The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1895-08-02
slrolso FOR PHoNooRAp4s


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A uirautss Vocalist whose Trade ..
a. sing Into the Machines.
Away out in the extreme northvsst.
erp mart Of the city. near the Mi.
/ wauL,e railroad tracks. Silas Leach
/ man nuts DO four or 1--WE hours every
day singing at the top Of his lungs
though not a soul IL In hearing but His
! wife SAYS the Chicago Tribune. when
he gets tired Of singing he varies the
proceedings by preaching a negro ser.
mon. or gives an initiation Of an Irish
wake. and altogether conducts himself
| In "a way that would lead the neighbors
10 consider him a NJ subject for an In
sane asylum II there were any neigh
bors. but there are not. This Is the
| very reason Mr. Leachman chose the
/ lonely spot for his residence. No one
ever goes out there to hear him sing
/ and yet he IL getting rich at u. lie
earns something over $50 a day. though
| b. never secs one Of his auditors. Mr.
/ l.eachmnn sings for monographs. and
] as be- has q monopoly OF the business
In the west he contriyos to keep busy.
and has even been heard TO express a
/ wish that he we're twins. lie has bet
ter protection In his monopoly than a
copyright or an injunction. or unllmit-
ed legal talent could afford. Nature
/ gave him the peculiar qualities that
enable him TO reproduce his voice per.
fectly on the wax cylinders. Hundreds
Of persons have attempted to break 10
on his profitable monopoly. but the re-.
suit Of their efforts put an efiectual
stop TO their attempts. And 10 Mr..
Lcachman goes on enjoying the monop.
oily and roaplng the profits thereof.
/ There are four other men In the east
that also do work for the phonographs.
but while they have to have a man TO
play the plano while they sing. another
/ TO make the announcement. another TO
change the cylinders and a fourth 20
/ keep the machines In order. Mr.. Leach.
/ man IL the entire show In himself
| Furthermore. he can give an unlimited
I number Of representations. while the
other four men are limited to a few
/ spccialtles each. Mr.. Leachman Is a
natural mimic. and therein lies the
secret Of his success. lie sings ballads.
negro melodies. and Irish. Chinese and
/ Dutch dialect songs. lie plays his own
/ accompaniment on the plano and takes
care Of the machines. lie prepares
/ three records" as the wax cylinders
are called. at one time. TO do this three
| monographs are placed near the plano
| with the horns at one side. pointing
away from the keyboard, at an angle
Of i5 degrees. The horns have TO be
/ placed very carefully. for fitth OF an
inch makes great difference In the
tone the cylinders will reproduce.
when the horns have been adjusted
exactly right. Mr. Leachman seats him
self at the plano. and. turning his head
away over his right shoulder begins Ia
sing as loud M he can. and that IA
| pretty loud. for he ~ man OF power
full physique and has been practlcing
loud singing for four years. He has
been doing this work until his throat
has become callouscd - that he no long
cr becomes exhausted after singing a
short time. a. soon as he has flashed
one song he slips on the wax cylinders'
puts on three fresh ones without leay-
ing his seat and goes right on singing
until passing train compels hin TO
stop for a short time. In the four
years he has been In the business he
has made nearly 100000 records, SO
great is the demand for them that he
cannot hll his orders. II Is such ex-
ceedngly hard work that he cannot
sling more than four hours a day. lie
gets Is cents for every cylinder he pre-
parcs. lie has repertory OF 400
pieces. and his work Is put on the mar
kct under score Of names lie has a
, remarkable memory, and after once
hearing a song can not only repeat tho
/ words and music correctly. but can
I Initiate exeellently the voice and OK
b preston OF the singer.