The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-21
HIS LATEST WONDER
EDIsON's MACHINE ron fsEPRODUC-
ING OPERAS AND PLAYS.
He Believes Newspapers of the Fu-
ture Will BE Published ON Rolls
and Read by a Photograph.


New York News.
AS preliminary to the introduction Of
some new wonders in electrical science the
chancellor of the State OF New Jersey viii
be asked to cancel mortgage on the brains
. of Thomas A. Edison. the wizard of Menlo
Park. 1t is a queer fact but there is .
company in existence which has a lien on
the inventive genius of the electrician, and
Edison is willing to pay $125000 TO secure
possession of it and continue In his wcnder-
working career untrammeled by the check
rein of others. That is 500. 100 more than
he considers the lien worth to anybody else.
Some OF Mr.. Edison's plans depend en-
tirely upon the restoration of his right to
the sole and exclusive use of his own mind
and the complete control OF the products OF
his inventive genius. 1t is a matter OF CONF
ment that the inventor has been less active
in his laboratory for the last two years
than formerly, and has sprung fewer sur
priscs on the public. In fact, he has tried
to avoid notoriety and sought to keep out
of the newspapers. Some folks have thought
that Edison had reached the end of his in
ventive career and was ready to retire
from active business, If he had not already
done so. He is a very rich man, and there
was nothing to prevent him from doing so,
except his own inclination.
AS matter of fact, / learned yesterday
from a close personal friend OF MIR. Edison
that the inventors mind has lately been
occupied with planning something more
wonderful than anything he has yet -tn-y
vented, and concerning which only a hint
has leaked out This is combination OF
the kaleidoscope and the photograph, which.
when it is perfected, will become rival of
the theaters. The kaleidoscope reproduces
by means of a. series OF photographs the
seems to the eye as If the observer was
looking at the movements of an animate be-
ural sound of a persons voice and other
noises. The kinetophone will do both At
once.
A WONDERFUL PROJECT.
Edison's idea is to unite tine kaleidoscope
and photograph so that the figure in the
machine can be seen to move and heard to
speak at the same time. With the sermons
of a clergyman like Talmage, whose utter
ances are now sent all over the world on
Photographic cylinders, this combination is
comparatively easy to effect. This is true
also of making speech. and is not
so hard where one more persons are en-
gagged in conversation. In fact, as soon as
Mr.. Edison RECEIVERS the entire possessions
of his brains he will begin experiments,
which he has already formulated, to put
this combination into effective commercial
shape.
Wonderful as this machine viii be. 1t il
by no means satisfactory TO the inventor.
and his energies will be devoted to perfect
ing il until all of its possibilities have been
attained Mr.. Edison himself said few
days ago that the ultimate result of COM
bination of the kaleidoscope and photograph
plete reproduction of operas and plays,
with hfe-size figures, speaking or singing
their parts and with the mise-en-soene
The cost Of the real production of such a
play for the purpose of having it repro-
1t might be as high as $4,000 for the single
performance required, AS It would enter
some trouble might be had in securing per-
mission miss for reproducing plays which met
that it would be possible to make arrange
ment to secure everything worth reproduce
ing in the machine.
The machine will resemble an upright
piano somewhat in appearance. When it
reaches it's last stage of perfection it will
reveal the interior of a theater when opened
for evenings entertainment in the own
er's parlor. The guests may sit and watch
and hear the play. There need be no waits
between acts unless desired, and an act or
scene can be repeated simply by turning
back the wheels.
AS it is now the photograph and kineto-
scope have reached a state bordering on
perfection for their separate purposes, but
them to work together in producing life-sizs
figures which move naturally and talk loud
enough to be heard through drawing
room. Mr.. Edison does not propose to have
any Punch and Judy show ABOUT his kineto-
phone; but VIII give finished and ns artistic artistic
an invention of this character requires a
vast amount Of work, and the machine may
not be ready for use for two or three years.
Another idea of Edison's is likely to cause
the printers some concern. 1t Is to have
ra o5s a Take novel like Trilby, for IN
stance He would have the characters as
sumed by persons with suitable voices, and
have the whole novel talked into the
chine. Cylinders would be duplicated in
quantities, and the buyer would take one
y,io In ic nh nh tar
going, and hear the story. He could rest
his eyes, enjoy, smoke and listen til he
was tired. All of his friends and family
could listen at the same time.
Carrying this idea further talking news
paper could follow. Newsooys would dis
At breakfast the morning paper. cyclinder
would tell the news from the monograph
while the folks ate their meal, and in the
evening at dinner the contents of the after
noon paper cyclinder would be given orally.
In this way much time could be saved and
the chatter of the dinner table gossiper of
nothings would no longer annoy the others.
Mr.. Edison said recently that he be-
lieved the newspaper of the future would
be published by monograph. His reason
for this was that the eyee , OK s people s
pie was becoming more and more occupied,
and many of the newspapers were now so
large that 1t was impossible Tor busy people
to read them through.
HIS PHONOGRAPH PROFITS
Mr. Edison has not. however, gone into
this branch of the monographs possibilities
and only spoke of 1t as showing what the
future may have in store for his invention
and for the newspapers.
Now, however, he proposes. IL allowed
to do so by the court tomorrow. to push
the of the photograph ana kaleidoscope
as household article, paving the way for
the Introduction of the kinetophone which
viii combine the two. The phonograph Is
directly involved in the legal difficulties.
Mr.. Edison sold his invention to the North
American Phonograph Company, which was
capitalized at S. 0C0.000 in 1888 Since then
the company has had rocky existence.
For some reason the company failed TO
make commercial success of the machine.
and for three years no monographs have
been constructed.
Mr.. Edison retained the right to manu.
facture the monographs, and the company
owes him over $4,000. besides his stock HN
recently made affidavit that the concerns
effects worth not over S250 600 but he
bid $4,000 for the same. An explanation az
this big difference in valuation which was
made by Mr.. Edison let out the workings az
his inventive mind. The concerns property
would be worth no more than so. 900 to any
body but Edison, while he could make II
worth much as he willed.
The North American Photograph Com
pany possessed one asset which depended
entirely upon MIR. Edison's own motion.
That was a claim on all of his subsequent
inventions In the way of improving tho
photograph or In connection with 1t. 1t was