The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-01-31
FAMOUS AUTOMAT A.

FAMOUS AUTOMATIC.
Some Of the Wonderful Pieces OF Mechan.
ism That Have Astonished the World.
No automaton OF deception ever
had such a success as the autOmatOn
chess-player, which for more than
half a century astonlshed and de-
lighted the whole of Europe. The
chess-player was constructed in l769
by Van kempelen, a gentleman OF
Presburg in Hungary. 1t was ex-
hibited to thousands in Presburg,
Vienna. and Paris, Immediately after
it's completion. In 1TS3-S4 it was
exhibited in London and other parts
of England. After this it seems to
have fallen out Of repair. In 1919
MaelZel. the mechanician, Overhauled
it and exhibited it in Great Britain n
that and the following year, where
sit excited,'' says Sir David Brew
ster, las Intense an Interest as when
it was first produced in Germany.
The chess-player was life-slzed
figure, clothed in Turkish dress, and
seated behind large chest or box
somewhat resemblinga library-desk-
three and a-half feet long, two feet
deep. and two and a-half feet high.
| The machine ran on casters. Inc
chess-player sat on a chair fixed to
the square chest; his right arm rested
on the table, and in the left he held
pipe, which was removed during the
game. as it was with that hand he
made the moves. A chess-board,
eigteen inches square and bearing the
usual number of pieces, was placed
before the figure. The exhibitor
then unlocked four doors. two in the
| front and two in the back Of the chest,
and held a lighted candle at the OPEN
ing by which to exhibit the machin-
cry, which consisted of levers, wheels,
cylinders. and pinions. The figure
was also examined, and out of a draw
er at the bottom and front Of the chest
a small box Of counters. a set OF chess.
men. and cushion for the automa-
toms arm. were taken. All the doors
and drawers were then closed and
locked-the spectators having satisfied
themselves that there was no place
for concealed person-the exhibitor
busted himself in adjusting the me-
| cfanism from behind the chest, re-
moved the pipe from the figure S
hand. and wound up the machinery.
| The automaton was then ready for
play, which began as soon as an oppo-
nent was found in the audience. The
automaton took the first move IN all
cases. cat every move made by the
automaton the wheels of the machine
are heard in action; the figure moves
| its head. and seems to look over every
part of the chess-board. When is
gives check to its opponent it shakes
its head thrice, and only twice when
it checks the queen. 1t likewise
shakes it's head, when false move is
made, replaces its adversarys piece
on the square from which it was tax.
en-. and takes the next move Itself.
In general. though not always, the
automaton wins the game. During
the progress of the game the exhibitor
stands near the machine. and winds il
up like a clock after it has made ten or
twelve moves. At other times he
went to corner of the room, as if to
consult small, square box. which
I StUnu oPct iol pun tpSS'
Psyche, the whist-player. has not
improved much upon the automaton
| chess-player invented more than a
hundred years ago. Van kempelen
never pretended that the automaton
really played the game. On the other
hand. he distinctly said that the eff.
fects of the machine appeared So
marvellous only from the boldness Of
the conception, and the fortunate
choice of the methods adopted for IL
| insion.r There is now little doubt
| that a person was contained IN the
chest who really played the game Of
chess. and that the ostentatIons exhi-
hition Of the machinery wss simply
to throw the spectator off his guard.
/ We have no space to describe Bah
ba-e's calculatingm machine, and .le-
ven's logical machine. but. before
leaving this interesting subject. it
may not he inappropriate to aid that
automatic constructions are not ~
useless as they seem. As Sir David
j Brewster Well says. The clements
OF the tumblIn- puppets were revived
in the ehronomtteT. and the shapeless
/ wheel which directed the hand Of the
{ drawing automaton now serves t0
! guide the movements of the fambour-
ing engine. Those mechanical won
ders which in one century enriched
only the conjuror who used them con-
tributed in another TO augment the
wealth of the nation, and those auto.
matte toys which once amused the
vulgar, are now employed in extend
ing the power and promoting the civ
iiization of our species.