Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-07-20
Aut0matOn Figures.

Automaton Figures.
AUToMATON figures, or Androides, made |
to initiate human actions, are of early in |
vention. Archytas of Tarentum, re-
nowned mathematician and mechanic, who
redeemed Plato when sold as slave by
Dionysius, the younger, about 400 years
B. c., made flying dove, which is men,
toned by several classic authors. But the
earliest automata are the tripods, moved
on living wheels and instinct with life,
which Homer describes Vulcan as having
made Next are the curious creations of
Daedalus-walking and dancing statues,
and wooden COW, which moved and gave
milk,
In later times, Friar Bacon is said to
have made q brazen head which spoke.
This was made A. D. 1864 Albertus Mag
nus spent thirty years in making another.
A coach and two horses, page, a lady in
side, were made by Camus for Louis XIV.
when child. The horses and figures
moved naturally, variously and perfectly.
They were made in 1649.
Vaucanson made an artificial duck,
which performed every function of real
one, even an imperfect digestion-eating,
drinking and quackipg. Vaucanson also
made flute player in 1888. He under
took to make machine, or automaton, to
display all the mechanism of the circula-
ton of the blood, the veins and arteries of
which were to be of gum elastic; but in
his day the art of rendering India rubber
plastic was unknown, SO the scheme fell
through.
In the fifteenth century, a German,
named John Muller Rigio Montanus,
made an eagle and an iron fly. The eagle
is said to have flown from the city of
Konigsberg, saluted the Emperor, who
was making his entrance, and returned to
his maker The fly, it is recorded, would
fly about the room, with buzzing sound,
and, after minute or two, alight upon his
makers hand.
In the middle of the last century, two
philosophical mechanics named Droz
| Gather and sony made some wonderful au-
donations in Paris. The father made the
figure of child, seated at desk, which
dipped its pen in the ink, and wrote in
French, from dictation. The son made a
| female piano forte player, which sat down
to the harpsichord, played several tunes,
following with her eyes and head the notes
on the musical book, and at the close rose
and saluted the audience.
A number of years after this Maillardet
exhibited a female figure, which, seated at
| DidlOj ploJOd lOl du hOuly l1ON1uS buC
fingers and eyes naturally, and Initiating
breathing by a gentle heaving of the
breast. With this he showed humming
bird coming out of box, perching on a
bough moving wings, breast and eyes,
and opening its beak as if to emit song,
its little throat moving all the time. At
the same time he exhibited the figure of a
boy kneeling on one knee and holding a
pen in his hand, with which he wrote and
made various drawings. He had also
made mechanical tumbler-a little image
about two inches high, inclosed in glass
case, the lower part of which contain ed
the mechanism. When this figure was set
in motion it threw itself into.a variety Of
elegant and grotesque attitudes, dancing
to some music produced by the machine.
In 1909, M. Maetzel, a fine mechanic
made trumpeter for the Emperor of Aus
tria, which was exhibited at Vienna, and
played the Austrian and French cavalry
marches with great skill. But NJ. Vau.
canson's fageoet player, constructed in
1741, was wonderful. 1t produced music
from a fiageolet held in one hand, while
the other shook tambourine.
In 1869, Roger Bacon, one of the finest
scholars of his age, suggested reforma
ton of the calendar, invented the magni
flying glass, and is believed to have discov
cred that charcoal, sulphur and saltpeter
mixed in certain proportions, would pro
duce thunder and lightning. He also made
brazen head which spoke, but was acci
dentally destroyed by some ignorant or su
perstitious person, who was alarmed when
in a deep voice, it uttered the oraculal
words: "Time is; time was; time will
be-"
One of the most remarkable pieces O
| M hcn rnada known
"Automaton Chess Player" 1t was mad
! by Wolfgang de Kempelen, Hungarian
who, seeing some curious magnetical per
!, formances exhibited at Vienna, in 1858
! told the Empress Maria Theresa that b.
| thought he could contrive something
which would throw these apparent won
ders into the shade. She was excited b,
this boast, and desired him to try it. Il
six months he produced the "Automatol
Chess Player"
For many years Kempelen refused t,
exhibit it in public, though he freQuentl,
showed it in the Empress private room
in Vienna. He also declined man,
offers to purchase it, and at last took it t
pieces.
; The Grand Duke of Russia having Wis
tied Vienna, he was requested to show tn
! figure to him. 1t excited so much wonde
buab u0 WAS dSdlu uIScu W Uldk0 none
, by exhibiting it in public. He consented
and showed it in nearly every great cit
,, in Europe. On his death, in 1919, the au
tomaton was sold, after which it was take
to the United States, where it has bee
seen by thousands.
The so-calIed automaton resembled
Turk, full sized, dressed in Oriental COS
, tune. and seated behind box which re
sembled a chest of drawers. Before prc
, ceeding to action the exhibitor opene
! several doors in this chest, which reveale
a large army of wheels, pulleys, cylinder.
e springs, etc. The chess&@ were take
from large drawer, and cushion wa
placed on the table for the Turk to res
his right arm upon; the left hand, some
what raised, held pipe. When the door
: were opened, lighted candle was place
], within the cavities thus displayed. Thi
: removed, and the doors closed, the exhit
: itor wound up the works, placed the cusl
i ion under the right arm of the figure, an
challenged any one to play.
: The Turk always played with the whit
! men, and made the first move. The han
!, and fingers opened ON touching the piec
) which it firmly grasped and placed on til
n proper square. Then the living antagol
:. ist moved las piece; after which, pausin
y for few moments, as if to study the gam
d the Turk moved another piece. On givin
IS check to the king, the figure shook i
= head. Sometimes, to try it, the huma
r player made a false move. The figul
It never allowed this to pass unnoticed, bl
IT tapped ON the chest or box in an apparen
b ly impatient manner, replaced the piec
e and punished the adversary by taking Il
move for itself If the human player W,
r too long considering his move, the aut
'r maton tapped smartly on the chest wit
n the right hand, as if TO desire him
is "hurry up" All through the game IL
d, whizzing sound of machinery IN motto
n was audible.
r While Mr. Kempelen retained the aut
u maton the figure invariably won the gam
r, After it had passed, on his death, into Il
I'd possession of NJ. Maetzel, it was frequer
q ly defeated, though its play was alwa
rs very GOOD