The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

THE PHONOSCOPE ©ur jforeton Gorresponbence London, N. W., February 26th, 1900. To the Phonoscope Publishing Company. Dear Sir : — With reference to your paragraph in Vol. Ill, No. 10, allow me to draw your attention to my invention, now called the Telephonograph, and patented in the U. S. A , under No. 636,209. This instrument will record telephonic conversation with the fidelity of a mirror. It has been recognized there is a distinct want for some instrument to record the fleeting words and figures of bargains and orders transmitted by telephone. The crux of my invention consists in a simple, mechanical device which increases and multiplies the impulses of the electrical vibrations and thereby cuts clean and deep sound waves into the surface of a Phonograph blank. I use two cylinders in my instrument. One is ten inches long, the other but one inch. Both are five inches in diameter. The conversation is recorded on the long cylinder, whilst the short one is intended to answer a call in the event of a "ring up" should the instrument be temporarily unattended. The machine, for instance, would say "Mr. Brown is just out on urgent business, he will return soon. I am the machine, you can leave your message with me and Mr. Brown will ring you up on his return." I may add that I have achieved my experimental work through the kindness of Mr. Higgins, engineer-in-chief of the Exchange Telegraph Company, who for more than two months put their wires gratis at my disposal, and that I have conclusively demonstrated before him and other experts the automatic recording of telephonic messages. We are now organizing a syndicate here for the exploitation of the British Patent which number is registered at our Patent Office as 11,506 of 1898. I use cardboard cylinders coated with a special material which is my sec ret. My stylus cuts 150 spirals to the inch, so that one cylinder will take nearly a whole page of the Daily Telegraph . The American patent is for sale. Yours faithfully, E. O. KUMBERG. Hn Important Hnnouncement The Finest Exhibit of its Kind at the Great Paris Exposition An announcement that will interest a good many of the readers of this paper is to the effect that Mr. C. E. Stevens, the export sales agent for the National Phonograph and the Edison Manufacturing Companies' apparatus has moved his headquarters from Broad Street to Cedar Street, where he has taken two entire floors for the better accommodation of his constantly growing business. To a large proportion of the readers of this paper Mr. Stevens will need no introduction, and he is as well known in Europe as he is in New York. He spent five months in Europe last year, and goes back there in a few weeks from now. He will have at the great Paris Exposition the finest display of its kind ever seen in any country in the world, and there is no doubt but there will have to be recorded an immense increase in the demand for the goods. Mr. Stevens has only been introducing these goods in Europe for the last two years, but the results already arrived at have staggered all expectations. Last year the sales were fully double those of 1898, and for 1900 at least as great an increase is confidently expected. The removal that has been made was rendered absolutely necessary by the constantly growing business It enables Mr. Stevens to consolidate his office and store rooms, facilitating shipments. But he will retain his offices at Broad Street until May 1, so as to be able to take care of customers who may not be aware of the change of address. It would take a column or two of this paper to give any thing like an adequate idea of the various devices made by the two companies named above and handled by Mr. Stevens. The list includes all the latest and best moving picture films, machines, etc., talking-machines, records, electric lights and novelties, etc., batteries, motors, fan outfits, etc. Of each and all of these it can be truthfully said that there is nothing in the market to surpass or even equal them. In short, Mr. Stevens is headquarters for each and everything that he handles, and it is not in the least to be wondered at that he is able to report the business as growing at a tremendous rate. Personalty speaking he is one of the most accomplished, brilliant and popular men we have ever had identified with this line of business. Zbc Ipbonoorapb as a Witness The action of Judge Coleman, of the United States Circuit Court, in Los Angeles, Cal., in admitting a Phonograph as a witness in a murder trial creates a precedent that may call for a new line of experts. William Harrison, a member of the Alaska Sealing Patrol, was killed in the Street, in Los Angeles, by a man named Burroughs. A passing policeman saw Burroughs leaning over the dying sailor and arrested him. Both men were taken to the hospital, where it was found that Harrison was dying fast. The Coroner was called, but owing to a delay