San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-14
LOADING PHONOGRAPHS.
SECURING POPULAR MUSIC FOR THE
WONDERFUL MACHINES.


Half dozen men were assembled in the
rear room of the house in Fifth avenue the
other afternoon examining some curious
looking machines that stood on raised
counter in the center of the room. At
tached to each machine was a big brass
funnel. shaped like the mouth of an ex-
aggerated ear trumpet. An odd little cylin-
der, that looked soft and greasy, revolved
at moderate speed back of the point of each
funnel On the other side of the double
glass doors that divided the room from a
much larger one in front three negroes and
a negress were listening intently. Their
heads were close up to the doors, and an
expression of expectancy rested upon their
faces.
Presently four of the men in the room
arranged themselves in front of a similar
number of tunnels, while the other two
went in back and began to manipulate
number of belts and screws connected
with the machinery. Then one of the men
adjusted the tunnels so that they were
close together, and the smallest of the
quartet, a pudgy man with square,
smooth shaver face, stepped forward, and
said in voice so loud that it made the lis
tening darkies jump:
"The following selection is Annie
Rooney 1t was sung on Feb. - by the
quartet"
SOUNDS FOR POSTERITY.
Immediately the quartet began to sing
in fortissimo. The darkies did not have to
strain their ears to hear, but they followed
the singing very closely nevertheless.
They seemed to be more interested in the
methods of the singing than in the result.
As soon as the song was finished the sing
ers sat back and discussed their work.
"That ought to have taken all right"
said one, "but what don't understand is
the way the machinery halts once in a
while Seems to me the battery is out of
order"
One of the men behind the machinery
now manipulated another screw, and pres
emily the machine repeated in queer,
strained tones the song that had been
poured into it. Then the quartet got up
and sang another song in the same fashion,
to which the darkies listened as intently.
They were waiting for their turn.
Every day the families who live in the
houses adjoining the one in which this per-
Torrance took place hear the strains of
music and the sound of highly pitched
Rotations, declamations, speeches and
dialogues. Every day, also, a lot of people
come into the Office on the lower floor of
this house and want to secure engagements
to talk into the photograph on the upper
story. Nearly all these persons are pro-
fessionals. Some of them expect to be
paid for their services and others don't.
Some are satisfied with the advertising
they expect to get out of their singing and
talking, and some merely wish to crafty
their vanity.
TALK WITH MANAGER.
"All sorts of people come to our Office"
said the manager, "and want to be al
lowed to sing into the photograph. Many
of them can't sing at all, and even some
who are good singers do not seem to be
able to use their voices effectively. We are
overrun with applicants, and have lots of
noted people on our list. We employ a
man to do nothing but play the piano for
the vocalists. The man who tests their
voices listens to the applicant while he
sings few bars, and if he thinks the voice
suitable he spends considerable time in in
structing it's owner in the way he should
sing into the photograph. 1t is very diff
cult to do that well.
MANLY Vi JD6 dppllCduOS "duU W ULEOW d
CARLOAD of pathos into their voices, or sing
in stacy tone and strut about melodra-
matically, as if they were before an audi
ence That won't do at all. The tone
must be natural and the words distinctly
spoken. Articulation is very important
element in securing good results. The
singer must stand still at certain distance
from the receiver and sing loudly and
clearly. Not one out of ten of the singers
who appeal to the public possesses a voice
suitable for the phonograph.
"We find it especially difficult to obtain
suitable female voice. The quality of the
tone seems to be too fine and too thin. A
baritone is the best voice for our purposes.
Although most of our applicants volunteer
to sing for nothing, just to have their
names repeated by the machine, we pay a
good and suitable singer well. We don't
have much use for the high class operatic
airs, but find that the popular songs take
much better"
The company keeps book in which are
written the names of all the applicants and
all the persons who have sung or spoken
into the monograph.
JOKING WITH SOUND.
The Twenty-third Street theatre band
pours its melody into the photograph about
four times a week. Any number of trios,
quartets, quintets and sextets are on the
list. All the cylinders on which these songs
have been recorded are labeled and put
away on their proper shelves. The same
song or recitation is frequently repeated
on half a dozen cylinders. The latter are
rented ont to the owners of monographs,
or are put into the nickel-in-the-slot ma
chimes. The other day party of young
girls went down to the Edison works in
Broad street and listened to the voice of
the photograph for some time.
One of the men connected with the COM
pany put up game on the girls, and made
them think that Mr. Edison himself had