The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1871-11-04
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A Machine that can Talk,
Laugh and Sing. X
z Fssmllhs M York rrimos 81

- kfeIn-Afho Mem York Ttmes.A- 81
a deserving Freuchman once con
structed a machine, in form Of a duck
which could walk, clap its wings pick az
grains of corn, and, more wonderful still
digest them, but machine capable O.
talking was supposed to be beyond tbs
power of human ingenuity to construct
KerBpelen, German, made a. number OF
puppets, that uttered the words papa
and mamma" but after devoting his
life to perfectiug them, he asserted that
a mscfiine which could utter alhsthe
words in use in European languages was
an impossibility. After his death his
puppets became dumb, no one, uuder-
standing the mechanism by which the
were made to speak. KeinpeIen's i'm
possibility has at last been overcome.
In 1871 Prof Faber exhibited machine
which could utter a number of. sounds
and words, but il was by no means per
feet His nephew took up the machine
which his uncle had failed in perfecting,
and completed it. After exhibiting it be
fore all the crowned heads aud scien tifc
societies IN Europe, he has brought il 20
this country, and some time since gave
an exhibition OF itin private. The ma
chine which stands ona small table, con
sists of a complicated ngement{of
rubber tubes, reeds, keys, pedals, strings
and wires The lungs are represented
by-a small pair of bellows, the glotis by
reeds aud pipes Of aifferens sizes, the
lips and tongue by pipes OF india rub
Der. Beneath the table is a pedal by
which the bellows are worked, and on
the right hand side a series of keys, on
which are marked the letters o. Z. L. Il.
/ Il. W, +. 5. Il. d. aud q. With
these and some supplementary arrange
ments. an sound used IN the European
languages can be enunciated There IS
also an arrangement resembling the key
board of piano. by. which the machine
can be made TO sing Every portion Of
it Is open to view. so that no deception
is possible Yesterday the machine, un
der the def hand OF Nine. Faber, enun-
ciated the letters of the English and
German aIphabets. numerous long aud
difficult words. such as ''Constautinople,
Politely" mississippi" 'Radetzky,
"hurrah, and then darted off into long
sentences in English. German, and
French, winding up with a laugh OF the
most udtHFai KIM. fOtttWCu by HtsSCss
eroaus. and murmcrs Every word pro
posed was pronounced at once and with
ont the slightest hesitation OF course,
some words were more clearly ehufieiated
than others, but the majority were given
far more clearly than the majority oEhG
man beings prononncs them. and even
the nasal twang which the French pso~
pie often adopt was closely inflated In
Prof Faber's machine the motions Of the
mouth aud tongue initiate precisely those
Of human beings Different keys or
tones eau be given by proper manipula :
tons of the pedals Taken altogether
the talking machine is wonderful spec
linen of mans ingenuity Whether it
can ever be anything more IS doubtful
It cannot be applied to any practical purr
pose, unless, indeed dumb or weak nerv-
cd and feeble voiced individuals should
choose to purchase them, and use them
as mediums through which to address the
public. - s
Prof Faber, we believe, intends to ex
hihit his machine 10 public as soon as
arrangements can be made for that pur-
pose. The singing portion Of the ma
chine not being in order yesterday, we
were unable TO determine what merit the
invention possesses as a Vocalist. 9a