THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION 



229 



distinguishing air of superiority that is 

 not ;approached by any other. We 

 want our readers to know for their 

 good just how we feel in this matter. 

 Ever since the Reception Room was 

 built the Trustees, members of the 

 family and our immediate friends ac- 

 tively interested in the work of The 

 AA have occasionally discussed the 

 question whether there should be a 

 talking machine in the room, that is 

 generally recognized as possessing the 

 dignity and the solemnity of an ex- 

 quisitely finished little chapel of na- 

 ■ ture-. • The unanimous decision at 

 every discussion has been, "No, we 

 don't want any of those scratchy, 

 screechy things. It would belittle the 

 place." In fact in a room lighted by 

 a Swiss cross it would be almost sac- 

 rilegious. But we feel that this mag- 

 nificent instrument adds to the dig- 

 nity of the room ; we know that it 

 pleases our visitors and students, and 

 is in perfect harmony with the scien- 

 tific aspect of the optical projection 

 work there accomplished. One could 

 praise some other forms by calling 

 them models, if the hearer would take 

 into consideration the specific defini- 

 tion of the word "model" a^s "a small 

 imitation of the real thing." Every- 

 body knows that Edison was the 

 prime inventor of the phonograph ; it 

 is not necessary for us to explain the 

 cause of the big but temporary sales of 

 similar machines; it is not necessary 

 for us to eulogize Edison. Every one 

 knows that what he has done has 

 been done in a masterly manner. 



I remember that a few years ago I 

 made a careful investigation of some 

 of the common phonographs. It was 

 before I had heard the Edison. I re- 

 member a remark made by the ex- 

 hibitor: "You see," said he, "that ma- 

 chine has a tone of its own distinct 

 from all others as, for example, the 

 tone of the Kroeger, Steinway, Knabe 

 or of any other high grade piano is 

 distinct from the ordinary cheap 

 makes." I felt instinctively that that 

 was not what I wanted. The phono- 

 graph must reproduce any tone and 

 do so perfectly ; it must wholly elimi- 

 nate its own personality in its re-cre- 

 ation of sound. One must forget the 

 phonograph and hear only the speaker 



or the singer. This is exactly what 

 the Edison does for us. When we 

 hear it we do not think it is a good 

 machine. We say, "Isn't he (or she) a 

 good singer?" 



It is curious how some things come 

 about. I am sure that the reader, 

 recognizing the fact that I am writing 

 simply to give him good advice, will 

 pardon a little personality. The first 

 time I ever heard an Edison Diamond 

 Disc was in a Teachers' Institute at 

 Springfield, Ohio, some three or four 

 years ago. I felt hurt at the time, 

 as did my esteemed colleague, that our 

 addresses should be set aside for what 

 we supposed was "a talking machine." 

 We thought that we were sufficient 

 along those lines. But as the first 

 notes of a soprano singer came from 

 that re-creation instrument, my col- 

 league .^turned to me and said, "Did 

 you ever' hear anything like that in all 

 your life? That is not Screeching ; it 

 is singing." We and the audience of 

 teachers felt that there was some- 

 thing new, something really worth 

 while. Immediately after this demon- 

 stration I had a long chat with the 

 demonstrator and for the first time 

 learned of the diamond principle and 

 why the Edison is superior to every- 

 thing else of the kind. 



Until recently there have been no 

 local stores of the Edison machine in 

 either Greenwich or Stamford and in 

 listening to phonographs of other 

 makes at other stores I had become 

 more and more convinced that those 

 machines would be out of place in our 

 Welcome Reception Room. 



Our readers can hardly imagine the 

 surprise and delight that Mr. Edison's 

 generous gift has brought to all those 

 who have been working faithfully for 

 the perfect equipment of ArcAdiA 

 for its work and for the entertainment 

 of its visitors. We extend to all a cor- 

 dial invitation, to every one who is 

 contemplating purchasing a phono- 

 graph to hear the real thing. 



Edison has been praised so much 

 and so justly that words of encomium 

 to him would be like throwing a pail 

 of water into the Long Island Sound in 

 the hope of increasing its depth, but we 

 believe these words of plain honest 

 statement about the superiority of this 



