mouthpiece,
instead of by the slow processes of cogita-
ton with fingers upon the reflective fore
head and pen in hand. Wit and wisdom
will scarcely coruscate from the gray matter
of the brain to keep time to the swift revolu-
tion of the wheel, which runs this new ma
chine. But, leaving these considerations to
determine themselves hereafter, few points
as to the business phase of the enterprise
may be of interest.
THE PITTsBURG PROMOTER.
The chief promoter of both these instrui
ments is Mr.. jesse H. -Lippincott, a
former Pittsburger, now a resident of New
York. Mr.. Lippincott was one of the for
tunate sextette who took hold of the Bell
telephone at its introduction in PIttsburg,
eight years ago, each one of them making
out of it about $40, 900 within six months
from the day they took hold OF it.
Mr.. Lippincott paid to Edison from
$500, 900 to $3.50, 600 for the sole right to use
the photograph and graphophone. Subse-
quentlv he instituted branch companies in
different cities, first among which was Pitts
burg, his old home. The capitalization of
the subordinate companies is quite heavy,
the Pittsburg company's capital stock
amounting to $3.50, ,0OO, or almost the original
price of the entire photograph rights.
This stock was sold at about 80 cents on the
dollar, or $25 per share, par value $50. The
takers recognized that the issue was specu-
lative; and, it is understood that the chief
part of the stock has been put into blind
pool and is there awaiting the commercial
| development of the instrument. Whether
| it is to prove bonanza, or, as one of the
| promoters described it, "a song or a SER
mon, +" remains for the future to show.
Meanwhile the phonograph itself is GER
tainlv what Artemus Ward would call ian
amoosin' little cuss."
At the outstart one hardly knows whether
to get mad or be pleased with it. The
function of working the treadle, as on
sewing machine, may be easy to the femin-
inc world, but it is very difficult for men
who are unaccust,med to it. When they
sit down to the machine they usually have
their mind made up as to what they want to
treadle and then try to talk, they are
brought to full stop. The initial impress
sion of the graphophone, therefore, is that
whenever a man is constructed with his
brains in his foot the machine will be an
| immediate success, but scarcely before.
With experience this difficulty passes
away.
THE REAL REVELATION.
The most astounding development to a
| beginner is the revelation of his own voice,
In nine cases out of ten it is nothing like
what he had expected. He is usually
ready to swear that the machine is fraud.
II he had supposed that he was the possessor
! of beautiful tenor the chances are he will
| turn up with piping treble or a deep bass
At the same time the mechanical fact re-
mains that every sound must be recorded
accurately. The explanation of this phe-
nomenal difference between the results of
the phonograph and the speakers previous
| impressions of his voice is that most opera
tors begin in strange and stacy way. They
|
| ent tone of voice entirely from that which
they use in ordinary conversation. When
they acquire more familiarity with the in
strument and talk in a natural tone of
voice, they will undoubtedly get results
| more easily identified. When this happy
period arrives. the uses of the phonograph
| will be numerous.
Whatever doubt may exist as to the extent
of the use of the photograph for business pur-
poses, there is no doubt that it can be imme-
diately employed as toy. To produce
funny dialogues, music and conversation
extemporized into it, will afford pleasant
evenings entertainment. 1t can also serve
to receive the messages of visitors, when
lawyers, doctors and other professional peo-
| pie or housekeepers are out, when friends
call.
A serious thought suggests itself as to
whether offensive remarks spoken into the
| phonograoh are actionable, and if so, in
what form; whether they fall under the cate
CORY of libel or slander, or either. Hardly
can they be libel, since they are neither
written nor printed; nor yet slander. since
they are spoken to no one, but into an inan-
innate object. Yet no agency of libel or
slander could be more effective than this
new machine, for, while mere words pass
away into the empty air, this cylinder lasts
it, and produces with almost painful fidelity
every note and infection of the voice which
| is uttered into it.
A LITERARY REFLECTION.
Think of what treasures might have been
left to US had the ancients known of the
phonograph. Imagine the speech of Marc
| Antony, the poems of Homer, the debates OF
Cicero, the eloquence of Grattan or Pitt OF
Burke handed down to US with every in
tonation of the voice perfect. The realms
which are opened up to the fancy in this
phase of the question are illimitable. The
thought, of course, arises that if the phono-
graph had existed in the times of the above
mentioned, their orations and their ESSAYS
might have possessed far from the finish
which they are now invested with. They
would doubtless have foundit as difficult to
think and express themselves in perfect
style extemporaneously and working the
treadle as people in our days do. Addi-
sonIan English would certainly have been
at discount; and it is impossible to fancy
the smooth couplets of Pope composed while
sitting over phonograph. The weird, wild
possibilities OF dealing with the voices OF
the dead are sure to present themselves to
the Imagination. The voices of departed
ones can be preserved in families for years,
and in dark rooms at the dead of night may
be given out by the phonograph In volume,
and with precision to startle the whole
household. Could ghosts but materialize
the effect would be hardly half SO startling
as the use of the photograph in this way.
Hereafter the American would-be aristo-
crat need not save the pictures of his ances-
tors to gaze down upon him from the wall.
The actual voices of moldering generations
gone can inspire him, singly or in chorus.
The General, beloved by his men, whoadies
upon the battle field, may still urge his le-
gions on to the assault, even, as it will
locally be remembered, how the celebrated
and lamented Tenor O'Dwyer used to assert
he was hired by the Khedive of Egypt for a
similar purpose.
! DUCATs WHAT THEY WANT.
However, the promoters of the phono-
graph are not much concerned about the
romance of the thing. 1t is, of course, the