The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

Vol. I. No. 2. THE PHONOSCOPE. 7 ITbe (Srapbopbone An Illustration of Its Practical Uses The advancement made in newspaper work is in no way shown more prominently than in reporting long speeches. During the past few months, the readers of the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal have read page after page of closely printed speeches made the night before and have no doubt often wondered how it was possible that a full and accurate report of three or more speeches, each one taking an hour, more or less, in the delivery, could be given to them at breakfast, in a comparatively short time. When it is known that the work was done so that it could be set up in type by 1:30 o'clock in the morning, the result is more a matter of wonder. The reports of the late campaign meetings, where long speeches were made, can be taken as a fair example of the work that must be done. The stenographic report for the Courier.Tournal was handled by Mr. Clarence E. Walker. His force consisted of himself and one other expert stenographer and four typewriter operators. Besides these he pressed into service a system of improved graphophonos, which renders easily possible with a small force what would require perhaps a half dozen stenographers and twice as many typewriters. Mr. Walker used five machines in reporting a meeting. One of these is the recording machine, while four are reproducers. The recording machine stands alone, while the other four are placed in a group forming a square. Clustered around this group are the typewriter operators with their machines. Attached to all the machines was a current of electricity ready to be turned on. At the Palmer-Buckner notification meeting Mr. Walker sat at his table on the stage ready to take a senographic report of the speeches. .Mr. Walker took the first speech for fifteen minutes and then made way for his partner, Mr. F. M. Williams. While Mr. Williams was talking stenographic notes, Mr. Walker hurried to the rear of the stage, where the machines and operators were in readiness. He seated himself at the graphophone which stood alone, and placed a cylinder in the machine. He repeated his notes deliberately to it, and in ten minutes the cylinder had been filled. Each cylinder holds about eight pages of typewritten matter, or what would be a column in the Courier-Journal. Mr. Walker shut of the current and handed the cylinder to one of the typewriter operators. She placed the cylinder in her machine, which is a "reproducer," placed in her ears the conveyor, which is a pronged pronged piece of rubber tubing attached to tht. "reproducing diaphragm," and turned on the current. The cylinder began to revolve, and every word Mr. Walker had spoken was reproduced. The words often tumbled out so rapidly that it was impossible for the typewriter to keep pace with them. She simply turned a small lever to her right, which stopped the revolutions of the cylinder instantly. This enabled her to catch up and was frequently resorted to. While the typewriter was transcribing the cylinder, Mr. Walker was filling a second cylinder, which was in due time finished and handed to a second operator. When he finished his notes he relieved Mr. Williams, who proceeded to the rear of the stage and also dictated to tne graphophone. In this way the stenographers alternated until the speeches were complete. And when the last speaker had finished, the stenographers and typewriters were only about fifteen minutes behind them which meant about half an hour's hard work. Of course there were a hundred pages or more of typewritten matter, handled by different persons, and some may wonder how all of those pages could be so arranged to. fit in without a mistake. This was done by a system of marking. For instance, the matter on the first cylinder was marked A-l-2-3-4 up to eight, which completed it. The second cylinder was B-l-2-3-4 and so on, and the third cylinder C-l2-3-4. When they were all completed it can be seen how handily the pages were arranged in their exact order. ' as rapidly as the pages were turned out by the typewriters they were hurried to the Courier-Journal office by messengers on bicycles, and by the time the last speech was finished most of them were in type. Thus one greai practical use of the talking machine was illustrated. The wonders of the graphophone were exhibited last month by Manager PL S. Woodhull, of the Columbia Phonograph Company, 919 Pennsylvania avenue, to some admiring friends. A Columbia 'phone was put in operation. It rendered good music, sang ballads, and made speeches. The wires to the offices of the company in Baltimore, New York City, Columbia, Harrisburg. and York, Pa., were opened, and in each of these places the graphophone in the local office was heard with distinctness. The managers of each of the offices telephoned that the graphophone was heard as plainly as it would have been if it was in the room where they were. — Washington Post. Zhc flDetapbone. The Metaphone, of which we gave full description in our November isue, has been renamed the "Echophone." It has been reconstructed and improved and is now ready for the market. In the first machines the glass rod which transmitted the sound to the diaphragm, was not an absolute success, as it was continually "falling out of track." This defect has been remedied by applying a small spring to the base of the glass tube which furnishes sufficient downward pressure to hold the stylus in track. The machine in its present state is very attractive in appearance and serves to illustrate the wonder of the talking machine in its simplest form. (Srapbs, pbones «* .m ,* anb 'Scopes The Cyclo-Telegraph Mr. Leo Kamm, an inventive Englishman, has perfected