Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-10-10

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figure of = porter SAlch xoall otea a
door. AID also . EOolea k=ai which
would speak, shile another inreuloa.
mechanic succeeded ID Inpzrtias life
like motion 20 q hy.
In the beginning Of tie eighteenth
century an ingenious Frenchm&n made
pantomine in five acts. which zas
moved by machinery; aud NJ. Cadnus
constructed for the amusement Of
Louis XIV, an automatic carriage.
which Is said TO have been nearly per-
feet.
In l13S NJ. Naucanson constructed
and placed on public exhibition flute
player, which pressed the instrument
to its lips and produced the notes with
its fingers, precisely like a human be-
ing. Three years later the same in
genious mechanic made a hageolet
player, which played variety of tunes
on that instrument, with the accompani-
ment of tambourine, which he beat
with the left hand. In the same yesr
NJ. Vaucanson produced q duck which
ate, swan, pressed its plumage, and
actually digested its food. This ia
nous automaton was repaired by Rob-
ert Houdin, the Partisan conjuror, who
found the trick to be as simple as it was
interesting.
Jacques Vaucanson, the maker of
these automata, was native of Greno-
BILE, where he was born in 1909. When
q mere boy he made a clock, and also
several curious toys which were moved
by machinery.
Among the wonderful automatic in
vented during the present century is
the writing boy OF the older and the
piano-forte player of the younger Droz,
the latter of which, when performing,
followed its hands with its eyes, and at
the conclusion of the piece, bowed
gracefully to the audience. Droz' 8
writing boy was publicly exhibited in
Germany about thirty years ago. The
machinery of this automaton was SO
complicated that no one was able to de-
cipher its manner of action. Some
doubts of its natural origin being enter
tanned, the boy and its constructor
were suspected of the black art and
were, for time, confined in the Span
ish Inquisition, from which they OBJ
tanned their freedom with great diff
Guilty.
Another wonderful automaton was q
boy, invented by NJ. Maillardet, which
wrote and drew with q pencil while
kneeling on one knee. Maillardet also
constructed many other ingenious au-
tomato, including steel spider, a
caterpillar, lizard and q mouse, all OF
which moved as naturally as living ami.
mails.
In 1912 the famous Maelzsl exhibited
an automaton trumpeter of his own
construction. This ingenious figure
would play several popular marches,
accompanied by full orchestra. The
sound of the trumpet was said to be
very fine, and even more agreeable
than that produced 10y the ablest must
clan.
In 1S43 speaking machine was ex-
hibited before the American Philosoph
ical Society. This machine was in
vented by o Mr.. Reale, who labored
sixteen years in bringing it to perfec
ton and afterward destroyed it in q
frenzy.
One of the latest adopts in auto
matte art is Robert Houdin, q native OF
Blois, and the son of matchmaker.
In 1874 he exhibited an automaton
writer, which attracted the notice OF
Louis Phillippi and his family. This
figure drew as we'll Us wrote answers to
questions. Houdin afterwards con.
structed nightingale, which sang and
tapped its wings like living bird.
One of the most marvellous contri-
vances ever produced was doubtless the
automaton chess player, which at vari.
GUS periods astonished and delighted
the world. 1t was constructed in 1863
by NJ. de Kempelen, of Presburg, OF
Presburg, in Hungary. NJ. de KEN
pelen died in 1904, and two years after.
ward the chess player was exhibited by
a new owner. On one occasion OF Its
exhibition, the Emperor Napoleon en-
tered entered the lists as a player, and
was badly beaten. In the year 1845 it
was exhibited by Maelael in the prin-
cipal cities of the United States, in
Guiding Boston.
In the memoirs of Robert Houdin
the secret of the performance of the
chess player are fully revealed. A
Polish dwarf named Wourousky, both
of whose thighs were shattered by can
non ball while fighting in revolt at
Riga, was concealed in this image,
which represented Turk of the natural
size, wearing the costume of his
country, and seated behind q box
shaped like a chest of drawers. The
chess player was seated Immediately
under the chess board of the automa-
ton, and from every one OF the sixty
four squares was suspended by silk a
tiny metallic ball. and as each of the
chessmen had magnet inside, when it
was placed on a square it drew up a
ball beneath, while the balls beneath
the other squares remained suspended.
BY turning the handle attached to the
arm of the figure and moving the finger
springs, the concealed player caused it
to take up the piece to be played,
| +: ~ ,,,o, :ol;ootnJ nv tha falling hall