The Delaware farmer., 1883-12-21
A JACK.KNIFE ARTIST.
A Sc. Louis 1Iachinist's Marvel of Mech
anism.

William Yohe claims to be the cham
pion jack-knife artist of the day, al
though he was born in st. Louis and
not Yankeedom, says the Post of that
city. Now he is whiting with might
and main, by night and day, and ex-
poets eventually to carve out jack
knife fortune, if the cutlery shops hold
out.
81 am making," says Yohe, "what
call the Missouri, Pacific and Stras-
burg Cathedral Automatic Wonder.
with the Golden Ark of the Covenant
1t will contain over 100000 pieces, and
will have 1,100 moving and working
figures"
All around the gaunt and dismantled
church were piles of cigar boxes and
laths, and myriads of nicely-carved
little pieces of wood, apparently por-
tions of models of buildings. The whit
tier was a small man, with keen eyes
and ready. tongue, and about thirty
six years of age. In the course of an
hours conversation, he said in sub
stance: "I didn't know that was any
thing extra of a whittier until about
1869, when, in a small way, made
some models. I was in Texas working
at millwrighting. The first large piece
L ever made was a model of Bermuda
castle. Afterward I made Balmoral
castley Bingen Castle, Miramar Castle,
in Egypt, the steamer Bristol, Solomon's !
Temple and the Texas State Capitol at |
Austin. SolomOn's Temple contained |
12,268 pieces, and had 1900 windows.
1t is now on exhibition in Texas. The
Austin Capitol building has 60, ,844 pieces
and 561 moving people. Every room
and department in the building was
given, with all the officers and legisla-
tors. Everybody was represented,
down to the man saving wood in the
basement for the furnaces.
GAIL the figures were moved by a
wooden engine, which was running by
sand falling on an overshot wheel. I
made this piece at odd moments in 1881.
never realized much for my labor, for
the reason that I didn't know that it
was valuable. love to use the knife,
and can work all day and far into the
hight with the greatest enthusiasm.
There is nothing that can be made out
If wood that I can't carve with my ,
Inife. This model of Noah's Ark has !
}, 400 pieces, and yet made it in ten I
lays. The cathedral will be 6x6 feet t
nd IA feet high. 1t will contain 80, 900 i
pieces. From the chapel in the rear a {
lie Of children will march around to the I
rand arch and enter the cathedral, go. '
ng down two aisles past the altar, with c
is attendant bishop and choristers, and c
Ass out at the rear. Over the grand t
rch of the cathedral is the main dial, j
nd above this the twelve apostles and /
he Saviour on the cross. The apostles n
t times will pass in front of the Saviour,
boxing at him, all except Judas, who q
i'll hang his head. The church will be u
Illuminated with many hundred windows +,
nd lights. In the two depots, with K
:, 1000 pieces each, there will be the o.
5ual ticket sellers, baggage agents, Il
ETC., all performing their +,
'gular duties automatically. The Sc
ack for the train will be ia feet in II
myth, running entirely around the oi
zee, under mountain, through the in
epots and beneath the cathedral. The K
ain will be completely appointed, even ST.
the automatic engineer, fireman and n,
punching tickets. The water n
i'll, of $4,000 pieces. will be in com br
etc running order. Without the he
thedral and upon the grounds will be m,
0 automatic figures of visitors strolling i'm
out. There will also be loaded street TN
RS, boat racing, dancing, prize-fght- Co
3, racing, etc I'll
How will it be possible to keep so biz
my figures performing such extremely pr
IMPLICATED motions without endless
That is where my strongest hold
nes in. I can do anything with ma
merry, and my machinery is so simple oo,
It it runs almost noiselessly. The 70
tive power will be furnished by sand do,
ing on a wheel which runs a wooden .
zine, and this moves the entire LOO soo
Tres. Why, my figures and apph- fro
es are so finely adjusted that five CT
,ketfuls of sand will operate the pieces sw,
Whole day. Three thimblefuls will ~
It the machinery, and a stream no vr.