The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-04-10

crooked iron arms, and on the end OF
each q brush.
"Oh, that 10 my automaton brushing
machine. will explain it to you. You
see, at the bottom there is a small plat
form about.a foot high; when you step
on this it gradually descends, and as IL
does so, sets in motion a train of wheels
and levers-you are, in fact, the weight,
the molIFe power which puts adj in
motion. All these arms with the brushes
begin to reVolve, and brush you all over
al once. But The most curious and COM
plicated is tire hat brush at The top: you
see it is something like a hat-box divided
vertically in two parts; you perceive
they. are now some distance apart, 50
that you can pass between them; they
are lined with bristles, and are liked on
TWO leyer-liKe jaws. When the machine
lis set in mOrion, these jaws come to-
gether, and clasping your hat between
them they reVolye rapidly; and in a few
seconds your hat Is brushed, at the same
thine as your coat, trousers and boots.
When The platform reaches the ground,
| lthe hat-brushes again separate, and you
step out; then the platform springs up,
and is ready for another dusty Gus
4 TONER"
"Well, it is avery curious Continuance.
| I should like to see 1T in action" said l.
"That you shall soon do;o ana he
stepped on the little platform. All at
ouce the clothes and shoe brushes began
to work vigorously; but the hat-maehine
1 did not come into acIlon until the Others
i had about half done their work; 1t then
4 closed upon his hat and spun round
some fifteen or twenty times, and ther
flew apart, leaving him tree to walk OUT
"Therel" said Harry. "What do .you
think of that? Jump up, and try it,"
mo, thank you; not just now; some
other time, perhaps" SAID 1; for fell
too nervous Just tnen to trust myself Il
such an ordeal.
"Excuse me, then, for one moment
while | just speak to my sister, and theI
| will 60 up stairs with you"
He had no sooner left me than, as
1stood looking at the curious machine,
made up my mind to try. it. Nobod.
was there to laugh at me ii jumped ou
suddenly; SO boldly stepped in. Tat
brushes seemed to do tneIr work YER,
1 weh; but / found 1 must keep i'll m.
arms, having got a knock on the funny
bone of my elbow from sticking IL ou
too far. But the hat bfush-ohl horror
l had forgotten had no hat on, aud tina
| was mead taller than my riend; th
consequence was, the internal machin
1 SuQQGnly
the head, Whirfed round at q tfightfu
pace, till l thought no skin would hay
: been lett on my nose. tried to stOop ant
, escape it, but L got such blows behint
from the revolving clothes-brushes tina
was glad to stand upright again. Fer
ltunately It was soon over, and then th
lhate lul thing stopped. Iopened my eye
aud saw Harry standing looking at me
conyalsed with laughter. l telt yer.
angry at the moment, as L rushed out
with one of my tayorite long whisker
u brushed across my face and the othe
back over my ear, while my hair wa
. twisted into vortex on the top OF m
head.
ats hateful machine!" cried, as
tried to rearrange my disheveled locks
Harry roared with laughter, but a
soon as he could contain himselfhe said
"Don't you see it was not regulated toi
your heightp If you had tried 1t when
asked you L would have arranged
properly"
tried to laugh too, and said: "Well
Pve had brushing enough; ieps go VI
stairs now, for am anxious to look ii
the glass to see if there is any skin LEI
on the end OIL my nose."
"What q jolly large roem," said I, as
entered the apartment prepared ior mt
"Yes, this was my poor old uncle
room, and for a year or two before
died he used it for a sitting-room as we
as bedroom. You see that large reces
at the end---that ls where he used
sleep, The bed is there still, as 1t
often handy; but as the room is onl
used for sleeping purposes now, hav
had another ana larger bed put in a
, we'll. I'll come and sieep in The littl
bed, and keep YOU company, il you like
that is, ii you are nervous, and don
like being alone, as you used 10 be-"
"Oh, but that was such wild, uncivi
, lied place, one c6uiu never tell VIVA
might happen; but am not nervous a
being alone i'll England"
"All right, old fellow; but / have got
great deal TO show you here. First {
all, as it is getting dusk, Pil hgnt th
gas; that Is done Wy eiectricity. 1 hav
! got IA quantity OF batteries. down in th
cellar, aud wires laid ali over the house
! Now see. 1 press in THIS ivory knoll
! which brings Inc wires into, contact, an
|, an electromagnetic turns the stopcocI
/, at the same moment spark passt
! across the gas jet and ignites it. Bt
, this is not all. You see that bar on III
!, ceiling above the lamp-well, IL is con
posed of two metals, one OF which ei
pands by heat mucn more than the Other
tAis causes it to bend when 1t gets hul
, and as it does so, il acts on lever an
rod above tue ceiling,releasing cate
which holds open the shutters, and The
, Immediately close with aspring; as the
40 this they catch against sort OF tri!
ger, which in It's turn releases a Weigu
That runs down and draws the Gu
tains."
Almost as he had finished speak, n
[ the metal had become sufficiently heate
by the now-lighted gas to act on th
| lever, and The shutters closed and tn
curtains drew themselves together as
by magic.
THAT is very eleverly managed" sal
1. "But here is another knob with th
letter A upon it.; what is that torW
''rhe A stands 1or alarm. l have or
| in each room, bat have never require
them yet. When either Of thSm
. pressed, a large alarm-bell on the top
/ the house is set ringing by electricit
and it continues TO ring Until the ele
| trio power is turned off again. W
won't try that, as it would alarm tt
whole neighborhood. But L have MOI
to show you. Here is small recess, viii
curtain in front; have mad it fitted u
as shower-bath; it is self-acting; in
: second or two alter you enter, I'll
water comes down. You can try 1t
the morning IL you like"
"Thank you. You do indeed aboun
I in inpenious eonLfiyances: Won how