The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

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io THE PHONOSCOPE J autiary-February^l89li' THE PHONOSCOPE Copyrighted, 1896 published monthly by THE PHONOSCOPE PUBLISHING CO. 4 EAST 14th STREET, NEW YORK, U. S. A. SUBSCRIPTION : United States and Canada .... $i.oo per year Foreign Countries 1.50 " Single Copies 10c. each ADVERTISING RATIS FURNISHED ON APPLICATION THE PHONOSCOPE is the only journal in the world published in the interest of Talking Machines, Picture Projecting and Animating' Devices, and Scientific and Amusement Inventions appertaining to Sound and Sight. Correspondents in London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Alexandria and Constantinople, Australia, South America, Central America, Canada and 10S cities in the United States. If we look around the world and note the almost innumerable dalies, weeklies and monthlies that are being issued in every part of the inhabited globe, eagerly devoured by a predominant part of the human race, we certainly must find therein ample matter for reflection and meditation . It must, indeed, suggest to us the very obvious thought that the highest intelligence of the time is expressing itself through the medium of the periodical press, and that, on the whole, the more advanced the community the greater is the output of periodicals of all sorts. A century ago men penned books and pamphlets in support of a scientific, literary, political, humanitarian, or commercial doctrine ; to-day they write a magazine article or newspaper leader. We allow ourselves none of the old leisure between thought and action ; we have no time for ponderous tomes or long-winded orator}-. We want our facts marshalled together briefly, succinctly and with conviction, and our mind is made up at once. When the philosopher gets all these facts impressed upon his mental retina, he will jump up from his indolent ease beneath the dreamy canopy of obtruse research and — hustle. And we mean to hustle, in order to keep ahead of the struggling, panting, hurried work of the outgoing century. It will be hard work, indeed, since men seem anxious to crowd into the last quarter the work and progress of a whole age. Truly, in most fields of knowledge, but more especially in the one to which we are devoting our labors, more has been accomplished during the past twenty years than ever before during twice that length of time. True, too, that the end of the century has brought to the front most eminent genius in almost every branch of art and science, literature and learning, commerce and politics. We need but mention one, the great wizard, Thomas A. Edison, whose unsurpassed genius has enriched our store of knowledge, whose thrift has been a lesson to us ; and the kindness of whose generous heart has cheered our path. It is not our intention to ring his praises, but he. seems to us so true a pattern of American energy, perseverance and vast enterprise, and withal, thoroughness, unrivalled accomplishments and success that we could not find a better example to illustrate this age of untiring hustling and doing. In former ages Mr. Edison would have been an alchemist, a brooding Faust, useless to himself, and lost to the world ; to-day he is in touch with the time to which he imparts some of his own energy and genius, and which he endows witli -an endless string of most useful, most practical, most productive, yet simple invention. He commands, and the elements do his bidding ; he raises his wand and all the forces of nature seem to obey him. The invisible word is arrested on its way and preserved for future sen-ice, the flash of light is caught and stopped in its passage ; the gloom of night is vanquished by the intelligent hard work and genius of one man. Let us rejoiee in the possession of such a fellow-citizen, in whose universal glory we bask, and let us strive to follow his example by hardy, energetic and glorious work, having action follow upon thought as thunder does upon lightning. Thought is quick, thought is electric ; it must be similarly treated and caught on the wing. Let us look on life as full of solidity, stuff and activity, and not as a sort of vapor with shadows on it. Heoal IRotices In the case of Ihe American Graphophone Company, versus Edward H. Amet, in which an injunction against the Amet talking machine, otherwise known as the metaphone and the ecliophone, was granted by Judge Grosscup in the United States Circuit Court for the Northern District of Illinois, a motion for a rehearing was argued in Chicago on January 4th, Amet being represented hj Mundy, Evarts & Adcock, of Chicngo, and the metaphone and echophone interests by Mr. Gilroy, of New York, who went on to Chicago to present that side of the case. Judge Grosscup, after hearing what the defendants had to say, immediately overruled the motion for a rehearing and entered the decree as final. This disposes of the Chicago case, and the American Graphophone Company, by their counsel, Mr. Philip Mauro, of Washington, have obtained a certified copy of the decree, and made a motion before United Slates Judge Lacome for