Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1895 — Queer Phonograph Cylinders. [ARTICLE]

Queer Phonograph Cylinders.

“Some of the Western demands for phonograph cylinders,” said a dealer in those articles, “are surprising, even to me. We send out the latest popular songs and marches on our cylinders, as a matter of eourse, and we make special cylinders for our customers. Topical songs go better than anything else on a cylinder. Several weeks go I received a letter from Southern California asking for a cylinder that would tell the story of Maria Barberi, the Italian murderess. The writer said that there was great interest in her case in his town, and if he could get a cylinder dealing with it he could make his fortune. I thought this a freak request, and I wrote back that ft would be im- . possible to comply with his demand. To my astonishment I received a dozen similar requests from different parts of the West. What did I do about It? Why, I furnished tfie' article, of course. A newspaper man wrote a dramatic story of tlie murder committed by this Italian girl and a little review of her trial. It was done In 1,000 words, so that I could get it on one cylinder. Then I engaged a professional elocutionist to recite it into the phonograph. Now, would yon think such a thing as that would ‘go?’ Well, it did, and lam receiving orders every week for Maria Barberi cylinders. Public taste Is something that one can’t safely guess at, and in my business I've given up_ftying.”—New York Sun^-' The product of' a single pair of sparrows, if each pair should have twgntyfour young In a year and all live, would In ten years number 275*31 ti,983, 698 birds. The bird hatches five or six broods In a year, and produces from four to six young In a brood. The Armlnians took their name from their leader, Arminius, born In 1500, died in 1609. Tbelr doctrines are atlU held by several Methodist bodies. b , t j