Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-02-12

Curious COuntry-HOuse of Robert
Houdin, the 4 French hPrestidigitateur
Automatic Doors and Gates--HOw
HIS Servants arc tic
Uses of EIecIricity, &c. ....
A writer in the Journal des Debdts gives
an entertaining account of recent visit to
the country-house of Robert Houdn, the
famous prestidigitateur." Houdin seems
to have shown excellent taste in the seec-
tion of a site. His residence is on the left
bank of tile Loire, opposite the town of
Blois.
Novel application of electricity and vari-
ous ingenious devices have been introduced
by M. Houdin. We translate some inter-
esting passages: .4..-.
AN AUTOMATIC DOOR.
An iron gateway for carriages gives ac-
ce IS to long, winding avenue bordered
with trees which make an arbor Of it;
little door at the left is devoted to the use
of pedestrians. This door is ornamented
with gided knocker, above which is in
,crbed the name of the proprietor, and be-
low that of the property, which is the old
priOry of the cathedral of BlOis. You see
also the word "knock." The knOcker,
! when lifted, establishes an electric COM
munication which, by means OF wire like
that of the telegraph, sounds great clock
bell in the house several hundred yards dis
tant. The servant, thus notified of an ar
| rival, Is not obliged to trudge this distance;
he only switches cord, which opens the
door. This same string, still by means of
| electricity, turns the plate on the door, and
| substitutes the word "enter" Tor the word
| knock" The visitor pushes the door
| half open; if opened further it sounds
small bell, which rings louder the further
| RI, l.. N a ia In m Qf fnc
not only know that the visitor has entered,
but also can tell pretty accurately whether
he is alone or accompanied by others; for a
single caller does not commonly trouble
himself to push the door wide open.
NJ. Robert Houdin and his wife have plenty
| of time to prepare for the reception of their
visitors while they are coming up the long
shaded avenue OF which we have spoken.
Besides, the master of the house, by means
OF glass mounted in his study, can see
those who enter, distinguish them, count
them, reconnoitre them. l should add, to
end the description of this first domestic
mechanism, that when the little door shuts,
the word "knock" again appears on the
plate, and, as the servant accomplishes
nothing by pulling the string except when
some one has knocked, the family are al
ways sure that the door has not been left
open by any carelessness; moreover, little
pacard placed in the vestibule OF the house,
and controlled by the same electric agent,
bears the word "gates open," or "gates
shut" as they are in the one or the other
condition-a contrivance which remedies
any negligence on the part of the servants.
HOW CARRIAGES ARE RECEIVED.
If it is carriage which presents itself at
the gate, the cOachman opens the little door
Just described, enters, opens the great gate
which communicates with the house by
several electric wires which set the great
bell ringing, and the rest passes off in the
same way us in the case of callers Oh loot.
If the coachman has not closed the gate be-
hind him the little table in the vestibule in
dicates it, and they know in the house that
the gate has been left open.
POSTAL ARRAN GEMENTs.
Near the outside door is placed, as is the
custom at present, a box for papers and
letters; the external opening of tnis box Is
closed by little cover, which can be lifted
| at pleasure; when lifted, it establishes in
the electric apparatus the contact necessary
to produce the current. The pOstman has
orders to first deposit the papers, and then
the letters one by one. As each one is drop
ped into the box, the lifting of the cover
puts the current in play, and sounds par
ticular bell. "Good," says NJ. Robert
lIoudin, there are my papers and letters"
and you know that in the country this
moment is looked for With meimpatience.
jean, 20 and bring me the the papers, and
three letters which are in tue box" No
chance for roguery or negligence here, for
the bell has tlnkled three times since the
ring produced by the package of papers.
TRICKS.
But does it not happen that the passers-
by amuse themselves by lifting this little
gilded knocker which they see glittering
below the name of Robert HOudin, so uni
versally known by his reputation as quasi
sOrcerer? And do they not often make the
inmates pull the cord uselessly? That has
indeed happened sometime, but rarely, so
well accustomed have the people of the
neighborhood now become to this little
mystery, and so little disposed are they to
| annoy an amiable neighbOr who shows
them nothing but kindness and courtesy.
Only on Sunday the soldiers in their strolls
among the suburbs of Blois, attracted by
this knocker and by this magic name,
amuse themselves by knocking at the door,
and bringing; out the word "enter." They
| take themselves off at once without enter
| ing, and the people of the house know
| what that means. 1t is a little incOnven-
ience of this ingenious mechanism, which
| in other respects renders so many services.
Let us now penetrate into the domain of
| NJ. Robert Houdin.
| AN AIRY ROAD.
| The avenue which leads to his house is
cut between two little hills crowned with
trees. When you are walking in this little
park you cannot pass from one hill to the
| other, without descending into this avenue
and climbing up the other side. This
| would be a tatiguing exercise. 10 remedy
this two wire cables have been rtretched
| from hill to hill. To these cables are sus-
pended two chariots, rolling on pulleys-
| one to 20, the other to return. You
sit down on the first; the weight
of your body moves it, and you
cross the scooped-out avenue by the airy
road. When the chariot has landed you on
| the earth it returns to its place by very
| simple mechanism, put in motion by coun-
| terpoises. After having visited this part of
the park, you can return to the first by the
same process, aud these little voyages,
which recall the Russian mountains, are
very amusing.
ELECTRIC CLOCK.
We come to the house of the gardener.
| NJ, Robert Houdin wishes that his people
should be at their work bright and early !;
to secure this he has put up in Antoine's
bedroom an alarm clock, which sounds at
a fixed hour by means of an electric clock |;
he has taken care to place this alarm, not
near the bedroom of his gardener, but at
the other side of the room; now the elec-
trio hubbub does not stop until you un-
hook the conducting wire; so Antoine is
obliged to get up in order to deliver HIM
self from the deafening noise, and once up,
| l., tIv,lxr 70. hnn Nph NO