The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-12-11
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ion of curious Objects-some OF them TOT
heir minuteness Of proportion and delicacy
If finish, and others for their curious con- >,
'truction. It is only on reviewing the ms .
DRY of mechanism that we can realize now
much mental toll and valuable time and
abor men of genius have wasted on toys
FOR grown children. The construction OF
automatic has ever been favorite occupa-
lion of men of mechanical turn of mind
The earliest one on record is the pigeon
made by Archytas, of Tarentum, Aus years
B. G. Plato tells US that this artificial
bird few a considerable distance, and
alighted at the point from which'he was
In 1860, Albertus Magnus, Archbishop of
made a machine in the human
form, which saluted visitors and made them
welcome in q few articulate words. He was
rewarded for his labors by being accused
of sorcery, after his death. DR.. Kempelon |
of Austria, exhibited similar one to the
Partisan Academy of Science in 1903: In
the same year the Able Mical exhibited
talking heads.
The learned Kercher and the philosophic
Gassendi, assure us that John Muller, OF
Konigsburg, made an eagle which circled
around the Emperor Frederick, and aiight-
ed on the spot from which he had started.
Muller also constructed an iron hy, which
flew about the room and alighted on the
hand from which it had started.
Some chroniclers of tho 10th century say
that when Henry III. made his solemn en-
try into Cracow, in 1873, after his election
to the throne of Poland, white eagle FOL
lowed the king, lowering over his head,
beating his wings during the whole cere-
mony. Cornelius Drebble, a Dutch mathe-
matician, made a musical machine which
wound itself up at sunrise, and play ed
continuous symphony so long as the rays OF
the sun fell upon it. ,
Vaucanson, acting on this 1dea niue
- l.; ,,1a
| nown was not less than the famous duck.
| The artificial duck, is we'll known, plum,
| ed itself, quacked, waddled, devoured, and
even digested food by means OF a chemical
solution by which the interior of the ma
chine was charged. Every one has hgard
! of MaelzePs autOmaton chess-p player. This
however, has ceased to be a mechanical
wonder or marvel; it was only an ingenious
deception. MaelzeIs automaton trumpeter
was frs brought out in Paris in 1905. 1t
was exhibited in this country, together
with the chess player and speaking pup
pets, about forty years ago. The trumpet
playing was very good.
| The Jesuit Mamburg makes mention OF
a golden tree in the possession OF the En-
peror Theophilus, laden with little artlh-
cial birds, which produced concert SINH
lar to the song of nightingales, and thereby
astounded all Constantinople. The Jour
nal DIES Sauans, for 1910, speaks OF two au.
4 tomato no less wonderful. An artificial
horse which could go over smooth ground
seven or eight leagues day; and also a
statue of iron, constructed by a prisoner,
which, having issued from the prison, Went
and presented petition to the Emperor OF
Morocco in his palace, and then returned
again. John Walk, in his Latin discourses
speaks of a brazen spider, made by Ger
man clock maker, which moved and lml-
tated life so naturally that it was difficult
to believe that it was not an actual spider.
| Look at the small miniature toys that
have been made. Veritable watches set in
finger rings; a dinner set placed in hazel
nut; a coach and four enclosed In cherry
stone. Elian speaks of one Myrmecides, a
Milesian, and Of Callicrates, Lacedeemo-
MAN, the first of whom made an ivory
/ chariot, so small and SO delicately framed
that fly, with its wing, could at the same
time cover it and a little ivory ship of the
same dimensions; the second formed ants
and other little animals oat of ivory, which
were SO small that their component parts
were scarcely to be distinguished with the
naked eye.
Arnold, a London matchmaker, con
structed watch for George Ill, which
was set in finger ring; but this was noth
t ing uncommon, for the Emperor Charlie
l ", as we'll as James l., of England, hat
4 similar ornaments in the jewels OF the'
: rings. In Kirby's Museum, notice is takel
= of an exhibition at the house OF one BOve
rick, a watch maker in the Strand, l745
,. at which were shown, among OCner CnlnSs
@ the following curiosities list. The furni
g ture of dining room, with two person
J. seated at the table and a footman in wait
: ing-the whole capable of being enclosed
d in a Cherry stone. I'd. Alandau in ivory
/, with four persons inside, two positions,
9 driver and six horses-the whole full,
s mounted and drawn by flea. Bird.
four wheel open chaise, equally perfec,
J.. and weighing only one grain. Anothe
- London exhibitor, about the same time
. constructed of ivory tea-table, full
=. equipped, with urn, teapot, cups, saucers
T. ETC., the whole being contained in a BARGE
n Iona tllbert-shell.
AZ In 1923, a mechanic of Plymouth com
pleted a miniature cannon and carriage
the whole of which only weighed tn
l. twenty ninth part of n grain. The canno
had bore and touch hole complete. Ih
y gun was of steel, the carriage of gold, an
y the wheels of silver. The workmanship wa
"a said to be beautiful, but could only be see
u to advantage through powerful magnify
l" ing glass.
Beyond the mere training of the han
=, and eve to the accom- plishment of delicat
Dr. work, there can be nothing gained by sue
r exhibitions of ingenuity; and were it nj
lie for this requirement., we might safely Pre-
ID nounce all these tiny inventions as the OF
spring of ingenious trifing.
Russian Girls and their Marridges.-I
" large estates-before the prescriptions
's the law to the contrary-the marriages
~ the serfs were always made with the int
hi