Show the kew it is said that a company has purchased all the edison and taintor patents on the new and improved phonograph and intend to make it a great monopoly to bo used by the public only on the payment of a large price the company proposes to imitate the bell telephone company in scraping up the money of its patrons that the phonographs will be rented not sold and a large interest charged on four or five times their cost there is no doubt but that the improved instrument is far better and more useful than the original invention of edison but it is extremely doubtful if it is so indispensable that the proprietors can put a fancy price upon its use as is done with the telo graph or telephone they have no real substitutes but the can readily be substituted in all the uses to which it maybe put profitable monopolies on inventions cannot be sustained except when there is no available cheaper substitute no matter how perfect the instrument may be it commends itself more in a sentimental point of view than in any other way there is an idea that it will be used as a permanent record of apok i en language but it must b bome in mind a field of usefulness is very limited as in these days almost all transactions of importance are evidenced in writing or printing would be in vain to try to substantiate the evidence of a phonograph for a written contract or agreement or for a letter of instructions or a power of attorney s intended to use it for impeachment the of a wit ness it may be said that that can now be done without it appearances are that it will be an interesting scientific toy but anything further than that is as yet quite problematical blema it is no doubt a very pretty scientific toy but not like the telephone and telegraph an indispensable pen sable requisite in business A reporter who recently examined one of these instruments speaks of it as follows we saw a phonograph which was mounted upon a small table producing one of the tubes upon the surface ot which were minute dotted lines the operator said A lady was here the other day and sang to the instrument if you will listen you can hear a reproduction of he voice the reporter listened and heard if a body meet a body coming the rye then followed a german song by the same lady the operator said that the could repeat either of the songs times if the reporter could spare the time to listen |