The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-11-26
DisceIiapeous.
The LifO of a French coniur.,


An interesting book has just appeared
IN London, entitled Memoirs of Rob.
ert Houdin, AMBASSADOR, Author and Con.
lurer, written by himself" In this work
Is related the history of French mechan.
&c, who appears to have been born with
an aptitude for all the wonderful arts and
mechanical tricks of the coniurer. This
talent was developed in Houdin from his
earliest infancy. By the time he had
reached his eighth year he had invented
toys, which he had constructed for him.
sell. 10 handle tools and take mocha.
nlsm to pieces became the hobby of this
boy, who was to rival and even surpass
all the conjurers of Europe. At school he
was not happy; he had Unsuitable crav
lngs for the workshop; all his HOLIDAYS
were passed in making snares, guns and
moIse-traps. Having caught several mice.
he devoted their mouse power to mechan
ical purposes.
One of his inventions delighted the
boys; 1t was method of raising water by
pump made almost entirely of quilIs.-
A mouse, harnessed like horse, was to
set this Lilllputian machine in action, but
unhapplly the mouse, though doing his
best could not quite overcome the resist
ance OF the cog-wheels. He had but
rat, how beautifully his machine would
work A rat must be got. A rat is got.
string is fastened around its legs. and
the unwilling cub is carried off by the
young machinist to the dormitory. As
sleep was necessary for the boy, too. the
rat was thrust head. foremost into one of
his shoes, the shoe thrust into stocking.
and the stocking into his trousers, while
the string, which was tied around the leg
OF the rat, was made fast to the bed post.
On rising, Houdin finds that the rat,
dissatisfied with the arrangements for
ventilation, had gnawed his way through
shoe, stocking and trousers. He had not
yet gnawed the string; there was some
comfort in that. But what would the
masters say ? They had little regard for
rats, and would be wroth about the 6es-
truction of clothes. He made a clean
breast OF it, confessed all, and was forgiv-
en-, on condition of henceforth devotins
himself to books, and giving up mechan-
les.
AT length he left college. His father
wanted him to be lawyer, and although
his own inclinations pointed uuequivocal-
ly to mechanics, he was apprenticed to all
attorney. But his passion for invention
was too strong to be strangled by parch-
ments. He was always at work on me-
chanical toys, and chance one day throw.
ing in his way a volume which explained
how to perform a variety of conjuring
tricks, his vocation in life was then ire
Voeably fixed. The study of this book
set his own Imagination to work.
de began to practice the elementary
principles of sleight of hand. He soor
was able to carry on two very distinct
sets of actions at once-for example. tc
throw four balls in circles in the air, and
all the while read a book placed before
him. He could make any object, held il
his hand, disappear with ease. He deter.
mlned in constructing variety of autom
alta. He worked courageously at cog
wheels and wire work, but found time 4
get married in the midst of his inventions
While busily engaged in perfecting som,
piece of machinery, an unfortunate catas
trophe, ruined his father-in-law and him
self. He had now to take to repairin,
clocks and watches for living. He thu
describes his life at this period
81 removed my family into a modes
lodging in the Rue du Temple, (Paris) a
three hundred francs year, consisting o
room, bed room, and stove in cup
board, to which the owner gave the nam
Of Kitchen l resumed my repairing
but was all the while msditating piec
of clock work, the success of which re
stored some ease to our household. ]
was an alarm, which was thus arranged
You placed it by your side when yo
went to bed, and, at the hour desired,
peal reused the sleeper, while, at tn
same time, a ready lighted candle cam
out of small box. was the founder o
this invention, and its success, as it wa
the first of my ideas which produced m
any profit. The alarm light as ] christ
ened it, was so popular that, in order t
satisfy the great demand for it, 1 had t
add workshop to my rooms, and hir
several workmen."
Ruin again threatened him; bill
two thousand francs was due at the en-
of the month, and there was not fran
in the house to pay it. He had jus
formed the idea of new automaton, o
which he had fixed his most sanguin
hopes. 1t was to be writing automatic
which should answer any questions pre-
posed by the spectators. In the urgenc
of his present distress, he hurried to a nc
curiosity dealer, to whom several OF b
inventions had been sold. To him tf
new idea was explained, and so delighte
was the dealer that he at once agreed
purchase it for FIVE thousand francs, ha
the money down and the rest on deliver
Joy was once more in the heart OF Il
little family. But new anxiety sto
over the inventor. He had engaged
deliver the automatou by certain da
and now he foressw a thousand obstacl
which had not occurred before.
Resolved to free himself from the n