South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-07-21

made a 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 fiageoiet player, constructed in
174l, was wonderful. 1t produced music
from a iageolet held in one hand, while
the other shook a tambourine.
In 1858, Roger Bacon, one of the finest
scholars of his age, suggested a retorma-
ton of the calendar, invented the magnl-
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
a brazen head which spoke, but was acct
dentally destroyed by some ignorant or su'
perstitious person, who was alarmed when,
in q 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 de Kempelen, a Hungarian,
who, seeing some curious magnetical per-
! formslces exhibited at Vienna, in 1863,
told the Empress Maria Theresa that he
thought he could ~contrive something
which would throw these apparent wOn-
deTs into the shade. She was excited by
this boast, and desired him to try it. In
six months he produced the "Automaton
Chess Player"
Fol many years Kempelen refused TO
exhibit it in public, though he frequently
showed it in the Empress private rooms
in Vienna He also declined many
offers 10 purchase it. and at last took it to
pieces.
The Grand Duke of Russia having Wis
tied Vienna, he was requested TO show the
figure TO him. 1t excited so much wonder
that he vas 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-
tomston was sold, after which it was taken
to the United States, where it has been
seen by thousands,
The so-called automaton reSembled a
Turk, full sized. dressed in Oriental cos
tune, and seated behind a box which re-
sembled 8 chest of drawers. Before pro-
ceeding TO action the exhibitor opened
several doors IN this chest, which revealed
a large army of wheels, pulleys, cylinders,
springs, etc. The chesS1en were taken
from g large drawer, and a cushion was
placed on the table for the Turk to rest
his right arm upon; the left hand, some
what raised, held a pipe. When the doors
we're opened, a 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.
ion 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 opened on touching the piece,
which it firmly grasped and placed on the
proper square. Then the living antagon-
| list moved his piece; after which, pausing
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 a false move. The figure
never allowed this to pass unnoticed, but
tapped on the chest or box in an apparent
ly impatient manner, replaced the piece,
and punished the adversary by taking the
move for itself. If the human player was
too long considering his move, the auto
maton tapped smartly on the chest with
the right hand, as if to desire him to
hurry up" All through the game the
whizzing sound of machinery In motion
was audible.
While MI. Kempelen retained the auto
mston the figure invariably won the game.
After it had passed, on his death, into the
possession of n. Maetzel, it was frequent
ly defeated, though its play was always
very good.
When the game was ended, the Turk
removed the knight, with its proper zig
gag motion, from the square it occupied
over the other sixiy-three squares of the
board in turn, without missing a single
square, or touching any square a second
time.
1t was long doubted whether this really
was q mere automaton. 1t was observed
that, in winding up the clockwork, the
key never went beyond a certain number
of revolutions, whether the game was long
or short. Sixty.three moves had been
made without winding up, and once, in a
moment of ~forgetfulness, the figure played
without any winding up, after the last
game. The original story as to the his
tory of this machine was, that it had been
constructed to permit a Siberian exile to
escape from Russia, by being concealed
within, and that being a dwarf, this was
easily done. But it was made il Vienna,
and when the mystery was disclosed, il
appeared that there really was room, not
withstanding the apparent show of wheels
and machinery, for a man to sit in, with q
chess board before him, on which, by me
chanical arrangement, each move made by
the figure was instantly repeated, each re
turn move made below being equally re.
peated on the squares above. OF course
the concealed player was always an ex'
pert.
Sir David Brewster, inventor of the
stereoscope, wrote an article upon the au'
tomaton chess player, in which he proved
by measurement and diagrams, that a nan
must be concealed withinthe box to make
the play Of the Turkish figure. After he
had made this disclosure, it was confessed