The Anaconda standard., 1899-01-29
Written for the Sunday Standard.

Written for the Sunday Standard
In this scientific age, even our
amusements are electrically managed.
Scarcely a miscellaneous entertainment
is given which does not include some
show of the phonograph variety. The
finest of funmakers is this scientific de-
scription of amusement.
1t is not the eye alone that is graft
fed by scientific amusement; the car,
too, is tickled. People do not talk about
the telephone as a toy; on the con-
trary, they regard it as an instrument
of torture 1t is otherwise with the
phonograph and gramophone The ore
is both a recorder and a reproducer Of
the sounds committed to its impress
sionable cylinders, the other simply
gives out what it has been made to
hold.
The phonograph plays nowadays an
important part in the affairs of every
day life: it has even risen to the dig
nifty Of state duties: but these circum-
stances have not detracted from its
growing popularity as private enter
tainer. The machine that has acted as
ones secretary during the day can. hy
simply changing the records, be made
to while away the dull hours of a So
called social evening.
At one time monographs could only
be hired. They are now sold outright.
and the cost of the records is less :han
that of a new piece for the pianoforte
There is no end to the ballads. reclta-
tions, stories instrumental solos, or
chestral pieces, stump speeches. etc,
that are available. and With the new
est models the ear-tubeS are replaced
with trumpet. and for the electric mo-
tor clockwork action has been substi-
tuted. while the micro-reproducing at.
tachment appears q adapt itself to the
timDre OF any voice the best for record
purposes being that of :: baritone
But of all scientific amusemcnts :ne
biograph is the one OF which Anaeri-
cans ought TO be most proud There
have been many variations of the one
invention DR.. Muybridge of Philadel-
phia developed the idea. and w. Il L.
Dickson. working Jointly with Mr.. Fdi-
son, produced the famous Edison rita-
scope, the predecessor of tAc cinema to-
graph, which, in turn, mas been follow
ed by the biograph, the mutngrapn and
the mutoscope. Finality has not Jccn
reached, and a forecast of the mmndi-
ate future was obtained in conversation
with a gentleman who is at work on an
improved machine.
1T is the biosraph which projects
upon a screen & brilliantly lighted pc
ture, life-sizc or larger; it is the muto-
scope which presents 70 the eye photo
graphic views of objects in motion, and
it is the autograph which takes the
pictures for BOTH" said this gentleman
in conversation with the writer And
the better to make his explanation clea.
he led the way to an upper floor. where
a nutograph was to be seen, 1t WAS a
cabinet on a tripod, with Il very .apid
lens. that WAS large enough to cover
{. plate OF great size, but which was
only required to pick Out the best part
OF the subject, in order that the image
might be thrown upon a very highly
sensitized gealtine film, travelling ut d
tremendous -ate between rollers from?
one drum to another and passing be-
hind the lens with a constant, instead
of continuous motion. Al each stop
upon .ts journey the film would thus
receive q picture. But the halts are not