Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-04-03
WONDERFUL INvENTION-A TALKING; AND
'"' THINKING MACHINE.

The above machine being exhibited and exper-
imented upon by Sir M. Faraday, OF the Royal So
ciety, Jan. 18th, 1855, we will endeavor to give q
general description of the same gn3P 1e
Suffice is to say that Sir NJ. Faraday had been
solicited to describe this machine, or these autom-
atoms, in the fall of 1854, by most of the scientf
ic and literary gentlemen then residing in London.
Thiswas done on condition that the same should
be kept secret until the inventor should be ready
to make it known publicly. a-- -. .re..,-'
The audience before him was not only composed
of the above named gentlemen, but also Of the
Queen, Prince Albert, and Cabinet, the Bishops
of London, Canterbury and Winchester, together
with large number Of the aristocracy and clergy.
AT reading-desk near the upper end of the
lecture-room, sat figure like man, in a plain
but fashionable dress, apparently in deep thought
In the orchestra sat four figures, two like females
and the other two like males. 80
Sir NJ. Faraday then gave the audience q mi
mute description of these automatical machines,
which would be tedious were to give it in detail
As basis of the wonderful phcnomena he was
about to explain to his hearers he should adopt
the following new but simple theory of electricity.
That electricity is an elementary principle per-
vading all matter that its various phenomena
are produced by the various physically constitu-
tuted agents in which it resides, actively and pas
sively, and upon or through which it vibrates cy
namically. = Il 1eTia 9esH a11l sa-a slE
q. He then gave q concise history of electricity,
galvansm, cct., ect., from the earliest ages down
to the present time, and concluded the history
part by saying, that although much had been done
by the aid of these sciences, it would APPEAR ms
nothing when compared with the future. SCI be-
lievc," said he, "the time will come that these
chemical and these philosophical principles and
agents will be SO we'll understood in their appli-
cations and operations upon the physical and
mental properties of man, that by an electric and
magnetic sympathy they will be able to converse
with each other from one side of the Atlantic to
the other, without the of the batteries
or conducting wires. That do not too highly
color this picture, will be clearly shown by the
experiments now intend to perform before you."
He then described a small galyanic battery,
about the size of quart measure, with four COM
partwents. To each compartment were two
wires attached, called the positive and negative
poles. These wires were continued under the
floor to the feet of the automaton in the reading
desk, who sat upon chair, composed Of copper
and zinc, being perfectly insulated by four three
inch glass globes. y r1-
He then showed us similar battery and SIM
liar wires, which he said were connected with the
automatons in the orchestra; these he termed his
choir, and tt gentleman in the reading desk his
lecturer or preacher ssThe sciences, !" he observ-
ed. &c had done much for the arts and manufac-
lures, but little for the developement of mind"
Placing his batteries before him on small in
sulated table, he then asked the audience what
kind of performance his autonaton should give
they were at liberty to choose for themselves; by
SO doing they would be better satisfied in rela-
ton to the truth and real merits of the invention.
The three bishops then present now suggested
that, if it were practicable, the Church service
might be performed. After some general con-
versation this was adopted. 1'5ao1r .asais oil.
The prayer-book, the Bible, q sermon by the
Bishop of Winchester, and some notices relating
t0 nj hvf fhn ehopo of T Ov1o ,,1o
ced upon the four separate wires, one upon each
wire. The same process was observed with the
automatons in the orchestra, only the music and
hymn-books were laid upon the conductors instead
of the Bible, etc. '''''' -
"Now," says Sir NJ. Faraday, &C we are ready.
figure in the reading desk will rise and read the
necessary portion Of the service, or such portions
that may will to be performed. And when
remove my hand, by which means the circuit will
be broken, the reading will cease. Again; when
l lay my hand upon the music-book, etc., the au-
donations in the orchastra will rise and sing.
And when my hand is removed from the music
book, etc., the music will cease. So with the SER
vice throughout" Here the curiosity of the bril-
liant audience was almost intense. Never in my
life have seen anything to compare with it, nei-
ther can l in any way describe such. rs + ~
presume the feast of Belshazzar, when Meme,
Tekel, Upharsin was written over against him on
the wall, by an isolated hand, must have been
similar to the CONSERVATION here manifested. His
hand is now laid upon the prayer book, and be-
hold! the metallic preacher rises with a solemn
gravity, and, putting on pair Of gold spectacles
in distinct and mellow voice pronounced the
service "When wicked man turneth from
his wickedness," etc. @
Sir NJ. Faraday now removes his hand and lays
it on the music book. Now you see the four au-
tomatons in the orchestra rise, and each one
~Ak4 ~I.,14 0G
mony by thirds, ffths, and scvenths that thrilled
to the very soul. oh, that was able to portray
this harmony, this sublimity!
After the prelude the Venitc, Erultemus DOM
ino was chanted. The rest Of the services were
then proceeded with, but circumstance occurred
that marred the harmony for a time. By some
accident, or by some wilful design of some wick
ed wag, the sermon had been removed from the
conducting wires, and Tom Paine's cage of Rca-
son" placed there instead thereof. This being
rectifed, the remainder of the services were con-
cluded, and this, too, in the most precise and me-
chanical manner still, think, not more 80 than
the present and popular mode. ia5'in tanl
Sir M. Faraday then proceeded to show how
and in what manner the thoughts of persons, sit
ting in the various parts Of the room, could be
described bv the automaton in the reading desk !;
holding up two ends of separate wires, positive
and negative poles, which he said encircled the
room, and being connected with the head of the
figure in the reading desk, whose head he de-
scribed as having inside two powerful magnets,
placed at right angles to each other, and to which
the negative ana positive wires were attached.
The former circuits being broken, he connect
cd these wires to small oblong battery. Seat
ing himself calmly in the insulated chair, he then
asked the audience, or any one Of them, to think
or write upon any subject they choose.
After some little talk, q committee of six gen.
tlcmen were selected BY the audience to retire
and write on some subject, seal it, and keep
it so, until the thinking powers, ETC., of the
mysterious gcntIem an in the reading desk had
BEN thoroughly tested. This was strictly COM
piled with. After the committee returned and be-
came seated about fifty feet from the automaton,
they were asked to join hands. The two outside
gentlemen each taking the end Of the separate
wire, the other ends being then attached to the
small oblong battery; the automaton rose, bowed
to the audience, and proceeded to read or speak
the following in clear and distinct voice, viz =
ssMan is a being compounded of three great prin-
ciples, matter, mind, and spirit, in whom is con-
centrated magnetic and electric forces that, when
fully developed, will create new state Of things
in the moral worlds ~ 80
Z Now the most intense silence prevailed, and the
greatest anxiety was depicted upon every conn-
The scaled paper was opened and read by one
Of tho committee, and behold Il WAS the same,
NO 4 for word, that had Just been delivered by
the automatical figure in the reading aoii
Squads or circles were now formed in various
parts Of the ROOM and by the aid Of the batteries
and conducting wires, thoughts and writings were
- ~ 4 l- - - .