THE PHONOGRAPH.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1870, 13 February 1892, Page 3

THE PHONOGRAPH.

That most extraordinary piece of mechanism, known to the world as the phonograph, was exhibited in the Town Hall on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and furnished a couple of hours' delightful wonder and instruction to very good audiences. The marvellous doings of the phonograph have by this time been read of throughout the world ; but the wonder and astonishment produced on the thoughtful mind by the reading of them is as nothing compared to the blank and mystified astonishment one experiences on hearing with his own ears and under his own eyes all the marvellous performances attributed to the machine. The first surprise was a cornet solo by a member of the Christchurch Garrison Band. Nothing could exceed the naturalness of the music ; it was as sweet, as full of sound and melody, as carefully rendered and as natural as if the player, instrument in hand,had stood before the audience. It would be impossible to prove in any more conclusive manner the absolute infallibility of the machine. Then followed songs and pieces played and sung in far away American cities and in Australia, and in eyery instance the reproduction was as fresh, as crisp, and as resonant as the original. There was nothing missing, no peculiarity of voice or expression or accentuation, nothing, indeed, absent but the owner of the voice, and he left as much of himself behind as was consistent with his own preservation or the necessity of keeping himself together for future displays. "We had also a message from General Phil Sheridan from New York to a Sydney gentleman, giving a description of the progress that was being made by the tatter's son, whom he had been recently visiting. Every word was as distinct and as warm and congratulatory in tone as if it had jnst come straight from the Jips of the veteran himself. There were songs also that had been sung into the machine by Messrs Miller and Appleby, of Christchurch, a quartette by the Christchurch Orpheus Club, and a piccolo solo. There was also a brief but characteristic address from the Rev. Dr Stuart, of Dunedin, whose tones many of the audience have been familiar with. Mr "Winn, of Lawrence, played a cornet solo, which was faithfully produced by the machine. Mr Kelly, in addition to giv-

ingaclearand interesting explanation of the phonograph, also delivered a few recitations in fine style. The exhibition closed with " Auld Lang Syne" sung by some roysteving Highlandmenin Christchurchon Hogmanay night, everything being recorded down to the "hip, hip, hurras" with which the convival song closed. Mr Kelly expects to be around here again in the course of six weeks or so, and he will then visit all the more important centres.