The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-21
MANY ARE CHARMED
BY The Graphophone Exhibit at J.
A. Foster & Co.'s Store.
Crowds In Attendance Daily TO See and
Hear the Marvellous Machine.

The crowds OF Christmas shoppers who
throng the stores at this holiday season fud
few novelties that are so attractive as the
Graphohope department on ths second floor
OF the hig store of j. A. Foster 81 Co., at the
corner of Weybosset and Dorrance streets.
Hour after hour and day after day 1t Is al
ways the same; tho same eager crowds gath
cred in front OF the strange invention listen
ing with delight TO the vocal, the instru-
mental, tho orchestral selections that are
heard SO plainly through the big horns.
Although the Graphophone IL by no means n
new invention there are thousands of people
who never heard II. Those who are ac-
quainted with il always like to hear IL again,
while to those who look at IL for the first
time il certainly appears the most wonderful
invention of the ago, and Mr.. Foster Is the
authority for the assurance that there are
those, even Mt this day, who can scarcely be
made TO believe that the strange little ma
chine is not connected with some subter-
ranean telehpone system over which these
weird sounds come.
Since Mr. Foster has had the agency of the
Graphophone some fifteen months, more than
1000 Of the machines have been sold in this
section alone. Nearly all Of these have been
sold for use in private houses, although not n
few have gone to offices, where they have
taken the place of the stenographer. For in
stance, the Pope Manufacturing Company
at Hartford, Conn, has purchased three ma
chimes from Mr.. Foster. Into these all the
official letters are spoken, instead Of being
dictated TO a stenosrapher. and from these
records the typewriter makes her copies.
This is one of the novel features OF the Bijou
Graphophone, as IL c,n be use for recording
as well as for reproducing. That Is, II is not
simpl, machine upon which the regular
stereotyl cd selections may be REPRODUCED,
but the purchaser Ia enabled by the use of the
blank records that are furnished with each
outfit to have original records spoken OF sung
into his own machine. And the process is very
simple, so simple that child could easily
make the records.
Each machine Is furnished with a recorder
in which n sapphire point is so arranged that
the sound passing through the tube forces
it down upon the blank record, peeing off the
wax and making certain well defined grooves
along the surface OF the cylinder When the
ie order is changed for the reproducer the
sapphire ball on the latter follows thes, groves
and reproduces the sou d with perfect ac-
curacy. even as was illustrated Saturday to
the slightest vocal hrstation or tn, sma lest
misprono lnciation Of word.
During the past few months IL has become
quite fad among smart people to have talk
ing-n achino parties, and several Of these so
cial events havs been held in this city. In
some instances the person giving tho party
has purchased one OF his own, while in other
cns s'Mr Foster has furnished not only tse
machine, but the operator. The success Of
these Ia / s is -r oh that they are undoubtedly
bound TO increase In popularity.
The machine, with OUTFITS complete are only
s35 and and are guaranteed 20 give perfect
satis'ac n. They arc sold for cash or on in
stalments. and there nre none Of the 1900 Sc
lections that may Re reproduced that cannot
he furnished at short notice by Mr.. Foster.