The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-12-19
THE AUTOMATON'S DEATH.

hC iO'o"u6 ChtioOIutuoIJ CiCuu
| stance may be relied on as true, although
it has been but slightly noticed in any o
the papers:
Early in May last, an exhibition wa.
opened in the Masonic Hall of Philadei
phia, of very different character from
the one usual routine Of catching penny
concerns in that edifice. IT. talk
ing Automaton;'uot like Maelzell's dolls
which could only say papa and mama, bu
one that could enter into regular con
versation, in language, and wind up by
singing song. This astonishing piece
of mechanism was the work of q German
artist, who had the charge of it,and was
the result of seventeenye continuance.
1t was the first successful attempt to imi.
tate the divine art Of speech. The fig
ure was that ofa full grown man, dressed
in Turkish costume. The sounds were
all produced by the lungs, Throat tongue,
teeth, lips, and nose, as in nature: sort
of bellows occupied the chest, and the
wind pipe, lips, and other flexible parts,
were made OF gum elastic. All the or
gans of speech communicated by sealed
wires with key, board, behind the fig.
ure, containing sixteen keys, which pro.
duced as many sounds. The grand prob.
lem, SO long agitated amongst the learn
ed. as to how many original articulations
there are, and what they are, was solv.
ed by this capital piece of mechanism.
Sixteen sounds viii produce all the words
that can be found in any language, or
that man can utter. AS one instance of
the ingenious discoveries ofthe artist we
may state, (what will at first be doubted
by many, that M and B are the same
calculations, except that in uttering the
former the air is suffered to escape
through the>nose; in the latter, we close
that valve up. In like manner, N and L
are allied. The Artist had one key,
called the nasal key, which produced
these variations; so that NJ or N had no
key peculiar to itself.
A few gentlemen saw this machine on
the first day One of them, on enter
ing, having given his name, the automa-
ton respectfully saluted him, and said
with proper and agreeable tone though
with German accent 'Mr R. am We
ny glad to see you The moving cause
Of course, was the artist, who sat behind
the figure, with his fingers on the key.
The automaton also sang 'Hail Colum-
bia, happy land
But, to make short story, the same
evening some German friends ofthe ar.
list called to give him a welcome, and in
the old country fashion, they must show
their good will by joining in a few glass
es Divine. Well might he have said
Save me from my friends Naturally
excitable, and not used to such stimulus,
he lost the mastery Of himself, and in an
unaccountable fit Of fury, rushed upon the
matchless workmanship Of his own hands,
battered it to pieces and left not one
fragment joined to another Thus in one
day the most splendid piece ofmec hanism
in the world was demolished and the Gu
rioslty OF thousands left unsatis6ed, per-
haps forever. He remained for some
days in stupor. which left him, to find
out unspeakable loss.
The gentleman has found some excel
lent friends amongst the men of Philad-
elPhia where he still remains. Strong
inducements have been held out to get
him to construct new machine, which
he thinks could be done in year. His
determination is as yet uncertain.
There can be no harm in publishing
such iacts. They all work for the cause
Of Temperance, cause which ought to
triumph. Such circumstances on 10
show, that it is not only the bold harden.
ed, reckless use of intoxicating drinks,
which does the mischief; but that DER.
sons of good habits, and good intention,
cannot partake ofthem without danger -
If A GLASS OF WINE DEsTRoYTHE WORK
OF SEVENTEEN YEARS, IS IT NOT BET.
TER TO LET WINE ALONE? q ovieStown
paper.
A Coon PUN.-'Did you know | was
here" said the bellows 10 the fire,
ooh yes. always contriye to rel