The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

6 THE PHONOSCOPE July, 1897 ear, and a synchronism is at once and fully established between sight and sound. He repeats this practice on any passage, again and again, more and more rapidly, until thoroughly familiar with every intonation and accent. Having mastered, in this waj', the first lesson, he puts one of the blank cylinders in the machine and answers the questions of the lesson. In a little box, provided for the purpose, this cylinder goes back to the professor, who, with a stenographer by his side, listens to the recitation and dictates his corrections and criticism. The letter and cylinder go back to the pupil who compares his own utterance with the original cylinder at the points indicated in the professor's letter, and is enabled to tell wherein his defect lies and to cure it. Pupils write enthusiastically of their delightful experience and success. The professor informs me that he has sold upward of a thousand phonographs. With never-ending patience the phonograph will adapt itself to our mood and convenience as no personal instructor can ever do. But, above all, it gives tireless repetition. In the rapid acquisition of a foreign language, for example, repetition is the absolute essential; for it is only through repetition that the organism will automatically respond to thought or emotion; and it is only through repetition that the pupil will readily and accurately catch the proper pronunciation, accent, intonation and coordination. Repetition is the key that unlocks the subconscious realm; in the phonograph you may have repetition to your heart's content. Frequency gives familiarity; and it is far better to take small or short doses many times than large or long doses a few times. The phonograph is a teacher always at hand — at any hour of the day or night it will respond to our wishes without a grumble — and still more, without surprise or the lifting of an eyebrow, at our own stupidity, fancied or real. For the most fagged of brains, at just the passage desired, it will go slow or often enough to soothe it into subconscious action. To suit our mood and intelligence, it will talk or sing, fast or slow, loud or low, long or short, a few or many times. At your bedside at night it will repeat the lesson, poem or song, and, with the softest of murmurs, croon you to sleep and waft you into the land of dreams. Then in the morning (having set your alarm-clock attachment) it will rouse you betimes and in stentorian tones deal forth its wisdom to your wondering ear. Combined with the kinematograph it will teach "the young idea" elocution and oratory, for a "shadow'' of Delsarte will go through the aporopriate gestures, synchronically with the declamation. This coming fall the phongraph will be brought into prominence in the world of song. In collaboration with Prof. Cortina's School, a professor of singing will give courses of singing-lessons by phonograph. Should this method of instruction in singing prove of advantage, we may witness a furore of mechanical instruction in a very short time. The employment of the phonograph on anylarge scale in these lines will bring about its simplification and perfection as well as its cheapness. Its field of usefulness may be limited to rudimental things at first, but, I am convinced, its sphere will continually widen until it will include the mastery of the language and literature of a nation, and do away with the need of coming into contact with a native. Think of acquiring Russian, Arabic or Ilindustanee without hearing the living voice! Will not all teachers in the lines indicated, except the few experts needed to animate the waxcylinders, go out of employment and consequently out of existence? The phonograph, more than any other invention, may be the means of all others, by its ousting of teachers, lectures, and even clergymen, to bring about a solution of our perplexing economic conditions. Statistics show that the average idle days of the wage-earner of the United States, are over one hundred working days in the year. Statistics also show that largely through machinery (or the ownership of inventions by individuals and corporations) we have produced over five thousand multi-millionaires within the last forty years. There were only eight millionaires before that time. This congestion of wealth in the hands of a few, and the incidental serfdom and idleness of the many will necessitate the working out of such a readjustment in our economic and social conditions as will inevitably inaugurate the reign of Opportunity and Welfare instead of, as now, Importunity and Warfare. So that machinery, because of its incidental evilness, because of this absorption of man's income, becomes the very lever for raising society to a fraternal basis. And in the realm of art, the incidental ousting of atists will stimulate them to show the world that machines are ever inadequate to give expression to those finer forms that the Ideal enjoins upon us; and there will always, therefore, be room for originality and human expression. Man {qua man) is man-ager — not machine; spirit — not habit. Ever has he been in danger of succumbing to the common, the general, the merely identical or natural; but anon he will rise to spiritual individuality, controlling the universe, — his constitution — for artistic creation. Ever Walls do we build that no War can surmount; anon wage we a war that no walls can withstand. History is the outcome. The victory is alternate between Vishnu and Siva, but Brahma, the creator, progresses.