The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-10-25
A New Talking Machine.

There is soon to be exhibited in
this city u combination of W ood
wire and India rubber-a machine
which Can talk in any language
say anything pronounce dis
tinctly; laugh, cry, hiss, shrek,
squeal; sing divinely in alto, so
prano and basso in short, do any.
thing Of which the human voice is
capable. This extraordinary re-
suit Of ingenuity and perseverance
is the invention ofProfessor Faber,
Of Vienna, and his nephew. The
latter has brought it to this coun-
try, after an extended tour through.
out Europe, during which it has
elected the commentator of some
of the greatest scientists Of the
old world.
\ reporter visited the Prescott
House, yesterday, for the purpose
Of testing it. 1t consists OF fan
cy guided table. beneath which
is a foot lever for moving a bel.
lows above. On top, are com
bination of wires, strings, delicate
wooden levers, rubber tubes and
, .restlc work forming the speaking
machine. Behind is a bellows,
which represents the lungs. The
air is forced through narrow
aperture into tube representing
the wind-pipc, and thence into a
large swelling representing the
glottis. Thence it passes out
through a vent representing a hu-
man mouth, with movable lower
jaw, lips and tongue Of India rub
ber. Wires from below push up
the jaw and tongue, in imitation
Of the human mouth and tongue,
giving expression to the sound OF
the rushing air. Those wires, and
others which act instead Of teeth,
are worked by wooden levers, at
the end Of which are keys.
There were fourteen levers and
wires, each creating different
sound when manipulated, and Ger.
tain combinations Of Il Ii es c
sounds produce a:y sound or
syllable asked for. A separate
lever makes a laughing sound
Skillfui manipulation of all these
levers causes the artificial mouth
to speak as well as that of hu,
man being, except that there is nc
infection, aAd the sound Of the
final d or t is imperfect, being pro
nounced like tn. The principle is
a sort of inverse stenography.
combining the competent sounds
of syIlables into perfect words
A small box, furnished with piano
keys and filled with wires and
wooden Stats, produces the sing.
ing in combination with a mask
made in imitation Of the human
face and its organs Of speech.
Madame Faber, = modest LOOK
ing lady, played upon the keys
with great skill. There is nc
humbug about it. Every sentence
short and long, every word askec
for, no matter how difficult Of pro
nunciation, in English, French OF
German, was instantly rel roducec
with astonishing distinctncss. 1t:
style of talking is as follows:
w-am-a-mere-mac-ine-
buth-I-can-talk-as- well-a
-you-sir-r-r." Mr.. Faber sait
that he was seven years endeavor
ing to produce the sound Off. Tt
show how he succeeded at last, h'
touched a number Of keys and tht
machine said "Mis-sis-sip-pi.'
Several Of the most difficult word'
were asked for-such as shrimp
sister, Paulina, and the German
letters icks. upsilon, tzet, but al
were pronounced with the great
est readiness. The utility of tht
machine may be questioned bu
as curiosity Of ingenuity its sac
cess cannot be disputed. 1t is tht
only ever perfected. There have
been others invented at ditferen>
periods, but their articulation has
been confined to Il few sentences
This can articulatc anything.
[Nelc York Sun, 9Th.