a preliminary injunction against the metaphone and echophone in Xew York. This motion was heard 011 January 15th, hut a final decision has not been rendered. v Abraham M. Frank, of New York, was taken into the Centre Street Court last month by Detective English, on a warrant issued on affidavit of Anthony Comstock, who charges the prisoner with selling pictures which are immoral. The pictures are in a bunch, arranged in such a manner that by allowing them to slip rapidly from under the thumb they have a kinetoscopic effect. When passed around among the lawyers in court nobody could find anything immoral. Comstock pointed out one picture, and called the attention to certain reflections of the suggestive effect. No one but Mr. Comstock could see anything in the picture. The Word "Vitascope" The word "vitascope," which is one of the recent additions to the English language, is the subject of a suit in the United States Circuit Court, because the persons who claimed to have coined it deny the right of others to apply the term to articles they manufacture. The suit was entered a few days ago by the Vitascope Company, of New York City, against the United States Phonograph Company, of Newark. Judge Eirkpatrick made an order returnable on February 15th, for the defendants to appear and show cause why a preliminary injunction should not be issued, restraining them from further use of the term according to the hill of complaint. The bill of complaiut sets forth that Thomas A. Edison, of Menlo Park, and Thomas Armat, of Washington, were the original and first inventors of a machine for throwing on a canvas or screen pictures accurately representing and portraying the movements of moving and living objects. Under the direction and immediate supervision of and with the consent of Messrs. Edison and Armat, the complainants, Norman C. Raff and Frank R. Gammon, began the manufacture of these Machines in New York. They coined the term vitascope and applied it to the machine. Since that time the complainants say the term vitascope has always been used to describe their machines, which were generally termed "Edison Vitascope." They claim to have expended more than $75,000 in making and advertising Ihese machines, and charge that the defendants have been guilty of fraud in putting on the market a machine similar to the vitascope, and applying to it the name "Edison's Vitascope." They seek to secure arrestraining injunction against the defendants and also to recover damages for past infringements. Annexed to the bill are copies of letters sent by the defendant company to various parties offering to sell them the "only genuine Edison's vitascope," and others received by the Vitascope Company from persons holding territorial privileges and claiming to have lost sales throutrh the false representations of the defendant company. The defendant company sold their machines outright, while the plaintiffs only leased theirs. The Western Automatic Weighing Machine Company of Illinois, which has a number of pennyin-the-slot weighing machines posted in public places, was sued in the Superior Court yesterday by the American Weighing Machine Company of New York. The Illinois corporation in 1S87 received from the New York company certain machines, under a contract, the contract being that the machines were to be placed in various localities in Iowa. The proceeds from the machines were to be sent to New York in sealed bags, to be opened by a representative of each of the companies, and the complainant company was to keep two-thirds of. the profits. Up to 1892, the bill says, the New York company received £983 .61 from eighteen machines. Since that time there has been no accounting between the two corporations, and the bill alleges that a true accounting would show that much more is due the complainant than was ever received. The court is asked to appoint a receiver to take charge of the machines until an accounting is had. There is a phonograaph cylinder in Edison's laboratory that is just now of interest in view of the fact that Prince George of Greece has become a central figure in the European war cloud. It contains the Prince's address to Mr. Edison on the occasion of his visit to this country in 1S91. The Prince displayed a thirst for scientific knowledge that surprised his hosts here, and he passed part of one day in Mr. Edison's laboratory. The phonograph interested him immensely. He heard it grind out the speeches of celebrated men, and then he called for music. The phonograph responded with the then popular "Where Did You Get that Hat?" Prince George then talked into the receiver, saying in Greek: "Hail, Edison, greatest of inventors, George, Prince of Greece, salutes thee." Prince George was traveling incognito when he visted this country, and therefo:e no official receptions greeted him. 1 hose who had the privilege of meeting him here were very much impressed with his modest bearing and genuine interest in everything he saw. He has the build of a young Viking. He is over six feet tall, is broadshouldered, and has light hair. His head is well set on a strong neck. He weighs more than 200 pounds.