The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-04-01
Youths Department.
THE TALKING MACHINE.

Several OF the New York papers have mentioned
tbs arrival in that city Of machine that actually tai'
un achievement hitherto never effected. The editor
Of the New-York Courier has seen the "talker' in
operation. aud thus describes it -
The tone Is not thut ofu human voice, though II
resembles that OF some persons in being mainly thro
the nose. But could fail to perceive al once
that the sound was produced by come artificial wind
instrument. 1ts outward appearance is very simple
Turks head with urban and long beard faces The
spectator and the words are uttered by movements
Of The lips the tongue the palate. and all the ocu-
lO,ins organs precisely in the living person. These
movements are produced by machinery coucenled
beneath drupery behind the figure, and moved by
keys at its right These keys are sixteen in number
each representing particular sound Il requires no
little skill TO use the keys, rs great number oil them
must be quickly and properly struck TO utter The
simplest words A bellows beneath supplies the
BREATH which the machinery thus manufactures into
,rords The Turk rected to the Alphabet, counted
fTty, gave the Latin titles to several European mon
archs, held an edit, ing conversation with US about
the weather, SING German song, and bude US good
day, 10 n very dstinct and courteous phrase. The
u,teraneO is, OF course very Slow and sometimes diff
lies in an inability TO work the keys with sufficient
rapkiity and not in want Of vocal organs II Is GER
family very curious, and shows that the inventor who
is an Austrian, 10 possessed great skill and ingenu
~. We understand that the instTument,has engaged
his attention FOR about fourteen years
". r. Willis, in one OF his latest letters TO the
National Integencer, after describing visit TO the
speaking autOmaton of Mr. Faber, udulgeS in the fol-
lowing renlarks
1.-THE statue Of Mennon could utter musical sounds,
and Maelzel's chess plnyer cond say 'echec'
much moro useful Gutomaton than any Of these, MIR
Fdbers cudcd was invented by one Of the broth
ers Drlz--'a child, sitting at desk, who dipped
his pen in the ink and wrote in French whatever was
dictated to him. (the inventor Of somewhere
concenled) II struck me as great pity, indeed that
the admirable ingenuity and perseverance, ofMr Faber
should have been wasted n supcrfuty-( for there
is more talking than enough.) Albetus Magnus in
veRtsd with thirty years. labor, auiomaton servant,
who would open the door when any one knocked and
sau,s the visitor capable of course being made to
say mot home. and saving the conscience Of the
donleslc and tbs perhaps worth the lubor. Less
meritorous, again the nutomaton fly made of
iron by Regiomontanus in the l4th century, which |
would make the circuit Of the with buzz and
return to its master. Something in the Pygmalon
line has been attempted within few years by a
Swiss mechanism, Malardet, who constructed
female with bosom that would heave for nm hour
wound up. She could also play forty tunes on
tho psno with her 6ngerp, and look langushngIy by
casting her eyeS down--umost enough for one wom
an to do think these facts enough FOR very
pretty speculative essay the value Of such Offices
as may be performed by the body without the aid Of
brains "