The Phonogram, Vol. 1:1 (1891-01)

THE PHONOGRAM. typewriters employed by the concern, and during the process of dictation to make six or eight hours’ work with the phonograph. In this manner everyone in the firm saves from two to four hours every day, which he can apply to other purposes. The phonograph is of the greatest use to the stenographer, copyist and typewriter. Very few men dictate well. Some talk too fast, others too slow. Some are had pro- nouncers, and others have faulty accents. Some are nervous and fidgety, others are excitable and ill - tempered. The phono- graph records all utterances perfectly, and enables the copyist or typewriter to write it out in any desired fashion. The cylinder will repeat any word, and will go#as fast or as slow as may be wished by the operator. In instances where inquiry was made it was learned that a typewriter working with a phonograph could do fifty per cent, more work than could be done from mere dicta- tion. Nor should it be forgotten that these wax cylinders are practically indestructible, and that a statement inscribed upon them can be kept for an unlimited period for the purpose of reference. dose to the patient—that is, 'the patient phonograph. The next man talked Gaelic. That evidently riled up things. But. the crank still turned and another poured in Chinese, sharp and strong. Dominie Good- rich, of Tungchow, sang to the long-suffer- ing instrument to quiet it, and then Dr, Wright, of London, who talks Arabic, pitched in strangely sounding sentences in that tongue.. How many more languages were used I cannot say, but when the stream turned the other way, and the phonograph had its say, it proved itself a veritable poly- glot. The peculiarities of each voice were preserved. Some voices were rather faint or thick, but others quile clear and sono- rous. A day or two later I was favored with some bottled-up American music eighteen months old. I listened to the manager’s introduction of the band, which was playing in New Jersey at the time, and then heard the music. It was from a piano and string- ed instruments. To test its clearness and volume of sound, I left the roopi, crossed the hallway into another room and closed the door. Still the music was heard, though softened by the distance. It seenled to be a voice of* the long past as well as from the far distant home land, 9,000 miles away, over the blue Pacific and the broad Amer- ican continent. It furnished foocf>‘for re- flection as to the possibilities of sconce in the future.’' * 1 The Telephone It is said that the work in connection with the establishment of telephonic com- munication between London and Paris is being pushed forward very rapidly on the English side of the Channel, and has made such satisfactory progress during the last few weeks that it is reported that communi- cation will be established early in the new year, probably as early as January. Some alterations, however, have been decided up- on in reference to the route to be taken by the cable. Instead of crossing the Channel and touching the English coast near Hythe, it has been decided to land it at St. Mar- garet’s Bay, where it will be connected with a special wire running from this point via Dover, Folkestone, Ashford, and Maidstone to LonGQn. Who Needs It Most? T the present time it is said that the chief demand for the phonograph comes from mer- chants, lawyers, and writers. ^ In Boston a large .firm has a r phonographic room, which each partner of the firm uses at plea- sure. He alone, talks without being in- terrupted, and applies and removes his own cylinders. 'Phis enables the other two partners of the firm to dictate to the two