The Phonogram, Vol. 1:2 (1891-02)

36 THE PHONOGRAM. with dreadful Latin names, but they are dis- posed of by the operator in a manner that proves entirely satisfactory to the parties who dictated them. Our next supply comes from an advertis- ing agent, whose correspondence is some- what easier to handle, although many strange words and phrases are used that one would hard.ly expect to find clinging to a simple “ ad.” A civil engineer, whose letters are full of references to “ single span,” “ double span ” “bridges,” “steel girders,” “plates,” “iron roofs,” “stringers,” “brackets,” “ I beams,” etc., supplies the next lot of cylinders. By this time we have got pretty well along in the afternoon, and our next “ consign- ment of talk ” comes from a Board of Trade firm. We are soon dancing about in the wheat and corn pits, now writing a bearish and anon a bullish letter. From these prosaic subjects we turn with pleasure to attend to the correspondence of the secretary of a popular musical club, which closes the day's work, and we depart home feeling that we have added something to our store of knowledge 1 and at the same time done a good day's work. Having had over eight years’ experience as a practical stenographer aifd typewriter, I feel competent to judge afiKto the merits of the phonograph as a stenographer. It is undoubtedly a wonderfully perfect machine, capable of doing all that its investor claims for it, and destined to follow th(^typewriter into every business office. I confess that I am an enthusiast, but a practical enthusiast, as will be seen from the above recital, and .nothing pleases me better than to be seated alongside my No. 2 typewriter with a good round voice to transcribe. The phonograph is a continual incentive to increased speed on the typewriter; great speed has already been developed on the Remington, but with the increasing use of the phonograph great- er efficiency may be looked for from the average operator than is the case at the present time. Drilling by the Phonograph. An interesting experiment was made at the Washington Light Infantry Armory severa evenings ago, in the National Capital, after the conclusion of the lec- ture, to determine whether it is not feasi- ble to use the phonograph in armories for the purpose of giving music to the com- panies while drilling. The experiment was tried by the representative of Edison's pho- nograph, wKb is confident that the music played into the phonograph by the Marine Band can be reproduced loud enough to be heard distinctly in the largest hall. General Ordway is much interested in the experi- ment, believing that it will be invaluable in teaching men the correct step,and cadence. The object of the experiment is an eco- nomical one only. It is impossible to use the band as often for the purpose of instruc- tion as would be necessary to give the les- sons all around, since the cost would be an • extremely heavy one. Should the phono-, graph music suffice, each guardsman can have all the music marching drills he needs at a very small expense to the guard. The Phonograph Album. A photoc-rath of the human voice is much more valuable to the curious collector than a picture of the face, even when •ac- companied by an autograph. A favor- ite phase of the phonograph furore is the collection of specimens of recitations or singing from popular artists of the stage, . and one gentleman of this city has secured cylinders representing vocally nearly every artist of any note who has been seen here for the last year. The collection is unique, because many of the records have no dupli- cate in existence, and the owner can give a six-hours’ entertainment in his own house at any time, presenting the different artists, whose voices he has “bottled up,” so to speak, in some of their most popular and Successful roles.