Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-01-03
THE NEW PHoNooRApH.
N view OF Its Operations When In Full
blast In a Newspnper Office.

Edison claims that his new phono-
graph. few OF which are now on the
market, Is going to work revolution
In newspaper offices. The editor or
reporter will talk what he has TO say
right into the monograph. The metal
strip which receives the remarks.
which Mr. Edison calls the phono-
gram, but which probably should more
properly be called the gilder-Huke. ia
Then removed and sent to the compos-
lng-rocm, whore it will be inserted in
the compositors photograph. He will
touch lever with his foot, and the
machine will casually mention ten
words, and then relapse into deep
thought, till he sets them and repeats
Inc performance. If he doesn't catch
the remarks he kicks another lever
and the machine repeats.
All this has very interesting ap-
pearance at distance, but it does not
seem as If the composing will be
altogether free from trouble even
when there is an able photograph
wearing swa,low-tail coat and open
front vest, sitting up on every case.
dlctating scholarly editorial and
graphic descriptive matter 1t will
make the composing-room partake
something Of the nature of an anarcb.
ISIS meeting to have half a dozen
monographs in an Evolutionary voice
talking of editorials, while twice as
many are rolling out telegraphic mat
Ter and another gang are making
earnest remarks about the markets.
ana still another lot are roaring ont
the advertisements. When one of the
editorial machines begins to get deep
~ In earnest and puts one hand under
It's coat-tails. swells out its breast.
throws back its head and begins to talk
very loud about "a Crying Need of the
Hour" it will only help to confuse
matters. So also will the Government
chemist in the baking powder adver.
easements, and the reduction sale dry
goods announcements; when these
monographs begin to paw the upper
case, and howl and occasionally shoot
out an electrotype cut of new sum-
mer suit or something, and take the
compositor in the ear, and knock him
down and then get mad because he
isn't up and at work, it is going to
make exciting times.
While the unsuspecting photograph
Is leaning over and pouring its ten
words into the compositor's ear he will
forget and make his well-known and
heated remark about the leanness Of
the type or the unsatisfactory charac-
ter OF his take" or he will make
| overtures to another compositor look.
Ing toward the loan of some tobacco,
and the photograph will take it and
mix 1t up with an editorial on 1.-THE
Progress Of Church Work." and he
will set it this way and subsequently
the earnest, glowing swear word of the
| proof-reader will be noted as it float.
out from another room.
| Then one of those excitable, nervous
men will be working on case with &
quick. impulsive photograph. and the
foot-lever will break, or something
and the photograph will go right OF
talking, and he will try to set as fas
as it can talk. The casual spectator
will observe a tall, round shoulderet
man, with no suspenders on, humping
down over the case and making
desperate and lightning-like grab
after letters out of two boxes at once
The air will be filled with type hyins
in all directions. and above the roar O
the monograph, galloping along on
cable dispatch full of Russian Generals
names, will be heard the red, moltel
remarks of an ex citable, nervous com
positor. The type in the air will grow
thicker, pieces of the partitions be
tween the boxes will join the cloud, tn
nervous man will double over still NOR
and clutch whole handfulls of "e's
and three-em spaces and hurl them Ii
to the ceiling, scrape down the upper
case, tearing away the boxes, all tn
time yelling stopper 'er!" to whic
the machine will only reply with
hoarse, hollow laugh, till at last he wi
seize it, and tear it from its place, an
beat the floor with the helples mech
anism till it becomes a shapeless mass
and hasn't word to say, and till tn
tall, excitable compositor has to b
carried away to the hospital.
Such scenes as these will tend to dis
turb the harmony of the composin
room and cause friction.
Again, when the editor is pourin
his tale into photograph, perhaps
door will slam, for instance. and II
faithful instrument will record it; al
when it is repeated for the composition
if he doesn't happen to fully understan
the thing, he will stand there all nigh
and perhaps eventually become insan
trying to set that slam.
This will cause loss of time, an
more friction and profanity, and o
the whole there is going to be NOR
: trouble with the photograph in tn
: composing room than there is no
with the dark, mysterious, unknowa
BILE specimens of penmanship at pre-:
ent turned out by the editor, VIII
claims that he used to set type wit
Horace Greedy, and has been frequen
, ly reused out of a sound sleep in til
middle of the night to find the eide
, Bennett standing by his bedside wal
: ing with perplexed air to ask his az
2 vice on some knotty journalistic poin
The Upper Berth.