The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-21
NO MORE PRETTY TYPEwRIrERs.
To Be Supplanted by the Phonauto-
graph, Letter Writing Machine.


From the San Francisco Chronicle
In bringing his intellect to bear upon
the evolution and perfection of machine
which he calls the "phonautograph," A.
c. Rumble, an inventor of San Francisco,
did not intend to snatch the bread and
pie from the mouths of the typewriter
girls, but if his invention is what he
claims it to be it may have Just such dis
astrOus effects. The combined art of
stenography and typewriting is doomed,
for the merciless mechanism of Rumble's
machine supplants both these CONNER
cial accomplishments at ono fell swoop.
In word, the business man may dictate
his letters into one end of the invention
and pull them out at the other ready for
mailing, The model of Rum ble's machine
which no one but himself and his finan-
cial hacker areallowed to inspect, has been
likened to a cash register 1t is Is inches
long, II inches wide and 10 inches deep.
The machine is divided into two distinct
parts, on the fronts of which are placed
small electric buttons which connect
with and control the mysterious interior
mechanism. You press the buttons, talk
into the receiver and the phonautograph
does the rest
Projecting from the upper pa TT of the
machine is a mouthpiece connecting with
a revolving cylinder similar to thai used
in the photograph The impressions of
the human voice are recorded upon the
cylinder the same as in the Edison inven-
ton. Back of the receiver is a travelling
needle for regulating the cylinder in re-
cording the remarks according to the size
of the paper on which they are to be re-
produced in writing. When full of words
the cylinder is transferred to the lower
part of the machine and placed on rollers,
above which is supply of paper for re-
celvlng the language. A small storage
battery furnishes the electric fluid for
translating the sounds into manuscript.
No ink is used ana consequently the ma
chine is not compelled to stop and swear
at blots The written characters are pro-
duced in bold, round hand by chemical
action, but that is another of the secrets
of the invention.
One dozen ordinary letters NAV be die
tated to the cylinder, which holds Office
secrets inviolate. The button is then
pressed and the phonautograph does its
work. transcribing the letters with neat
ness and dispatch, while the merchant or
lawyer is out at lunch or talking business
in the front Office From a roll of paper
the sheets are fed automaticall to the
cylinder, which, as soon as it has finished
one letter, goes on with the next, correct
ing bad grammar, but spelling entirely by
sound. When written the sheets slide out
through slit in the bottom of the box The
touch of button will stop the operator at
any point. Owing TO the inability of the
phonautograph to wrestle with the diph-
thong, the silent letter, the capital and the
elusive semicolon, the dictator is com
PEELED to revise his correspondence. but
that is generally done anyhow, even with
hign-salaried secretaries. Translating
seems to be the phonautograph' great
speciality, even though it is little shy on
spelling The written characters resem-
BILE those made by the electric pen, and
are of dark brown color. Another fault
of themachine, aside from its wretched
spelling is that it will not reproduce
figures, but insists on spelling out the
numbers as spoken. This, with the other
defects, Mr.. Rumble hopes to remedy in
the course of time.