Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-28
PH0N0GRAPH SUCCESS
Is Only a Halter of Intelligent Ma
nipulation and Patience.
COMING INTO USE ONCE MORE.
Efforts to Arrive at Means Of Resuscitation
in Electric Shock.
TYPE.WRITING BY THE TELEGRAPH
DINING INTO USE ONCE MORE.
TYPE-wRITING BY THE TELEGRAPH
WRITTEN FOR THE DrspArcH.1

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcH.1
The photograph has probably seen more
ups and downs than any other instrument
of equal usefulness. When first presented
to the public it was not commercially ser.
yiceable, and its early days were beset with
legal complications and financial obstacles.
Later Edison again turned his attention to
the instrument that he knew had more in it
than had yet been brought out, and he
eventually produced the perfected phono-
graph. The new instrument was tried in
many Offices and pronounced failure. The
user either would not or could not learn to
adjust it properly, or did not know that
phonograph dictation has to be learned like
any other art, or the regulation of the bat
teries became an irksome task; at all events
the ultimatum was pronounced, he
scouldn'r be bothered with it." and the
phonogrsph company was requested to take
the instrument away.
Men of more intelligence and patience,
however, had, as rule, very different re.
suit from this, and the instrument is now
rapidly gaining ground, and is spoken Of
most enthusiastically by those who used it
daily. In Washington the old method Of
debating to typewriter is declining and
the stenographer dictates his notes direct
to the phonograph at any speed at which he
can read them. The convenience of this
plan is almost incalculable, and the saving
In time immense. Commercial men are
Just beginning to realize what it means to
have phonograph at their elbow. and sp-
preciate the ability to dispose of mail Of
100 to 150 letters in a morning.
In novices at photograph dictation there
is generally little nervousness and dis
inclination to subject possible repetitions
and mistakes to the critical ear OF the type
writer; mannerisms and hesitancy Of speech
are not noticed in ordinary dictation after
the ear has become accustomed to them;
but on the phonograph they are so repro
duced that their peculisrities become more
apparent. But this diffidence. as rule,
soon passes away and the triumphant ex-
pedition with which an overwhelming mass
of correspondence can be disposed of is the
best possible tutor in enabling the business
man to do justice both to his own resources
and those of the instrument.
The popular idea of the photograph 10
gained from the nickel-in-the-slo instru-
ments that are distributed all over the coun-
try, the records on which are but too often
thin, squesky and unnatural, and utterly
misleading as an indication of what the
phonograph really can do. The singing and
speaking records on skilfully and suitably
adjusted instrument can only be described
as magnificent, and the voice comes out with
q natural quality and with such resonance
that nearly 100 per cent of the original
sound is reproduced. Such results as these |
are not to be obtained by a bunoler but !
that they are available is certain. One Of |
these days the general public will be edu- !
Gated up to the proper adjustment of their |
and then the best and the |
truly marvellous results of the use of the in !
strument will be obtained. What to many |
employers of the photograph will be 81
great convenience is a new toy dynamo, dec
signed to charge two storage cells for. driv-f
ing the phonograph. The dynamo Is small |
enough to be carried in satchel, and can Be |
run by cord from any convenient engine or 1
shaft