Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-09-18
Extraordinary Ienuity.

yAN
Dr.J.V. C. Smith is rsiHo lble for the fol-
lowing piece of history, live of mechan-
ical ingenuity and ecclesl bigotry, We
copy from the Boston fE aad SurgicI
Journal: F
Nothing in Vienna aash 4 ne more than
tho matchless machinery IL famous Herra
Jaquet Droz, in his audhldsa or self-moving
figures. He must have Bgeg one Of the very
highest order Of mechanicds 9eniuses. He exls
hibited three of his autondt9n Children before
Louis XIV. of France, in l8S, Tha at once
raised him to distinction as aF aa Ioyal inhu- .
ence could dignity a man Of spch rare powers.
One Of the fgI% writes Aasutiial hand, any
sentence prdposed-by sit Av gOasing dial
plate to a particular order euera The sec;
ond draws the figure of aniaak Il paper, and
actually shades off a profile and ~ third plays
with its fingers on keyed sa9 1ent, some---
thing similaz- q asisss---tlhes Al! the ,alis
psaFanco Of life,,. ss.SsspSass n expression q
thoughttulness, was peEmlsea inspect the
mechanism at leisure, tion and At
rest; and Of, all the complicase Esnexpicable
combination of wheels, pinioHS lbs, endlesSs
screws, cams and levers, OIL vii Gy eye ever
rested, these are the. most perE 8hg and astonsr
shing.: ~ $50;
After theinventor had astoab all Franco
and England, he made trip Il SPAIN with tlhe
expectation Of reaping rich haryest Ill that
then wealthy kingdom, but be bid hardytcom-s
menced the exhibition before Il iaaalgiiioh ar
rested him and threw him inls asisoH.sor being
in league with the devil. H mot been for
the interest felt in bis case Archbishop
of Toledo, who comprehendeS nature of the
mechanism, and favored his e is thought
he would have been. burned alc'
This sad misfortune ruined ~ prospects and
stripped him of the avails of hifingenuity. He
fled, leaving the auomata in ae strong box of
the holy office, where they reclaimed till Napo-
leon entered, when by the Rgency of some
friends who knew the hiStoryof the transaction,
they were recovered and sent to Pars-not,
however, until the unfortunale Droz and his
equally talented son had been years in their
graves. In the rough landings to which they
had been subjected, the apparatus got out of Or
der, and no one could be found competent to
repair them till by the mercst chance the present
proprietor, young German, On learning their
history, made a visit OF inspection.
They were considered worthless, and no one,
however eminent as mechanist, dared to un-
dertake the restoration. BY pefsevering study,
Mr., Henri Martin, the gentleman alluded to-
discovered the principle of the movement, and
they are now again in motion. He would like
much to 90 to the United States with them, but
breads the idea'of crossingN a turbulent ocean
MOelzel's celebrated rope-dapc9- Rnd even his
lchess- player, ara-nGs to qsbeaaRhtsa a.1n the same
day of the month with ths@: Here is a true
mechanical movement, open fa the most critica
examination of the spectator, while his was
deception. Connected with these figures, Mr.
Martin has miniature liand.Sart drawn by al
old man, smoking. He tugs away awhile, stop
and breathes hard, looks around, and then pull
again at the load with all the .naturalness of ev
cry day life.
1t is the work Of a watch-dsaker, who employ
ed his leisure moments in the construction, an
realized 5000 forns for hislhgenuity.
have been more particular in,speaking O
this exhibition, because it gsof SO very rare
character, and evinces the resources of a mind
in the Alpine regions Of SwtzerAN in the pei
son of Droz, which has notyet haA parallel /
} the history Of inventions.