Mower County transcript., 1871-07-27

"Come, firm Resolve, take thou the van,
Thou stalk Of earle hemp in mani"
and to task to tho utmost all their facul
ties.-CAicago Tribune.
| - -
Automston Figures.
AUTOMATON figures, or Androidcs, made
to initiate human actions, are Of carly in
vcntion Archytas Of Tarcntum, a re
nowneu mathematician and mechanic, who
redeemed Plato when sold as slave by
Dionysius, the younger, about 400 years
B. c., made u 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 rs having
made. Next are the curious creations OF
Notwithstanding and dancing statues
and a wooden COW, which moved aud gave
milk.
In later times, Friar Bacon is s;lid to
have made brazcn head which spoke
This was made A. d. 1864 Alhcrtus Mag.
nus spent thirty years il making another
n coach and two horses, a page, a lady in.
side, We're made by Camus for Louis XIV
when child. The horses and figures
moved naturally, vario,lsly and perfectly
They were made in 1919.
Vaucanson mhdo an artificial duck
which performed every function of real
one, even an imperfect digcstion-cating,
drinking and quacking. Vaucanson also
nla,le flute player in 1888. He under
took to make u machine, or automaton, to
display all the mechanism Of the circull
ton of thr blood, the veins and arteries oi
which were to bc 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, German,
named John Muller Rigio Montanus,
made an eagle and al iron fly. The eagle
is said to have flown from the city of
Kouigsberg, 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 Il 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-
tomatons in Paris The father made the
figure OF child, seated at a desk, which
dipped its pen in the ink, and wrote in
French, f;um 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 salutcd he audience.
A number of years after this Maillardet
exhibited a female figure, which, seated at
piano, played for an hour, moving the
fingers and eyes naturally, and initiating
breathing by gentle hcaving of the
| 81 With this ho ohoun1 h,1v, n
bird coming out Of q 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. A,
the same time he exhibited the figure of a
boy knceling on one knee and holding q
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, incloscd in glass
case, the lower part of which contained
the mechanism When this figure was set
in motion it threw itself into a variety oil
elegant and grotesque attitudes, dancing
| to some music produced by the machine
In 1909, NJ. Maetzel, fine mechanic
made a trumpcter for the Emperor of Aus
| tria, which was exhibited at Vienna, aud
played the Austrian and French cavalry
marches with great skill. But Nj. Vau.
canson's ttageolct player, constructed in
1741, was wonderful. 1t produced music
from a 1lageOlet held in one hand, while
the other shook tambourine
In 1869, Roger Bacon, one of the finest
| scholars Of his age, suggested rciOrma-
ton Of the calendar, invented the magni
flying. glass, ant is believed to have discov.
cred that charcoal, sulphur and saltpcter,
mixed in certain proportions, would pro
duce thunder and lightning. lie also made
brazen head which spoke, but was acci-
dcntally destroyed by some ignorant or su
perstitious person. who was alarmed when,
in deep voice, it uttered the oracular
words: "Time is; time was; time will
be-"
One of the most remarkable pieces of
mechanism ever made was known as the
"Automaton Chess Player" 1t was made
by Wolfgang dc kempclep, a Hungarian,
who, seeing some curious magnetical per.
formauces exhibited at Vienna, in 1863,
told the Empress Maria Theresa that he
thought he could contrive something
which would throw these apparent won
ders into the shade. she was excited by
this boast, and desired him to try it. In
six months he produced the Automaton
Chess Player"
For many years Kempelen refused to
exhibit it in public, though he frequently
in Vienna. He also declined many
offers TO purchase it, and at last took it to
pieces.
The Grand Duke of Russia having Wis
tied Vienna, he was requested to show the
that he was again urged to make money
by exhibiting it in public. He consented
and showed it in nearly every great city
in Europe. On his death, in 1919, the au
tomaton was sold, after which it was taken
to The United States, where it has beer
seen by thousands.
The so-called automaton resembled g
Turk, full sized dressed in Oriental cos
tune. and seated behind box which re-
sembled che st of drawers Before pro
ceeding to action the exhibitor opened
St veral doors in this chest, which revealed
large army Of wheels, pulleys, cylinders
springs, etc. The chessmen were taken
from large drawer, and q cushion was
placed on the table for the Turk to res,
his right arm upon the left hand, some
what raised, held pipe. When the doors
were opened, lighted candle was placed
within the cavities thus displayed. This
removed, and the doors closed, the exhib
itor wound up the works, placed the cush
lou under the right arm of the figure, and
challenged any one to play.
The Turk always played with the white
men, and made the first move. The hand
and fingers open. on touching the piece
which it firmly grasped and placed on thu
proper square. Then the living antagon
ist moved lis piece; after which, pausins
for a few moments, as if to study the game
the Turk moved another piece. On giving
check to the king, the figure shook its
head. Sometimes, to try it, the human
player made false move. The figure
never allowed this to pass unnoticcd, bu
tapped on the chest or box in al apparent
ly impatient manner, replaced the piece
and punishcd the adversary by taking tn,
move for itself. II the human player wa
too long considering his move, the auto
nlaton tapped smartly on the chest with
the right hand, rs if to desire him Il
"hurry up" All through The game tn,
whizztug sound of machinery III moiiol
was audible.
While Mr. Kempelen retained the auto
maton the figure invariably won the game
After it had passed, on his death, into tn
possession Of M. Mactzel, it was frequent
ly defeated, though its play was alway
very EOOU.
When the game was ended, the Turl
removed the knight, with its proper zig
gag motion, from the square it occupic
over the other six'y-thrce squares of th
board in turn, without missing sing]
square, or touching any square secon
time.
1t was long doubted whether this rcall
was mere automaton. 1t WAS observe
that, in winding up the c]ockwork. tn
kew never went heyOn1 q certain n,1nhr