Baltimore Sun, January 26, 1908, page 20:
MELODY BY 'PHONE
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"10 Cents Worth Of Wagner" May Be Furnished By Wire.
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MR. WEBB'S DEMONSTRATION
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Business Men Gather At Belvedere To Hear Music And Dine As The Guest Of The Inventor.
Before a gathering of well-known financiers and business men from this and other cities Mr. George R. Webb gave a demonstration last night at the Hotel Belvedere of his invention by which music can be transmitted by telephone. The affair was unique and, from a scientific standpoint, was successful.
Mr. Webb arranged for the demonstration in such a manner that he had only to call up on a telephone beside his plate at the table and any musical selection requested by any of his guests issued forth in a few moments from a machine on a table in a corner of the room.
The dinner was served in the Red Room of the hotel. The tables were arranged in horseshoe shape and decorated with yellow flowers. The meal itself was one of the finest served at the hotel this season. Between the courses Mr. Webb delighted his guests with the music.
It was explained to the diners that a graphophone was attached to the downtown end of the wire. As soon as Mr. Webb asked a certain number, the record of his selection was placed on the machine, and the music was sent over the wire. It was transmitted from the wires running into the room to a machine on the side table, which is similar to a graphophone. The notes filled the room and Caruso's voice in three of his famous arias was applauded to the echo by the guests.
During the dinner, which was given not only to demonstrate the practicability of the machine, but to launch the idea upon the financial market, speeches were made by Mr. Webb and others interested in the company which he has formed for manufacturing the devices.
It was explained that telephone companies can be so equipped with the machines that any subscriber can be furnished with "10 cents' worth of Lohengrin," or "a quarter's worth of ragtime," by request, and without any bungling of the usual wires.
Those invited to attend were:
Messrs.--
| John W. Gibbs, | Nicholas P. Bond, |
| John Waters, | Josiah L. Blackwell, |
| Frank A. Furst, | John Hubner, |
| Henry W. Webb, | Gen. Lawrason Riggs, |
| Charles H. Webb, | Charles T. Westcott, |
| Henry P. Scott, | James E. Ingram, Sr., |
| Edgar H. Gans, | James E. Ingram, Jr., |
| Thomas S. Hayward, | William H. Bosley, |
| Bernard N. Baker, | Henry A. Parr, |
| Robert Ramsey, | Jacob W. Hook, |
| J. Hillen Jenkins, | Andrew C. Gray, |
| John T. Stone, | Edwin H. Bouton, |
| Dr. Charles G. Hill, | Harry Welles Rusk, |
| Wesley M. Oler, | Ralph Robinson, |
| Robert Crain, | Albert Marburg, |
| Samuel C. Rowland, | Frank Gosnell, |
| J. William Middondorf, | Joseph W. Jenkins, |
| James T. Winchester, | J. B. Russell, |
| William H. Gorman, | Arthur G. Wheeler, Jr., |
| Henry B. Gilpin, | George R. Willis. |
| Gen. Thos. J. Shryock, |