Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-15
A TALKING PIANO
That VIII Utter Sentences Under a
Frenchman's Manipulation.

That VIII Utter Sentences Under q
Frenchman's Manipulation.
In one of the front parlOrs of the Belve-
dere House, says the New York Sttn, has
been set up a bewildering tumble of
levers, springs, rods and pipes around a
bellows capable of holding about half a
busnel of wind, and all on a daintily-
carved and completely gilded table. The
affair is called talking piano, and has
lust been brought to this country by the
SOciete Anon de Vienna.
Next to the bellows pipe is a wooden
box about as big as brick, representing
the human larynX. In front Of this are
lips and tongue of rubber dyed red The
lower Jaw and the tongue are movable,
and the oil used to prevent friction gives
to the lips look as If the machine chew
ed tobacco.
Below the laryngeal apparatus is an
other chamber about the size and shape
of a cheap lemon. From this pipe, cury-
ed upward, allows the air to escape, thus
supplying the place of the nose in the
pronunciation OF the letters N and n.
Within another small box adjacent to all
the others is thin strip of alleged hip
popOtamus' bone with rubber on one side,
which produces the tone. The inventor
has supplied the place of the teeth by an
arrangement in the larynX, and gets a pO-
lite French roll on the letter oy means
of a small windmill which is shifted into
the current by lever.
There are fourteen keys which regulate
the sounds, and With these and three side
KEYS. which move the lower lip, the
tongue and the windmill, all cOmbina-
tions are produced. All these arrange
ments require Tor their operation the
numberless rods, springs and levers. 1t
is said that the piano is the product of
the continuous labor and study from 1923
to 1865 of two members of the same taIni-
", whose name is withheld by the own
ers. In 1865 it was exhibited to the King
of Bavaria.
This history and the description of the
machine were supplied a few days ago by
a curly-haIred Frenchman, who said it
made MIN sweat to talk English. Then a
very slim little woman, with her hair
cOmbed straight back, and with an alb
stTacted-lOOking face and brown dress,
came in and sat down behind the piano,
with her foot on the bellows pedal. Her
arm accidentally struck one Of the keys.
There was a shuttle and a rattle among
the springs and the rods. culver of the
big rubber lips, and the spectators were
startled by voice very similar to that
made when hen tries TO squawk imme-
diately after the head has been partially
cut OF. The Frenchman smiled and said
"he vas a misteck." The operator
frOwned aud frightened one OF the screws.
Now" said the Frenchman. say
papa"
The little woman began to shake like
a birch tree in an Iowa cyclone, her hands
flew up and down on the jaw keys, the
tongue KEYS, and some of the other keys,
and the piano cried papa" as a 600
pound infant might.
Now say Maria" said the master
Frenchman.
This time the machine gotin good work
with the windmill on the roll.
philadelphia" said the Frenchman,
triumphantly.
This time the little woman fairly
bounced upon the levers. The lips, the
jaw, the tongue, and all had to be
worked. 1t was a great test. One screw
fell out and one spring flew out and hit a
spectator on the head. Then the specta-
tors were asked to suggest a word. Some
said Blaine" The little woman ap-
preached the keys timidly, for 1t was a
new word. She didn't get wind enough
in the bellows, and it sounded like a
whisper from the dim future. The piano
closed The exhibition by rafting of a long
word, and the spectators were asked if
they under stood it. No one did. Then
they were told that the piano had said,
''Adieu. Thank YOU