The Phonograph

Tliere was au exhibition of Edison' phonograph in Chicago the other day and a local paper thus describes th wonderful machine : It was not a ver formidable-lookiug machine, being easi ly lifted, and not oecupying more than two squnre feet of bpaoe. There wns ai iron cylinder about flve inches in dinme ter and six in length, having a threac cut into it screw-shaped. An axle ex tending throngh the cylinder projectei at each end, and also having a screw thread corresponding to that on the cy] inder. At one end Tras an ordinary crank, by which the cylinder oould b rapidly and easily revolved. At the ene of an arm extending from the front sid was a contrivanoe called the diaphragm because it was as close an imitation o the diaphragm of the human throat a conld be devised. This diaphragm could be swung around until it almos touched the face of the cylinder. I consistod of a small plato or disk of thin steel, having a concave snrfaco intendei to catch the sound, and attached to which, on the under side, was a minut needie, which, when the diaphragm wa in place, would prick or slightly toiie' the cylinder. In order to work the in strument, it was only necessary tc winc a sheet of tin-foil about the cylirder anc talk or sing into the monthpiece. Th vibration of air would cause the needl to iudent the tin-foil, the cylinder, o courae, being revolved dnriug the opera tion. After the speaking was finished i was necessary to swing back the moutli piece and turn the cylinder back to th starting point. Then a cone-shapec fuunel was attached to the diaphragm which was again placed in position, an the phonograph was ready to report th sounds which had been proviousl; voiced into it.