The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-09-20
THE SPREAD OF rHr MACHINE.


Some OF the great musicians of the
day are uttering complaints about
what they call mechanical music" and
we must admit that their criticisms
are well founded, but there Is nothing
to be done. Machines are fast taking
the place of human skill and adap-
tiveness in almost everything. In the
oughly understand how to use plane,
saw, brace and bits, mallets and CHS
els, and all the other tools needed in
working wood into desired shapes and
sizes. Now the machine does practi-
cally everything. All the man has to
do is to tend and feed the machinery
and put the work together when it Is
made ready by the hands of steel and
iron that are busy in almost every
woodworking establishment.
And so IL IL in almost every branch
of human industry. There may be
found few delicate Jobs which ma
chimes are not yet fitted for, but they
are very few and are becoming less
common with each passing year. A
man who worked at any mechanical
business as much as half century
ago, and who was a skilled workman
now goes. into a shop of any kind.
working wood or metal and soon finds
that "othello's occupations gone" in
deed. From the heaviest and toughest
to the most delicate work he finds the
noisy and tireless machines perform
ing the tasks that he used to do with
so much pride and satisfaction in his
skill and knowledge and care. OF
knowledge of tools when the prem
tice hand" of an unskilled and un-
taught Iaborer can make the machine
do all the work that the good work.
man formerly did?
What has come to pass with every
and especially in stationery music.
The progress of mechanical evolution
has not entirely displaced the travel
ling bands. militSry and others but It
is not beyond the bounds of possibility.
or even of probability, that the near
future will see regiments and battal-
ions marching to battle and keeping
step to the thrilling strains proceed
ing from graphophone or It's substi-
tute mounted on an autbmobile grind
ing out martial music actually Ito
beat the. band"
But it is In the home that the inno-
walton In most clearly marked. Music
is an art, and TO be good musician
requires not only musical talent. but
much study and practice. OF what use
will it be to buy grand piano for the
parior and devote much time ana
money to teaching the girls how to
pound the ivory in good style II one
can buy a machine that only needs
winding UP occasionally and win then
give forth anything from the simplest
lullaby to grand opera? The Keen ear,
the deft touch and the cultivated taste
must step aside for the tireless and
insensate machine. Even the songs
that were sung by good voices can
now be sung into a graphophone and
it will deliver the goods, words, music
and accent In good style and endless
succession. The tuneful singers ana
the skilled musicians, may now take
back seat while wood and metal do
/ their work.
/ No one may predict where 1t Is all
| to end. 1t may invade the pulpit Tor
all we know: 1t would be shock to
pious people to go to church and hear
the prayers, the hymns and the SER
mons delivered from a graphophone. but
even that may come. Let as hope that
the sacred desk will escape the ma
chine mania, but that Is about all that
| is safe. We shall not be surprised at
any time to find the farmer using an
| instrument to call hts hogs and cows
home, or the housewife calling her
fowls in the same way. Machinery GER
| tainly has US in it's grasp and he would
be a bold man who would predict a
limit for it. While first-class mechan-
les are still needed in many instances,
the machine is fast taking theirNplaces.