The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-04-10
!. LIsTeNINo no A PHoNoeRAPH.
Five Cheerful Minutes In the Waiting
Room of n Ferry.


Five Cheerful Minutes In the Waiting
Room of Ferry.
In the ferryhouse of the ferry to
South Brooklyn, atthe foot of White
hall street, there are a couple of
monographs. They stand back to
back in the middle of the great
waiting room, with their big harink
horns pointing in opposite direo-
lions.
Two men walked down.the room
from the ticket choppers box, one
6 foot man of middle age and with
the calm, self contained manner of
his years, the other young man,
an inch or 50 taller, who looked as
though he might be the older man s
son and whose bearing was cool and
administrative, in keeping with
that of the older gentleman. The
two tall men walked about, talking
quietly, until they found themselves
standing in front of one of the big
1aring horns. Tho horn looked at
them with the broad, dumb humor
that all phonograph horns seem to
have, and tho men smiled upon it in
return, as people arc apt to do, and,
acquaintance thus established, the
younger of the two men stepped for
ward and dropped nickel in tho
slot. There was little responsive
ghrgle of the machinery, and then
tho phonograph began to sing.
And how it did sing! Every note
was clear and true, the sound n lit
tie metallic perhaps, but the voico
was strong and resonant, and tho
song was rollioking and joyous. Tho
two tall mon stood and looked at tho
photograph and smiled as they lis
tened to it.
An elderly lady, who was sitting
in tho great chair next to the phono-
graph (great arm chairs on rockers
are q feature Of tho South ferry
waiting rooms), placed her hand to
her car and listened with unmistak.
able pleasure. A little girl who was
sitting in the giant chair next to her
slid down and walked over near the
phonograph. 1t was midafternoon,
q few minutes ahead of boat time,
and there were not moro than n
dozen passengers waiting. Gradual
ly, as they listened to the singing,
nearly all unbent and smiled. A So
oial feeling pervaded the little COM
pany.
"The other is good one" was
the quiet remark of man who
seemed to belong in the ferryhouse
and who happened to bo passing in
that part of the room just as the
phonograph stopped, and pausing
for moment beside the phono-
graph, whose horn pointed in the
other direction, no started that. 1t
was good ono. Tho two tall mon
camo around calmly and stood lit
tic way off, as before, Tho little girl
camo promptly and stood nearer. A
tall young lady camo and stood a
littlo farther back. There was al
ready tboro man with gray hair
md spcctacles who listened with un-
disguised interest One or two moro
passengers joined this group. The
general smilo was broadening. 1t
was jolly, tuncfrl song, that of the
second phonograph, and so full Of the
voico and manner of the singer that
you almost fancied the singer him
self must DO somewhere within the
instrument.
When this song was finished, the
gray haired man in spectacles put
nickel in tho slot, Tho little girl
turned and rewarded him with
smile. Tho tail young ledy smiled,
too, but not at tho gray haired man.
Tho phonograpl started up again,
md everybody standing near listen
sd again with manifest enjoyment.
A little later tho phonograph had
icased, and then those who had lis.
'ened moved, with the rest of the
passengers who had gathered with
tho nearer approach of boat time,
through tho now open door to the
ooat.-New York Sun.