THE PHONOGRAPH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3780, 8 April 1891, Page 2

THE PHONOGRAPH.

GLADSTONE WILL SPEAK IN MABTERTON TO-NIGHT.

Thanks to the enterprise of Messrs Macmahon, who have directed the Australian and New Zealand tours of Edison's astounding talking maohine, the Masterton public will have an opportunity this evening of hearing the wonderful reproducer of sounds. The orowds tint thronged the Opera House, Wellington, during the whole of last week to see this wonderful invention, seem to give the lie to the oft reiterated assertion that people will not go to places to learn anything. In this case boys and girls, men and women, were "equally affected" by the desire to see and hear this wonderful invention. The only objection to the entertainment that was heard was that the explanation of the scientific principles was not full enough, and no doubt a large percentage of those who attended will seize any opportunity of reading more about those principles. To seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge is a good thing, but most of us like to gain our knowledge in as attractive a form as possible. We don't feel much inclined to go to hear scientific lectures, because they are usually given in the dry as dust style. But an attractive lecturer will always draw a crowd of young people as well as old, no matter on what subject he speaks. The great question now, of course, is how the instrument will affeot our lives. Thanks to the telegraph and telephone we now live at twice the pace our grandfathers did. We get through four or five times the amount of business our progenitor did or could have done. Will the phono- | graph make us race along the road of life faster than ever, or will it merely remain an exhibition instrument useful for delivering sqng or speech j from voices, humanly speaking | still for ever ? Undoubtedly this last will be one of the principal uses to which Mr Edison's invention will be put. The generations to come will not have the aggravation of hearing from their elder that Madame Rossjboutan or Senor Schawztboff, the crack singers of the day, are nothing to compare with the singers of their father's day, 'Twill be useless for us old bucks to sooff and say these people sing—bosh ! You should have heard Beeves and Patti. They will be able to produce til 6 * l records and compare notes. Great speeches, for country's sake, will stir the blood of the children of 1900, as tales of Harry of Agincourt and Wallace used to move our boyish blood. The box plan is now open at Mr R. T. Holmes.