The Edison phonograph monthly (Mar 1903-Feb 1904)

14 EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY. quality, which makes the record of it too indistinct for the amanuensis to understand when phonographically reproduced, and I may say here that women make by far the clearest record. There are, again, authors who are incapable of understanding and managing the most simple piece of machinery, though they somehow seem to learn to use a pen, which is an infinitely more difficult instrument to manage than a Phonograph, and takes much longer in the learning. But there are large numbers of authors and journalists by whom the Phonograph would be found as useful as I have found it, and for whose advantage I venture to offer some account of my experiences. I have only heard of two authors who use the Phonograph — Mr. Guy Boothby and Mr. Houghton Townley — and the output of these is considerable. A few business men use them in their offices instead of shorthand clerks. One whom I know — Mr. Upcott Gill, publisher — has used a Phonograph for many years for his correspondence. The first question which an author will naturally ask himself is, "Can I do as good work if I dictate as if I writd?" This is very largely a personal matter, depending on the idiosyncrasy of the individual. The author who thinks and writes slowly, and whose literary output rarely exceeds 500 words in a day, should, I think, confine himself to the pen, but those who compose about 2,000 words a day or more are likely to keep up a better average quality of work if they dictate than if they write. The reason I express this opinion is that after about 1,000 words have been written with the pen there is a certain amount of bodily fatigue which affects the mind to a certain extent, and toward the end of the day's work, the quality of the literary matter is inclined to suffer in consequence of the writer's bodily weariness. As a general rule the literary man should, during and just before his hours of work, avoid anything which tends either to distract or weary him. The Phonograph itself is undoubtedly when first possessed something in the nature of a distraction; but this feeling passes off, and very soon one's hand does the slight manipulation which is required without conscious reference to the mind, just as the hands of the piano player work mechanically while the eyes and mind of the player are fixed on the page of music. This question _was one which I considered very anxiously in connection with my own work, and the conclusion I came to was that dictated work was, on the whole, as good as work with pen and ink. I was able in this connection, to compare two novels. The first, "Lady Val's Elopement," was written by me in pencil, and as the revised draft was almost illegible, I dictated it to a shorthand writer, making further alterations as I went. After the shorthand notes had been transcribed, I revised the story for the third time and sent it to press. With this I can compare "Her Wild Oats," a novel which was dictated, in a very few weeks, though the arrangement and scheme of it required many months of work. I can get no indication of which was the better book from the reviews ; but it appears to me (if an author is able to judge his own work) that the wholly-dictated book was the better, and from the publisher's point of view it was by far the most successful. It is shorter and generally less verbose than the written novel, and the dialogue is more crisp. The books are long out of print, so I do not hesitate to mention them by name, in order that others may decide whether my judgment is correct or not on this point, which is one of considerable importance. It is a good many years now since the first Phonographs were introduced. A serious mistake was then made by the owners of the patent. It was supposed that pretty well 'everyone would require a Phonograph, and that the invention would come into general use for correspondence, business purposes, etc. Instead of manufacturing the machines at a moderate price and selling them, the company merely hired them out on rather high terms, making an arrangement for the lessees to be visited by an inspector from time to time, who would look over their instruments and keep them in order. This system was an absolute failure. The Phonographs were little used, but within the last few years have come into popular favor in the shape of what I may term musical toys. Talking and music reproducing machines of various kinds are now sold at a low price by quite a number of makers, and at the present day the practical and useful side of the Phonograph seems in danger of being lost sight of. The entertainment Phonograph is not suitable for literary work, and an unguided author is likely to get a machine which for his particular purpose is of little use. ****** I find that Phonographs have several advantages beyond' those which are obvious. In the first place the author and his amanuensis can both be working at the same time, which doubles the time the amanuensis can give to transcription. Secondly, the author can work at any time it pleases him. Shorthand writers who have to come up tc the study at eleven o'clock at night will not often be found in a very amiable frame of mind. The author who has a Phonograph into which he can dictate at nigh;t, can please himself as to his hours. Thirdly, the machine is, I need hardly say, an endless source of amusement to one's friends, for even those made specially for literary and business purposes will reproduce music, songs, etc., with more or less accuracy, and the friend who is not interested in literary matters is sometimes very much interested in the Phonograph. And, lastly, where members of an author's family are anxious to assist him in his labors, they can always do so by shaving the cylinders and by writing out for him anything he may dictate into the Phonograph, for obviously no knowledge of shorthand is necessary. One of my delights in my leisure moments is to place my Phonograph at the back of the piano, ramble about over the keys, and imagine I am composing. The Phonograph makes a record of the resulting sounds and enables me to study them and hear what poor stuff I have evolved. The instrument may be therefore recommended as a moderator of vanity. The most pleasant way to hear music, or indeed any sounds, reproduced by the Phono