Mr. Edison's new Works and Laboratory.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 18, 16 February 1889, Page 2

Mr. Edison's new Works and Laboratory.

Mr. Tlmnvis A. Elison has oreuted las now work and laboratory al Orange half-an-hour's ride from Now York cit>. In accordance with an oil habit, he lives nt tho scene of his labors. Having taken a vacation, from electioneering controversies, at the famous invonto"'N industrial retreat, I propose to give you tlio results of n conversation with I my 'mst together with a few personal observations which I mini o 01 my own account touching his " latest mid greatest" discovery—this is tho inventor's own view of tltn phonograph. " I regard it,"ho said, ''as the greatest in- : vention of my life, and I have resolved to devote my entire energies to perfecting it and supeiiitonding its manufaci tuio for sale ail over tlio world." 110 trusts very littlo to joint-stock nssnoia- '. tions. It is true bo has formed acorn- ' pany for tho manufacture and sain of | tho phonograph, but he is the absolute J owner of 00 per cent of tlio stock. His i works at Orange will employ frumtuu to 500 people. This establishment has | cost him £'2oo/100, and it is solely and exclusively to be used for the manufacture of the phonograph. Tho mai chine as it is now completed to put upon the market of thn world, weighs 2st I oib. It is made up of 300 pieces I —brass, steel, and iron. One of the great advantages connected with its production is tho fact that every separ- | ate part of it is manufactured by ma- ! chincry specially designed for tho pur- ! poso, some of the tools being very 1 expensive and complicated pieces of ] mechanism. A largo portion of the capital invested in the works has been employed in the purchase of this unique ■ machinery. The proprietors rely more j upon their special ruothods of produej tion than upon thoir patents; the rea- ' son for this is that they can manufac- : ture cheaper than any competitor. It i is proposed to have the phonograph | ready for delivery in large numbors .by the Ist of January. The plan of distribution is not to sell, but to 'lease ; them at a price which ia equivalent to eight guineas a year.

On- of ilr. Bdlew's assoeistse, F. <"fi McQuire, wjjjss»fe AmerfeiUti • daysfor China, tadJe, p«u. iMtaperlmush ikmnli ■tartboriitaotttiM* two uiiuritrnft, MJPT demand for the machhse fro* AHR is mush more emph'atte thsartart been express** by any Eironssj* country. Mr. Edison is instrument, though he bus already brought it to a state of perfection as far an repronouuting the tone* of the human mice employed iu conversation. Much ha* yet to be dune in imitating Total music. Instrumental rausieisvsry successfully reproduced. Within the, last two or thr.-e days experimenjihs&e *?«n made with the phonograph for the purpose of reporting.publm'speeches. The most notable exper|meut,jdihough conducted under very unfavorable conditions, gave remarVable re»ults. It was nt it public meeting in one of tho upper towns in New Jersey that the test in question was made. Owing to the arrangements iu tho hnll it was n<>t possible to place the funnel for the nvo_.u m of tlio-ouud near enough t» the ■",) inker's sand; it was si* feet below r ; whilethe p"hon >griph itself was 1) I'f.-t distant from the spniker. The only break made "in »He reporting was in tli- eight seconds required for the ohanging of the witjt Jeylindeia which are used to r oord the »pe*nes. Those cylinders, as a rub', will tike i eight minutes of; an ordiaiay address, j M>\ Edison says tins d lay in ohaiiging jj the cylinders cnu l>e obvi tted entirely I by u iag two machines. Two ft ; phr<Uo | speakers wore reported upon this particular f ee.isinn, ooveri'tg-a p'fwl of two hours talking, with ihe exception of thesmn'l breaks nlrea ly mentioned. Tlie orators w r.; fully an I accurately reported, even to the d"ep long breaths and c of one of them, wh» was suffering front ti .-oil. The applaiisof tli» awlteii■ e was *iso distinctly mid sharply repeated. A j iking remark of th<;chairman, made behind the j speakej-'s hj ick and at his expens-, was also faithfully caught and recorded by tiie uuia&L-utirg photograph, whiletha cheers a: tho close of tho meeting, the shuffling of feet;'ami the confute I uprn if of the departing crowd was also most fai'hfitlly noted. -"Si far us the ordinary himau so'eeuu is concerned the phonograph is now perfe -tion; the lowest uliiaper is shnrpIv ami distinctly 'record»d. Espinmeats arc lining costnntly made with the wni cylinder, and Mr. Kliwm tells ■mo ilia' lit- liop.-M so-:n't<> obtain a new miieii.il, which will enable the userof the phonograph, to ft/Id the recording cyli i'lors, so that they can be mailed in an ordinary envelope instead of a b..x. .... .'in a musing feature comeciod with the phonograph is Mr Edisuu'a adaptation of it to toys. Children will bo d-dighted to know that Mr. Edison has eouib'nftd the phonog>-Hph with two dolls iu Ids laboratory, Oue of ilips/-- dnll-i, w)i.-n a crank is turned ['■ nnd*>r 0 purple> a..e at it.* bnok, repeats with iniieh expression, '•'Twinkle, '.winkle, little t'tar!'' The voice records 1 is that (if Mr. Edison, whose i.eics :ire harsh and rough, so that the effect of speech is most grotesque I; coming from tlie waxen face of a BHW- . dust stuffed ddl. Hits of Mother Q iose melodies will bo furnished in any quantity to go with these populur , playthings.