Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-11-01
HOudin's House.

ercise OF his amusing arts,
and was able to build himself hand
some country-house in the pleasant
village of Saint Gervais, near Blois,
where he was born. Into this house
he introduced number OF curious
inventions which wers not only Of
great service in the every day work
OF his home, but were matters of
never-ending wonderment to the
peasantry round about. The garden
gate was situated at full four hunred
yards from the house, which was hid
den behind towering trees, and could
only be reached by a winding path.
Nevertheless, the amazed peasant
who came to the house found that he
had only to raise little brass hand,
not as big as baby,s, and let it fall
on the forehead OF a fantastic brass
head, the rap making but a faint
sound. when real mnsketry Of bell
pulling was heard to take place in the
remote house. and the garden gate
swung open OF itself. Instantly the
brass plate on the gate, which bore
the conjurer's name, Robert Houdin,'
disappeared, and another took its
place whereon was engraved the
word @Entrez." When the postman
| fnc hfo s.n xk1
box made to receive at the gate, he
also set an electric bell to ringing.
He was REQUESTED to put In what he
brought in the following order; flrst
newspapers, then circulars, finally
letters, one by one. Each insertion
set bell of. Thus Houdin, lying in
bed in the morning, with his door
locked and his blinds down, knew
chat this mornings mail would con-
sist Of one package (or more, or none)
OF newspapers. ditto OF circulars, and
exactly so many letters. When he
wanted to post letters himself ne was
not obliged to go to the village with
them. As soon as he heard the post
mans electric bell ringing. he set an
other ringing up by the mail. box,
and the letter carrier knew then that
he was to come down to the house to
get letters. He rang for himself. so
to speak. These simple little contri-
vances created the greatest astonish-
ment in the rural neighborhood where
they were employed, and though no
one was disposed to be in the least
disagreeable 10 the juggler, their
neighbor, their curiosity concerning
them was sometimes rather annoying.
One day the bell was heard to ring at
the gate, the door-plate changed as
usual, and the entire electric perfor-
nance was gone through satisfactor-
lily; the family OF Houdin expected to
see visitor coming down the path.
But no: the bell began as before. the
door plate changed, ect, and so on
again and again, until at last the
gardner walked down to the gate to
see what was the matter. To his
surprise he found one OF the inhab-
itants Of the village who was anus
ing himself by going in at the gate
and out of it over and over again,
quite regardless of the racket the
electric bell was keeping up In the
house.
AWhy, what are you doing?" asked
the astonished gardner.
"Oh yes; know the bells are ring
ing down at the house. / wanted to
see how it worked. Don't mind me"
The gardner was a man fond of his
joke. That night, at midnight. armed
with dark lantern. he stood at the
door OF the inquisitive neighbor, pull
Ing the bell till it pealed like the bel
| fry Of Notre Dame sounding the
massacre OF the Huguenois. The
night-capped head OF the neighber
issued from an upper window, his
features aghast with dismay.
Mon Dieul" he cried," what is the
matter? Has any thing dreadful hap
pened?"
"Oh no." cody replied the gardner.
"The bell rings up in your room,
know. 1 want to see how 1t works.
Don't mind me-
| The gate and the letter-box were
not the only parts OF Houdin's house
whose functions were facilitated by
the aid OF electricity. Sitting in his
study, with his stable situated fifty
yards away, the iuggler nevertheless
was able to feed his horse himself,
and to be sure that an exact portion
OF rations fell into the manger. All
the clocks on the place were regula-
ted by the mysterious current the
master had under his hand at his
writing desk. The breath OF the
lightning flash hissed out OF the iron
backlog OF his fire. place and whis-
pered in his ear that his distant con-
scrvatory was heated too much for
the geraniums, or that the thermom-
eter had now been allowed TO fall too
low for the orange trees. A little
| bench placed by the side OF a ravine
at remote part OF his grounds en-
dowed with the fairy-like power OF
transporting any passenger who
merely sat down upon 1t across the
gorge, when it travelled back OF its
own accord to take anyother person
owe
He