The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1906)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 17 TALKING MACHINE AS WITNESS In a Recent Law Suit in Boston — Demonstrates Its Position as One of the IVIost Accurate Scientific Recorders. As related in the last issue of the Talking Machine World, the use of a talking machine in a trial at law was permitted in the United States Court at Boston recently, although the talking machine has been allowed in evidence in England. The instrument was used in the trial of the owners of a large business block against the Boston Elevated road. One element of the suit was that of damage caused to the owners of the block by the constant noise of the cars, and it was to give the court an idea of this noise that the counsel for the plaintiff offered phonograph records, taken in the building, to illustrate the effect of the noise of the trains upon the use and enjoyment of the property. The counsel for the defense, of course, interposed an objection, and in reply to his argument the counsel for the plaintiff said: "The phonograph is one of the most accurate scientific recorders, and I offer it on the same ground upon which photographs are put in evidence. Originally the photograph was in the position now occupied by the phonograph, and I remember well the strenuous opposition which was raised to the admission of the former at one time. The phonograph, as .we all know, is a scientific instrument, and to my knowledge it has been put in evidence at least once in the English courts, though never before, I think, in the courts of this country. It is diflicult to describe a noise or compare one noise with another. The best that can be done is to offer a record of it." Although the opposing counsel objected on the ground that the development of the instrument and the art of managing it were not sufficiently advanced to warrant its admission as evidence in a court of law, the learned judge decided that the phonograph was a competent, if mechanical witness. If this decision is sustained, and becomes a precedent, a new element of interest will be injected into law cases. For instance, if a man were suing for divorce on the grounds of incompatibility, he might offer some very interesting evidence in the way of records of his wife's curtain lectures. In fact, the uses of the phonograph in law suits will be limited only by the ingenuity of the lawyers. C. Ilsen, of Ilsen & Co., Cincinnati, O., when in New York recently, made a number of valuable trade connections and placed a bunch of nice orders. MAY LOCATE IN KALAMAZOO. Duplex Phonographs the Invention of Chas. E. Hill, of Lincoln, Neb., Will Probably be Manufactured in That Ciy. (Special to the Talking Machine World.) Kalamazoo, Mich., Jan. 8, 1906. It is now practically assured that another industry will soon be added to Kalamazoo's list of manufacturing concerns. The new institution will make phonographs, or talking machines, and already those interested in the enterprise are advertising the fact the machines are made in this city, for in the ads published appears the catch phrase, "Made for you in Kalamazoo." The head man of this concern is Charles E. Hill of Lincoln, Neb., and several times during the past month he has been before the Commercial Club of this city and succeeded in interesting many local business men in his appliance, which is a duplex phonograph. At present the Kalamazoo Novelty Co. has the contract to make a number of the machines, but it is the intention of the promoters to erect a factory here for the purpose of manufacture. Plans have been perfected for an aggressive advertising campaign, and the machines will be sold on the mail order plan. While Mr. Hill was in Kalamazoo he received a very favorable impression of the city and many courtesies were extended to him by members of the Commercial Club. TRADE NOTES FEOM DALLAS. (Special to the Talking Machine World.) Dallas, Texas, Jan. 2, 1906. December closed with the greatest rush known in talking machine circles in Texas. All of the jobbers and a great many dealers had permitted their stocks to run low and were unable to supply the demand. In turn, the factories were unable to fill their orders, hence the trade was not as great as it might have been. The Southern Talking Machine Co. has recently made considerable improvements in decorations of windows in addition to a large electric sign in front of their store on Main street. S. H. Wumble has again gone on the road for the Texas Phonograph Co., Inc., the big Houston talking machine jobbers. Dallas Talking Machine Co. report that they will greatly enlarge their business during the ensuing year. Smith & Co., Dallas, have leased a large building and added a line of furniture and will do a large installment business. J. D. Wheeler, formerly associated with the Southern Talking Machine Co., has purchased the Dallas branch of the Texas Phonograph Co., and will continue the business under his own name at their old stand, 345 Main street, Dallas. H. M. Holleman, president of the Texas Phonograph Co., of Houston, passed through Dallas en route to New York and the East, where he will visit factories and arrange to carry the largest stock of phonograph goods in the South. He reports that they have taken a three years' lease on the building in Houston facing on Capitol and Fannin streets. AUGMENTS INTENSITY OF SOUND. A Novel Apparatus for Amplifying Phonographic Reproductions That Will Prove Interesting to Readers of the World. A novel apparatus for increasing the intensity of sounds has been invented by Messrs. G. Laudet and L, Gaumont of Paris, which is said to be of great value in amplifying phonographic reproductions, paiticularly in large auditoriums. The principle underlying the construction of this apparatus consists in transmitting the sound vibrations concerned to and from a convenient flame. After the first experiments made in this connection, utilizing the human voice, had given satisfactory results, the voice assuming a remarkable intensity, the experimenters continued their investigations, employing sources of sounds of mechanically determined intensity, with continued success. The instrument (shown in the accompanying engraving), explains the Scientific American, A NEW MtGAPHONE. consists of an equilibrated distributor to regulate the amount of the burning gas mixture, and a burner wherewith the gases are consumed in an ignition chamber. The apparatus submitted to the academy was arranged for registering the reinforcement of sounds of any kind on ordinary phonograms. Air and acetylene were employed as burning gases. The distributing mechanism consists of a chamber, A, into which the combustible mixture is introduced under pressure through a conduit, B. A vane, C, supported on knife edges as at O, is mounted at the bottom of the chamber. A, an elastic ring being provided to insure airtightness in O. Any motion given to the pencil is transmitted to the vane, C, inside of the distributor. On either side of C openings, D and D', are provided through which the gaseous mixtures are allowed to issue in respectively equal amounts as long as the vane is immovable. Any displacement of C will, however, result in an increase of the amount of gas issuing on one side, while the amount issuing on the other side is reduced. The total amount of utilized mixture remains constant, and the pressure in the interior of the chamber is also unaltered. The gases are collected and conveyed to the burners through a series of conduits, E, E, E', E'. The burners consist of a series of disks cooled by an air current, H H', the gases being expanded and reduced to a temperature such that combustion always occurs in the chamber, F F', just at the point where the gases escape from the openings of the burner. The apparatus comprises two funnels, G G'. The power of the sounds obtained, which is truly remarkable, depends on the amount of gas mixture used and on the energy expended during its combustion. Wm. F. Kunkel & Co., who recently opened their new piano parlors at 119 North Liberty street, Baltimore, Md., are handling in addition to pianos and other musical specialties a, full line of talking machines and records, J\[o. 551 Holds 175 I^ecords No. 531 Has convenient sliding shelves Push one door aLnd both close at sBLme time. MAKERS OP DISK AND CYLINDER RECORD CABINETS Write for Booklets and Prices. They will interest you. Catalog just out. Have you got it ? THE UDELL WORKS Indianapolis Indiana