The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-08
TALKING BY MACHINERY.
An Invention that Will Open Up FrightfuI
Prospect When it Is Perfected.

ArOSpecC tn6n 1t Is Perfected
New York Sun.
In one of the front parlors of the Belvedera
House has been set up a bewildering tumble Of
levers, springs, rods and pipes around Bellows
capable of holding about half bushel Of wind.
ana all on daihtiy carved and completely
guided table. The affair is called talking piano,
and has just been brought to this country by tina
Societe Anon de Vienna.
Next to the bellows pipe is 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 chewed
tobacco
Below the laryngeal apparatus is another
chamber about the size and shape of cheap
lemon. From this pipe, curved upward
allows the air to escape, thus supplying ths
place of the nose in the pronunciation of the
letters m and n. Within another small box adj
jacent to all the others, is thin strip of alleged
hippopotamuss bone with rubber on one side.
which produces the tone. The inventor has
supplied the place of the teeth by an arrange
ment in the larynx, and gets polite French
roll on the letter r by means Of a small wind
mill, 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 combinations are produced. Ala
these arrangements require for their operation
the numberless rods, springs and levers. 1t is
Gus labor and study from 1923 to 1865 of two
members OF the same. family. whose name 10
withheld by the owners In 1865 it was exhibit
ted to the King of Bavaria.
This history and the description of the machine
were supplied yesterday by curly-haired
Frenchman who said it made him sweat to talk:
English. Then very slim little woman, with
her hair combed straight back and with an alb
stracted- looking face and brown dress,
came in and sat down behind the piano. with
her foot on the bellows pedal. Her arm acci-
dentally struck one of the keys. There was q
shuttle and 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 i'm
mediately after the head has been partially cut
off. The Frenchman smiled, and said '-he vas
a misteck." The operator frowned and tight
ened one of the screws
Nov" said the Frenchman SAY papa
The little woman began to shake like birch
tree in an Iowa cyclone, her hands flow up and
down on the jaw keys, the tongue keys, and
some of the other keys, and the piano cried
''papaw as xhundred pound infant might
Nov say Maria" said the master Frsnche
man.
This time the machine got in good work With
the windmill on the roll.
Philadelphia" said the Frenchman, tri-
umphantly.
This time the little woman fairly pounced upon
the levers. The lips, the jaw, the tongue and
all had to be worked 1t was q great test. One
screw fell out, and one spring flew out and hit q
spectator on the head. Then the specta-
tors were asked to suggest word. Some one
said Blaine" The little woman approached
the keys timidly, for it was new word. Sha
didn't get wind enough in the bellows, and if
sounded like q whisper from the dim future.
The piano closed the exhibition by rafting of q
long word and the spectators were asked if they
told that the piano had said: "Adieu. Thank
YOU"