what he calls a cyclo-telegraph. which is carried a coil of wire with which conHe has combined an instrument which is practically a combination of typewriter and telegraph. The whole is mounted on a bicycle, on which is carried a coil of wire with which connections are made by means of an earth rod, used to complete the circuit. The apparatus weighs seven pounds. Five miles of wire are carried. Each mile of wire weighs ten pounds. It is very fine and very light, but answers the purpose. The telegraphing is not recorded in the usual way. The message is printed on paper by the typewriter-like instruments, of which there is one at either end of the wire. The line can be operated by anyone who typewrites, and the services of a telegrapher are not required. So says the inventor, and he ought to know. As it is fitted on the bicycle, the apparatus is intended for laying telegraph lines for military purposes. When one end of the wire has been made fast to the telegraph receiver the one constructing th lines has only to mount the wheel and ride to the point at which it is intended to end the line. When the wire has been unwound from the drum a bell rings and gives wamiucr of that fact. With this invention, Mr. Leo Kamm says that not only will the ordinary difficulties of field telegraphy be overcome, but the work will be done with a speed and precision never dreamed of by army officers. The Stethophone The "stethophone," by which physicians are enabled to distinguish the difference of sound of the action of healthy and unhealthy organs, has been invented by Rev. . B. Marsh, of Blackheath, Wentworth County, Canada. William A. Eddy, the scientific kite flyer, who has succeeded in taking pictures by a camera suspended in midair, has discovered that such pictures can also be taken at night, owing to the common use of electric lights. * Xetters, •* This column is open to any of our patrons who have a complaint to make, a grievance to ventilate, information to give, or a subject of general interest to discuss appertaining to Sound Producing Machines, Picture Projecting Devices, Slot Machines, Amusement Inventions or Scientific Novelties in general* ^ <M Boston, Dec. 8, 1896. The Phonoscope Publishing Company. Gentlemen: Would you allow me to use up a little space in your valuable journal? I am a traveling phonograph exhibitor and am verymuch interested in the business; present and future. In visiting the different cities in different parts of the country, I am very much amused by the great wail that the exhibitors offer up in reference to duplicate records. Now, I am not praising duplicates, but I should like to ask some of the exhibitors what difference it makes to them if the records they purchase are made with a pickaxe or a plow, so long as they give a good, loud, clear and brilliant reproduction. It seems to me that anyone would prefer a good duplicate to a bad original. Whenever the general run of exhibitors get a bad record they immediately cry, "Oh! that's a duplicate;" when they get a good one they say, "That's a fine record; it must be an original." Let me tell them it is just the other way. When they get a good, loud, clear record it is generally a duplicate and the bum ones originals. I'll tell you why. Most all of the phonograph singers sing to five or six horn at a time, and about two of the records are good; the rest are only fair. Now, which is best, a duplicate from the good ones, or one of the bad originals? When I send for records I get some good and some bad. I don't loose any sleep over it; I know how hard it is to make a good record, and if I get my share of the good ones I am satisfied. Why don't we run around to our printer and want the type he uses to print our circulars? Why don't we ask our photographers to give us all negatives when he furnishes us pictures? When I buy records, I buy them for the results they give, I don't care whether they made with a tack hammer or a steam engine. I notice one of the New York phonograph companies, who used to toot and toot in every paragraph, on every page, of their circular, "These are original records" — has reduced their records to 50 cents each, and dispensed with their pet "toot." How about this? I predict that in five years we will have all duplicates. As for myself, I would rather buy two hundred records for one hundred dollars, and run chances, than to give one dollar each for them and only have one hundred. The way things are being run now in the business, your going to get "done" anyway, so we might as well take it easy and "let nature take its course," as Casey says. G. A. Pottsville, Pa. * * * * * The optical illusion in your title makes the E appear much larger than the H, caused by the darts issuing out. of the trumpet. Nevertheless, they are of equal size. Operating the phonograph in the open air has not affected my records any, but they are more susceptible to cold than heat. Records produce much better at midnight than at high noon. The cause of it, I attribute, to the humidity of the air, it being denser or heavier at night. I would not use cotton batting to brush dust from records, but only the soft camels hair brush, which is furnished with each machine. Talk about ignorance of operators, I recently met a gentleman who tried to adjust the style to locate the music with the speed regulating thumbscrew of the phonograph standard speaker. In regulating it myself to proper adjustment, he remonstrated with me for interfering with the machine and what I did it for. He of course, did not know who I was. I received his thanks afterwards. Yours, C. F. D. [We do not know what the "speed regulating thumb screw of the phonograph standard speaker" is, but trust Mr. D.'s views will inter est, or amuse, some of our readers.— Ed.]