The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-11-27
JAOK.KNIFH GENIUS.
a st. Louisian Constructs q Mar.
vel Of Mechanism.

a st. Louisian Constructs q Mar
vel Of Mechanism.
100 Automatic Figures Run by
aFew Pecks of Sand.
Post Dispatch.
William YOhe claims to be the
champion jack-knife artist of the day,
although he was born in St. Louis and
not Yankeedom. He was raised In
this city and early learned the trade
Of q machinist. His father, now dead
was for many years chief engineer of
the Wiggnis Ferry company. 1t was
not until William had long followed
his trade of machinist that he discov-
cred his genius for whiting. Now
he is whiting with might and main.
by night and day. and expects event
ually to carve out jack-knife fortune.
if the cutlery shops hold out. A
Post-Dispatch reporter heard of this
professional iaeerator of pine sticks
and sought him out. 1t was not until
the inside of an unused Methodist
church at Kirk wood, this county, was
reached that Mr.. Yohe and his knife
were cornered. the knife was slash
ing cigar boxes to pieces at railway
speed. when the reporter opened up
with: "Are you the man who is max
ing an automatic Worlds Fair and St.
Louis Exposition with knife ?"
mo; that isn't what l call it. l
am making what l call the Missouri
Pacific and Strasburg Cathedral Auto.
matte Wonder, with the Golden Ark
Of the Covenant. 1t will contain over
$50. 0C0 pieces. and will have LOO
moving and workiog figures.
ALI around the gaunt and disman-
tied church were pileslo cigar boxes
and laths, and myriads of little pieces
of wood, apparently portions Of models
Of buildings. The whittier was a
small man with keen eyes and ready
tongue, and about &c years of age.
In the course Of an hours converse
ton be said. in substance: 81 didn't
know that was anything extra Of
whittier until about 1869, when in a
small way l made some models. l
was in Texas working at millwright-
ing. Tie first piece / ever made was
q model of Bermuda castle. After
wards made Balmoral castle, Biugen
castle, Miramar castle, in Egypt. the
Steamer Bristol. Solomen's Temple
nd the Texas state capitol at Austin.
soLoMEN's TEMPLE
contained IL, 268 pieces and, had
1859 windows. It is now on exbibi-
ton in Texas. The Austin capitol
building has 62,S44 pieces, and 261
moving people. Every room and de-
partment in the building was given,
with all the officers and legislators.
Everybody was represented, down to
the man saving wood in the base
ment for the furnaces. All the figures
we're moved by a wooden engine
which was run by sand falling on an
overshot wheel. [ made this piece at
odd moments in 1881. I never real.
lied much for my labor. for the reason
that didn't know that it was valu-
able / love to use the knife and can
work all day and far into the night
with the greatest enthusiasm. There
is nothing th:t can he made out of
wood that can't carve with my knife.
This model of Noahis Ark, [pointing1
has 3. 400 pieces, and yet made it In
ten days. When 1 came back to St.
Louis 1 found out that my work was
worth money. I went to the Dime
museum and saw a model of St. Pat
tricks cathedral in New York city.
1t was . perfect botch beside my work
It was largely scroll-saw work, and the
machinery for running the figures was
clumsy and very noisy. The owner
said he got 1925 month exhibit
ing it. then determined to lay N.Y.
self out for a grand piece and show the
boys what could do. / have been
working for the Pacific railroad near
here, and whiting nights since the
first of last July. That is how l
come to be in Kirk wood instead of St.
Louis. have just succeeded in
forming partnership. one of my
partners being q BOD of well-known
st. Louis professor and scientist. They
furnish the capital and / the labor.
| have just hired this church and be-
gun steady work. l shall sleep and
eat in this church until my great
piece is done, which 1 expect will be
about May LIST next. [ have called
it after the Missouri Pacific railroad,
because of my connection with its of.
fcers and men. They all know nv
work, and are anxious to see me make |
~ Thn