Edison's Marvellous Invention.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 562, 27 January 1891, Page 3

Edison's Marvellous Invention.

THE PHONOGRAPH TO BE EXHIBITED IN GISBORNE. Mr Jinkins, advance manager for Edison’s Wonderful invention the Phonograph (which is now being exhibited throughout New Zealand), arrived in Gisborne by Sunday’s steamer, and an exhibition of the phonograph is announced for next week. ‘I have been,’ sail Profess >r Archibald, • some time engaged under the au»piccs of Qjlonel Gourad, Mr Edinson’s representative in Europe, in introducing the phonograph into the United Kingdom I lectured throughout England, Ire.and and Scotland, and, as it were, acted as pioneer of the phonograph, similarly to what I am doing in Aus raasia. When the question of widening the bounds cf the phonograph c .me to be Considered by the syndica e or company uf Which Colonel Gourad is the chief, there was a slight difficu ty as to where I could go. The rights of the Cape and of Indi * were allotted, so I looked at the map, and seeing Australasia thereon, I asked. * IS THAT DISPOSED OF ?’ ‘ Oh, no,’ said Colonel Gourad. ‘ Well,’ Slid I, * then* I wid take the right for Australasia.* I packed up and went io America. Here I studied in Edi on’s labors'ory in Order to get an idea of the machme, its Capabilities, and wnat was wanted to be done in reference to it. Then I travelled through the States, obtaining records for the machine, though I may note here I had already received many in England. Amongst these was the message I was charged to deliver from Mr Gladstone to Lord Carriug ton and others. Then after having accumu lated my records, and aso put myself in a position to de»l with the phonograph by Study in the| laboratory, 1 left via San Franc it co for Australasia. I there, on my arrival, had the pleasure of delivering to Lord Carrington at Government House, through the machine, the exact message in hit own words and with his voice spoken into it BY MB GLADSTONE, In Australia I met with Mr McMahon, who is Dew wi'h me, and he understood the business part of the lour through Australasia. Now, you ask me as to the adapts' ion of the machine tor business purposes? Well, in America, this is almost as universal as the telephone. A business man dictates bis letters to ihe pbongrapb, which again repeats them, in his very words, to the type-writer, and so they go out. As to ihe number in use; well, there were, when I was in America, consider ably over 5000 in use. The one I have is numbered four thousand and something. As to motive of power, well, water is as good as any other if you want, as in a business house, to have your phonograph stationary. But if you want to move about for the purpose of exhibition, then, of course, electricity is the best. Mr Edison himself, in his own room, has his phonograph worked by water from tap a which turns the turbine wheel, and thus moves the phonograph. Of course in America, where the electric light is common, the electricity for lighting can be used for wonting the phonograph also. There is a gover 01 which can be fixed to the machine, which re dates the power so that it does no* go b-yoni wbat is wanted. I may say that none of he machines used in America are Bolt’, Tuey are rented out LIKE THE TELkPHONE, and cost from four dollars (equal to about £1 England) to ten dollars per month. As to the transmission of phonograms, I cannot Sly much as to what has been done up to now. When I was in America there were two patents in course of being worked out at Edison’s laboratory. The first of these was a kind of roll of wax upon cardboard roiled into a cylindrical form, so as to fit on to the machine to take the letter. Then there was a blank space of waxed cylinder, which could be removed and impressed with the recording needle after the despatch had been put into Che phonograph and delivered to the person for whom it was intended. The blank space was then intended to be taken from the despatch and used for purpose of recording the answer upon. You ass me whether there i« not some method of BEADING PHONOGB4M3 through the post in a more portable form than the cylinders to which I have jus*, referred ? Well, I answer yes. There was at the time I was in the laboratory a patent for the impressing of the message or letter on a thin s ip of wax, over which another blank Slip folded, and then this was put into the post and mailed. On placing this in the pbonograh ihe re-produciioa of the message Or letter took place. I am, of course, unable to say what has been done wi h regard to {hose two methods of cransmis-ion of phonogram, since I have left America, but 1 have no doubt that they are io full operation. As to the capabilities and possibilities cf the phonograph they are simply unlimited. It is, as has been most aptly said, to the human voice what the mirror is to the human figure. It correctly and faithfully reproduces every word that is entrusted to it, and SVSBY INTONATION OF VOICE. 5 oil Wi l be surprised to hear your old friend Toole Binging “ A Horrible tale,’ which you have no doubt heard on many festive occ .— ajons, and you will also be amused to hear Mr Bn,zelle's song, with the interruptions Whieh break in upon it. In the largest hah io Melbourne—the Town Hall—the faintest Whisper was heard perfectly. There seems to be an idea that the phonograph can only be heard iu a small room, and that indistinctly. You wait, and you will hear, even at the furthest extremity of the hall, the words and musical selections as distinctly as if you were speaking or listening to the people who are speaking or singing.’