The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

Vol. I. No. 5 THE PHONOSCOPE 9 General IHews Mr. Geo. Schweinfest.the popular picollo soloist, lately a member of Issler's Orchestra, in the employ of the United States Phonograph Co., has severed his connection with that concern, and will hereafter be associated with the Columbia Phonograph Co,, who have secured his valuable services as a member of the Columbia Orchestra. The Universal Phonograph Co. , have succeeded in getting some very creditable records of Miss Annie Hart, the popular vaudeville favorite. Dr. Nicola Tesla, in a lecture before the New York Academy of Sciences? on April 6th, announced that he had discovered a new source of rays in the electric arc, by which more powerful rays and finer definition may be obtained than by any method previously known, and stated that its application was possible, not only to the Rontgen and Lenard rays, but to lightning and other practical purposes. Dr. Tesla claimed also to have demonstrated that the Rontgen rays can be deflected by a magnet, and that the}' are identical with the Lenard rays, described first in 1S91. Dr. J. Mount Bleyer is said to have invented an instrument for the photographing sound vibrations in the atmosphere. This instrument consists of a cone, over the large end of which is stretched a diaphragm of thin rubber. On this, and in its exact center, is placed a thin layer of powder, which is disturbed by the vibrations of the diaphragm, answering to the human voice at the small end of the cone. The lines formed in the powder are photographed on a rapidly moving film, and the records obtained show very interesting results. Hardy Holmau has invented an ingenious contrivance on the principle of the X-ray. It is a small box having two glass tubes on top and a vacuum between . An electric battery is attached. A ray of light passes through iron and other solid articles, giving a clear view of objects opposite. So it is with a watch or several silver dollars in layers. The little box has excited a good deal of interest, and the young inventor is to be congratulated on his inventive genius. Mr. Mervin E. Lyle, New York, manager for the Columbia Phonograph Co., paid a flying visit to Europe last month. Mr. Lyle visited London, Paris and Berlin, and reports that the talking machine is getting to be a staple article on the continent. Russell Hunting went to Washington, D.C., last month to talk to the Gramophone. He received one dollar per minute while talking to the machine. He was accompanied by the Diamond Comedy Four, who made a number of records on the same day. A new baritone has appeared in the Phonograph field. Mr. J. J. Fisher a popular Eastern artist is meeting with great success in this peculiar line. Mr. Gilmore, of the Edison Works, deserves great credit for his persistent experiments to improve the quality of the Edison phonograph blanks. The cylinders that are now being tinned out by the works are. the best ever produced, and show a marked advance over those manufactured a year ago. The United States Phonograph Co. has occupied one of the floors over the meat market on Orange St., Newark, N. J., intend to extend their facilities, and have hired another room down stairs, which will be used for shipping purposes. Mr. Frank Thayer, the prominent Western exhibitor, has moved his headquarters from Waterloo, Iowa, to Chicago, 111. The Chicago Talking Machine Co., has sold out to the Columbia Phonograph Co., and will hereafter be known as the Chicago branch of the latter concern. Mr. Leon Douglass, former manager of the Chicago Talking Machine Co., will be retained by the Columbia Co. as their Chicago manager. George V. Gress has been interested in a number of financial schemes in Atlanta. He has always aspired to become one of the prominent citizens in the place. He ran for the Common Council three years ago, and was defeated by an overwhelming majority. He first came into notice in Atlanta when he bought all of the animals of a stranded circus and presented them to the city to form the nucleus of a zoological garden. The lot was established in a house built for the purpose in Grant Park, near Atlanta, and was known as the Gress Zoo. Gress was afterward elected a member of the Park Board. This is the only office he ever held. In addition to being interested in the Georgia Savings, Loan and Banking Company, he was President of the United States Bond Company, and of the Georgia Pine Lumber Company. He owns extensive pineries in the southern part of Georgia. He employs convict labor on all of them. His main camp is at Kramer, Ga. It was at Kramer, in Gress's camp, that the notorious Lord Berseford, alias Sidney Lascelles, the forger, served a term of years for forgery, and cheating and swindling. He has two sons — Morgan and Hart Gress. It was his eldest sou, Morgan, who applied for a receiver before Judge Lumpkin for the Georgia Savings, Loan