The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-09
TODISPLACEWRITING-
A THEATRICAL MANAGERS PLAN OF
CORRESPONDENCE.

member Of the theatrical profession, and
the so called fad bids fair to become COM
mendable and useful practice.
The phonograph letter is just what its
name implies-a letter by phonograph. 1t
consists of a communication spoken into
phonograph.
The phonograph letter was first used in
general way by theatrical manager
who was handling one of Mr.. 7. II.
French's "Fauntleroy" companies in the
south. He noticed that one Of the attrac-
tions in nearly every town visited was
phonograph so fitted up that one or a
dozen persons could listen to its story or
song ut one and the same time
AS customary with itinerant showmen,
the first thing that suggested itself to him
was the chance for advertisement, so, send
ing for his agent to come backn to Will
mington, N. C.-the town where the
scheme was first tried-he had the scene in
the second act, where Cedric meets the old
earl for the first time, repeated to and re-
corded by the phonograph. Some ten or a
dozen cylinders containing this scene from
the play were prepared, and the advance
agent carried them away with him. In
every town visited thereafter he left one of
these cylinders with the local phonograph
agent, who gladly included it in his lin
tied repertoire Of Photographic works and
advertised it.
The result was scores Of people heard
this scene long before the company arrived,
and as the record of intonation, voice and
infection was absolute, and the perform
ers were among the best to whom the re-
spective parts have ever been intrusted,
the advertisement was most successful. AS
engagements were met the manager
picked up the Fauntleroy cylinders at the
local agencies and shipped them ahead,
again to be used by the advance man and
dealt out as before in the tour through the
country.
An injury to the managers hand, which
rendered writing painful, and for time
impossible, suggested the idea of using the
cylinders for correspondence, and they
were tried accordingly. The first letter
dictated-for that is what it really
amounts to-was to his wife, Besides set
ting forth the fact that he had injured his
hand and could not write, the cylinder
gave the gossip current of the day and the
general matters of business and included
about all that the customary hand written
epistle of a man to his wife usually con-
tains. Besides that several members of
the company saluted the MANAGERS wife,
each giving her aquiet little tip, as it were,
of the daily doings of her liege lord.
Tho ovlin1ar xtyoc ,,,ro n,1nl In n
sheet of cotton, incased in a cardboard car
ton and mailed. Afew days went by and
then came letter to the manager from
home acknowledging the receipt of this
present and asking what it was and what
use could be made of it. 1t then dawned
upon the managerial mind that having no
information of the change he had made in
the manner of carrying on his correspond
ence, his better half might well be excused
If she should attempt to polish the cylin-
der's surface and use it for an ash receiver
or receptacle for hairpins. Accordingly
he wired her to take the "present" to the
phonograph depot in the town in which
she lived and its use would be explained.
The dutiful wife did as directed and fol.
lowed it up by purchasing half dozen
cylinders, debating letters and playing
banjo solos to each, which were at once
sent to her spouse in the south. On receipt
of the cylinders he put them on the pho.
nograph and had what was recorded there.
on reproduced for his own satisfaction and
the amusement of several of his company.
One cylinder, however, was conundrum.
1t simply hissed and made noise resem.
bling the bursting Of paper bag, which
was followed by prolonged growl and q
sharp, quick sound resembling the break.
ing of piece Of wood.
The operator suggested the manager's
wife was splitting wood to make fire
and worked at the instrument some time
trying to adjust it, so that the record could
be got distinctly. Finally he gave it up
let the cylinder 60 on revolving, when
clear and distinct came the voice of the
managers wife: "Have Just broken 9
bottle. look toward you, and Chick
says, Me toop" Then all was clear She
had pulled cork from some effervescina
mixture (apollinaris probably and drunk
success to the new scheme for correspond
ing. This accounted for the Kissing noise
and explosion, and the noise lkened tt
that Of splitting wood was soon brought
out by readjustment of the machine al
the growing and bark of the managers
little dog
Now quite a number Of professional and
travelling men make use of the phono
graph letter system. They require only
two things-care in packing and knowl
edge of the speed at which the recording
instrument is run at the time of dictation
This should be marked on the carton con
tanning cylinder, for to secure perfect re
| production of the matter thereon recorded
the phonograph used to grind il out must bt
run at precisely the same speed. Thus, Il
the recording phonograph Is set to seventy
revolutions, witch in general way i!
about right for letter dictation, the cartor
should be marked Xxx. This will at ono,
advise the operator Of the machine upoI
which the record is to be reproduced how
to adjust his instrument and there will b,
no delay or breaks.
Inquiries made at the office of phono
graph company elected the fact that tn,
phonograph is used for variety of pur
poses-many of them akin to correspond
ence. For instance, leading soprano o
Denver church, who wanted to adopt tn,
stage as profession, wrote to a manage
in this city for an engagement. Herepliet
that he must first hear her sing and thu
get the compass and quality of her voc
before he could decide upon her case, ant
the matter slipped from his mind instanter
Some weeks later he received letter, ac
companied bya phonograph cylinder, upol
which was recorded very good rendering
Of well known test piece for the voice
which the manager had reproduced, an(
was so satisfied with it that he sent for he
to come to New York.-New York Mai
and Express.