THE PHONOGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 8526, 27 May 1891, Page 2

THE PHONOGRAPH.

After an absence from Dunedin of about five months, during which time nearly every part of New Zealand has been visited, the phonograph is again with us for a farewell season of three nights. It will be recollected that the popularity of the talking machine nightly increased on the occasion of the previous visit, and it was not therefore surprising to find a very large audience in the City Hall last night, prepared to renew the pleasurable acquaintance already made with Edison's latest invention. For about half an hour Professor Archibald claimed the attention of those present with his chatty descriptive and instructive lecture, and then a number of " records " were heard, T,he best of these were a cornet solo by Mr Arthur Smith, of Covent Garden, a tin whistle solo by an amateur, and songs by Messrs Bingley, Shaw, and Russell Wallett. The new " records " included a cornet solo by Mr T. Feltham, ' Queen of my heart' sung by Mr H. £. Smith, and bagpipe music by Mr M'Donald (all of this City); and two wellknown hymns played in the streets by the Salvation Army Band of Christchurch. In ' The bleeding Lamb' the tambos could be distinctly discerned, and the alto voices were also distinguishable. The reproduction of a speech by Mr Kennedy Macdonald, member for Wellington City, and one of the most fluent speakers iu Parliament, was markedly successful ; and at Professor Archibald's invitation the PostmasterGeneral ascended the stage and spoke into the machine the following sentences, which were immediately reproduced :—" Ladies and gentlemen, I am sure that the whole of us this evening have been very deeply interested in the exhibition which the gentleman who is in oharge of the phonograph has given us, and I take the opportunity of paying my humble tribute to the great man who has enabled us to hava seen the work of his genius, of his intellect. To have heard the solos of some of the greatest cornet players in the world, as well as some of the best cornet players in Dunedin, is a singular and exceptional treat; and I trust you will, when you next meet Mr Edison, convey to him the great appreciation which I personally feel towards him, and express to him the high admiration which I cannot but entertain of the talents which he has so far displayed in eleotrical science. I hope also that you will say a good word for New Zealand when you next visit him in America. I also hope that on some future day this great man will come to New Zealand and see the country for himself. —Yours faithfully, J. G. Ward " The speech of Sir George Grey to the "unborn millions" will be reproduced this evening.