and Banking Company. Gress has for the past eighteen months spent a great deal of his time in New York. About eighteen months ago he became interested in an invention of a man named Moore, who was a mechanic attached to the Kimball House in Atlanta. . The invention was an improvement on the phonograph, whereby five cylinders could be placed in a machine instead of one. He formerly had an office at 1,395 Broadway, but left there several weeks ago. He and Moore disagreed and dissolved partnership. It is thought that he has left New York to attend the Centennial Exposition at Nashville, Tenn. ©ur jforeion Corresponbenee London, Eng., Feb. 10, 1897. Mr. Editor: Agreeably to your request I herewith take pleasure in giving to your readers a short account of some of my experiences with Automatic machines in the land — which flows with milk and honey — England. Avoiding superfluous details, allow me to tell you that, after inventing an Automatic Weighing Machine during the winter of 1887-188S, I had built fifty of them, which, by the middle of March, 1888, were ready to be placed. As you are aware, in England the season for outdoor exercise opens with the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, held annually, about the 25th of March, on that part of the River Thames which extends from Battersea Park to Putney Bridge. All London, rich and poor, low and high, makes it a duty to attend this race, which, for the day, divides the people into two chaffiugly hostile parties, the dark and the light blues. The main stand for these crowds is on the right bank of the river, along the towing path from Hammersmith Bridge to Putney Bridge. Here I had intended to place my first machines in order to give them the severest possible test by exposing them to the roughest usage. Unfortunately of otherwise I was unable to secure proper locations there, and thus I was compelled to look for suitable places elsewhere. At length, late on the night preceding Easter Sunday, April 1st, 1888, I had succeeded in securely placing fifteen Automatic Weighing Machines in various parts of London. My machine consisted of a cast iron weighing platform attached to a similar column on which there was an oval box also of cast iron, tastily ornamented, and having in the centre of its front under a small glass window, a lion's head, the mouth of which was an open slot. Inscriptions surrounding these told patrons, that on standing on the platform and inserting a penny into the lion's mouth, the shutters behind the window would be automatically drawn aside, thus displaying on the dial behind the glass the exact weight of the customer. The whole machine was neatly painted in red, blue, and gold, being very attractive in every respect. New to this business, I had arranged to have my machines started altogether at eight o'clock, a.m., on Easter Sunday, and to have the money, they might take, collected on the following Tuesday. As I was sitting down to enjoy my Easter dinner, a telegram was handed to me, informing me that the machine placed in front of the post-office in Brompton Road was out of order, and requesting me to have is set right at once. I hitched my pony to my gig, and drove helter skelter to Brompton , where I found a great crowd surrounding my machine; with great difficulty I made my way to the machine, opened it, and found it literally choked with pennies. The money box constructed to hold about two hundred and fifty pennies, was full, so was all the rest of the machines; pennies had been forced in everywhere, jammed in between the wheels, behind the dial, in the column, and under the platform. After gathering the pennies into a Gladstone bag, and setting the machine agoing, I went into the postmaster's house to count the money; a total of eight hundred and twenty three pennies had been forced down the lion's mouth, within six hours, a sum equal to ^3.8.7. I was thunderstruck; my most sanguine expectations had been far surpassed. Dreading the same delightful fate for the other machines, I drove off to clear them, too, and it was well I did so. On Easter Sunday, 1888, I took out of fifteen machines, in coppers, the sum of ^"57.16.4 or nearly $300. On my way home that evening, I stopped to collect the money taken by the machine placed outside a Barber's Shop at Turnham Green. My bag was full of money, and when, after closing the machine, I wanted to return to my gig standing close to the curb, I found myself hemmed in by a surging crowd of East End holyday makers. Dreading their intentions, I put my hand into my bag and flung a handful of coins into the middle of the road, as far as I could. Scampering after these the crowd dispersed in a moment, and, jumping into the gig, I was soon far away, safe witii my money. It had been a hard day's work, but, withal, a very pleasant work. It is with lively pleasure that I recall to-day this, my first day's experience with Automatic Machines. F. L.