— Werners t — Brobie (Tables the prince $50,000 If He Will Fight Albertone for the Kinetoscope "Steve" Brodie wishes to have a pirt in the excitement in case Prince Henri has to fight again when he recovers from the wound inflicted by the Count of Turin. "Steve" says that yesterday he sent the following cablegram, and in this he is indorsed by the management of the Western Union office in Grand Street, west of the Bowery: — To His Royal Highness Prince Henri of Orleans, care of Due de Chartres, Rue Jean Goujon, Paris, France: — Will give you and General Albertone fifty thousand dollars apiece if you will fight your coming duel before the Kinetoscope, giving me exclusive rights to use of films. Will give you ten thousand dollars apiece additional if you will make the duel last for at least ten rounds. STEVE BRODIE. "This is on the deceased level," said "Steve" in explaining the matter. "I can raise a hundred thousand here in Italy without turning around ten blocks, and if I can get the Prince and the General to stand up before "Dan" Stuart's picture machine I'll make me fortune. I telegraphed "Dan" in Galveston — he took them views of that other duel out in Carson City, you remember. "Now, I've paid seventeen dollars on that cable and deposited twenty dollars more in the office here to settle for the answer, and I'm waiting for it now." "Do you really expect an answer?" "Sure! Of course I do! Why, them fellows is both poor — haven't got a dollar between 'em, hardly. Of course, they'll reply. I want the fight to come off in the woods near Chantillv, because it's got a fine view there and, being sort of a forest like, they can be guaranteed no inter ference. That's where Sullivan and Mitchell scrapped. You know I met the Prince once, when I was in Paris, France, some six years ago." "And how did he impress you?" "Damn nice feller?" Mr. Brodie exclaimed, enthusiastically, "but broke, like all the rest of 'em," he concluded, in tones filled with sympathy. "Steve" still was waiting at midnight for the reply to his cablegram. tTeacbmc} a 5unba\> School b£ ^Telephone How a Disabled Superintendent Manages *o Give Instruction to His Class a Mile and a Half Away Mr. W. E. Stanley is the only man in America who ever conducted a Sunday-school by telephone. He never had that experience until a few weeks ago, but now that he has found that it works successfully he may resort to it again in the future. For twenty-one years Mr. Stanley has been the Superintendent of the Sunday-school of the First Methodist Church in Wichita, Kan. There have been few times during the period that he was not present to open and close the exercises. But some weeks ago Mr. Stanley was the victim of an accident that will keep him at home for some weeks longer. While driving a spirited horse he was thrown from the carriage and a number of bones were broken. He was taken to his home, where doctors repaired the injuries as far as possible and then told him that he would have to remain in bed and let time do the rest. Mr. Stanley was not particularly averse to being in bed. He felt that he needed a rest, anyway, but he did not like the idea of missing his Sunday-school. It will hurt him to think of shattering the ties that had been growing for more than a score of years. During the six days of the week in which he labors, Mr. Stanley is a lawyer. He is a successful one, too, and has piled up a goodly store of this world's goods. So he put his mind to work to evolve some plan by which he could attend to his duties as Sunday-school superinrendent while confined to his bed. "I have it," he finally exclaimed. Then he told his wife to go to the telephone, call up the manager of the Wichita exchange and ask him to call 1 he wife did as requested, and soon the telephone man arrived. Mr. Stanley explained that he wanted his house connected with the church by telephone so that he could conduct the services while remaining at home and in bed. "Can it be done?" asked Mr. Stanley. "Yes, I guess so," said the telephone man. "But the cost" — "Nevermind the cost " answered Mr. Stanley. "Go ahead with the work." So a double copper circuit was made between Mr. Stanley's home and the First Methodist Church, a mile and a half away. A huge funnel was connected with the instrument that was placed in the church. This gathered up the voices of the congregation and sent them to Mr. Stanley and also increased the volume of his voice so that the congregation could hear. The telephone worked better even than expected, and Mr. Stanley will continue to run the Sunday-school by telephone until he is able to do it personally. The novelty of the services caused the attendance to increase materially and Mr. Stanley hears many strange voices through his telephone. The Sunday-school has always been successful, but it has taken a new boom since the Superintendent has begun using the telephone.