arrived so late that the doctor said there would be no time to write the antemortem statement. At the suggestion of one of the physicians who had a Phonograph, his instrument was hurriedly brought in and adjusted and the dying man talked into the machine and told how he had been struck on the head by Burroughs. Harrison did not know the name of his assailant, but, too weak to point, said, "The red-headed man standing beside the bed hit me in the head." Harrison died while he was talking into the machine. Burroughs was placed on trial for the murder before Judge Coleman. The first witness for the prosecution was the Phonograph. Against the vigorous protests of the defence Judge Coleman allowed the testimony of the machine, which had been sealed immediately upon the death of Harrison. On an appeal the higher courts upheld Judge Coleman's decision and admitted the legality of the testimony of the Phonograph. Assistant District-Attorney Osborne, who has had a great deal to do with experts during the last six months, said concerning this new phase of testimony : "This admits a new line of experts, and it is likely that before long we will have experts to testify on the voice. Experts are good in legal sense, and in one day we cannot have too much of them. They are men who have made a study of one particular thing and should know more about their specialties than a layman. An expert on the voice, such as this suggests, for example, would l'.ave an ear trained to the different shades of sound that can be produced by the human organs of speech, and would be more likely, at least, to recognize a disguised tone than would a man who had no training in that line." ' 'This case has been used as a precedent in this State, where the Supreme Court has admitted identification of a person by his voice, even though the speaker was not 'visually' present. No court can now refuse to admit similar testimony, and if a person should kill another and telephone the fact to a friend, the testimony of the hearer would be admitted as valid. Such testimony would be good, and, perhaps, something more accurate than much of the expert testimony such as is now used." Bartow S. Weeks, counsel for Moliueux, is opposed to expert testimony — he said : "As to the admission of a Phonograph as a witness, why, the simple turning of a screw one way or the other causes an entirely different voice to issue from the machine. It seems to me to be the most unreliable of all testimony that was ever discovered or invented." "Phonographic testimony?" said Emanuel Friend. "Pshaw! 1 know the machines too well to believe anything they say. They are the boldest and most unprincipled liars that ever happened. I use one in my office for dictation, and I ought to know. Look here," and Mr. Friend put a new record on his machine. He talked into it, saying : "I saw John Smith kill Sam Jones last night." "Sounds like good testimony, don't it? Good voice, ^ood words and good statement. How does it sound now?" Mr. Friend turned a little screw and a bass voice came from the bowels of the machine. Another turn of the screw and a voice whose lowest note was higher than C came forth. H flew "Departure The handsome and commodious warerooms just opened to the public by Messrs Douglas & Company, at Fifth Avenue, corner 21st Street, are an attractive feature of that fashionable thoroughfare. The room is arranged more like a parlor than the usual stereotyped salesroom, having beautiful carpets and quartered oak furniture of special design. The windows are unique and the display arranged with exceedingly good taste ; in fact, the effect of the room as a whole is charming, the color scheme harmonious. The company will carry a very large stock of Edison Phonographs, records and supplies of every description, and will have some specialties to offer to the trade, also the retail buyer. One of their specials will be the Fletcher improvement as applied to the Edison automatic speaker, the effect of which is to improve the tone quality of reproduction, at the same time retaining the usual volume. Every dealer should have this improvement to show records with ; the cost is quite moderate ; send for particulars. Another feature will be a large line of original records. Still another will be records to order ; another Cortina's records for language study, Bettini's reproducers, Polyphones, and the Sankey records. They will also handle Edison Manufacturing Company's" products including the ProjectosCope and films, batteries, fan motors, Bates numbering machines, etc. Mr. H. C. Douglas, the manager of the company, was until recently assistant sales manager of the National Phonograph Company, and associated with him are Messrs. Devereaux Elnos, J. P. Kelsey, Joseph Abbam, and several other ex-employes of the National Company. The Company are well prepared to fill orders from the trade and the retail purchaser, and promise prompt and careful attention to all orders intrusted to them.