The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-01
The Mechanism OF a Dream.
A German Dreams Out an Automatic
WOnder--A Curious SPr0ductiOn-Sin.
SuIar Story OF the Author of the Work,

A German Dreams out an Automatic
guIar story Of the Author of the work. !.
[From the Troy Times, Nov. 81
A few days ago we told singular story
detailing the arrest of two burglars through
the instrumentality of dream. We have
now to record more singular tale-how a
nan for fourteen years has steadily worked
with one object in view-the perfection of a
most wonderful piece of Notwithstanding
in the first instance received the impression
of the idea from dream, which wrought
such an impression on his mind that during
all these intervening years he has followed
it with an infatuation that could not be re
sisted, and which was sometimes so great
| that his daily avocation was neglected, and
even his family were left without the neces-
saries of life. For the past six months he
has labored almost constantly at his pet
machine aDd though often disappointed in
the realization Of this grand idea, often cast
ing the work of months aside as some object
| lntervened to necesSitate a change Of plans,
he has never been discouraged or disheart
! ened. To the leers of friends aud The plead
ings of his family he would always respond,
my dream, my dream !" 1t was to him
the ignus .tdtus which shone across the
marches and moOrs of disappointment, and
proved to him the means by which one of
the most curious aud wonderful mechanical
contrivances ever perfected has been pro-
| duced. The name Of this man is Joseph
/ Bergman, aud he lives in little wooden
house on Farm street, Ida Hill. Yesterday,
having previously heard of Bergman's inven-
! ton or cOntrivance, we took walk up to
! the locality with two other gentlemen, and
/ after being nearly mired in mud in our efforts
| to reach the house, we at last found it, and
were kindly received by the proprietor. He
ushered us into room about eight feet
| square, in which stood his wonder-the re-
! suit of days and nights Of toil-occupying a
goodly portion of the apartment. There
was a little work bench near tho window
! filled with diminutive tools without number,
with which the curious thing had been fash
! ioned and shaped, and cut and carved. Bat
| before we describe, even most imperfectly,
| the machine we had come to see, let us say
something of its author. Bergman is a
German. about fifty years of age, and speaks
English most imperfectly. lie is a little
/ dlmlnutlve man, with pale, shallow coun-
! teDance, and look which speaks Of care
and thought, # not positive suffering. lie
is evidently very poor-the house is almezt
bare Of furniture-and in speaking of the
dream and the work which had so infatuated
him, he said it would have been better for
him II he had never experienced the one nor
undertaken the other. He is a cabinet ma
ker by trade, and the skill of an almost
marvellous handiwork as well as tho stamp
Of remarkable inventive genius is to be seen
in the construction Of the machine. Berg
mann informed us that fourteen years ago
he dreampt one night of machine such as
stood before US. At first he thought little
OF it. Then it began to occupy his mind to
the exclusion of other subjects, aud after a
time he commenced the work, at first at odd
spells, and then quite continuously for days |
Some iLexplicable power was urging him
on every time he thought of~giving 1t up |
When the spells of infatuation came upon !
him, every thing had to be abandoned. His |
ordinary work had to be laid aside, even |
though there was no bread upon the cup |
board shetland many a night the poor ar |
tsan went hungry to bed. But Gfter years /
of anxious toll, the dream is verifed-the /
work is completed.
THE WONDER.
y We will now attempt to describe the ma
chine. 1t is so complicated and does such I.
wonderful thing that a perfect description
would fill columns. We hardly know
what to call it, even. 1t beats all the auto
nations in the world. The reader must
Imagine beautiful miniature structure set
upon huge mass Of rock, with road-beds
winding up the sides of the rocks, and
streams OF water coursing down precipitous
bluffs. This miniature house represents the
residence Of a wealthy old miller, with his
grist mill, saw-mill, oil>miIl, ETC., adjoining.
There are some thirty figures to be seen in
the foreground and about the buildings and
mills. There is also a little fountain in the
foreground, with the water playing, and a
lake with a boat and oarsman. All these
mills and figures and playing waters are set
IN motion by means of . combination of
similar to the works of a clock.
and when these are wound up and set run
ming every figure takes up its automatic
movement. The old miller sits in an elegant
apartment, reading a newspaper. His eyes
follow the column downward. His head in
cllnes with corresponding motion. The
column is finished aud the sheet is turned
over and the eyes are attracted to another
portion of the paper. Every movement is
Tonderfully life-like. The miller's wife sits
10 another apartment industriously spinning.
The domestics are going about performing
heir daily toll. The saw-mill is fac sinaiLe
'f such an institution. The log is in its place
md slides along to meet the teeth Of the
Jaw. which is working up and down cutting
t IN two. The attendants are all busy in
heir several duties. The grist-miIl is also
soing. One man is tending and feeding the !
'oPPci' H'ci ho" "ou tuen Nc goes DacK p
md forth with a tray upon his shoulders, {
he contents of which he pours into the
mouth of the hopper. The great water 7
Wheel is moving steadily under the pressure
i the water from above, and the elevator
,eeps up its show of relieving canalboat
i Its load of grain. Teams loaded with {
acks are seen going to and from the mills. O
man is perched upon the gable of the mil 4
9r's home, adjusting little 5ird-cage to the t
aves, and doing his work most perfectly. d
he oil-mill is also at work, aud the figures a
re all busy about it performing their several p
lissions. The boattnan upon the lake is a
owing backwards and forwards, apparently s.
aving good time all by himself Thus ii
le entire operations of an immense estab- c.
shment are carried on with as much def "
iteness and aim as in real life, every figure rt
Ding its work with the utmost exactness- fl