The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-10-27
AuToMATA IN FORMER CENTURIES.
Translated from the German, by j.. Bahimann.
Columbia. >. e., for the Daily Record.

Automata are called those machines,
or those moving hfeless objects, which
have concealed the motive power, and
consequently seem to move OF their own.
accord; when they have the form of man
and perform human actions then thew
are also called androides. The motive
power generally consists of springs,
chains, weights, which can be easily con
cealed.
Antiquity already knew automata.
The Oldest automat was the great phi
losopher, Alchytas of Tarent, 400 wears
b. Z. he made q wooden pigeon, which,
as "Gelllus' says, could fly. P~ausanius
mentions a moving wooden eagle, Po-
iybius a creeping snail, which was made
by the celebrated orator and statesman,
Demltrlus Phalereus, of Athens. In the
middle age the monk Roger Baco made
q wooden head, which could make a
speech. 1t is said that the celebrated
necromanccr and philosopher, Albert the
Great, Count Of BollStadt, 1l93-l2SO
made a wooden figure which opened the
door for the visitors, saluted and appar-
emily addressed them. On one occasion
the equally renowned philosopher,
Thomas of Aquino, became SO terribly
frightened that he struck off the head Of
the figure. This mishap caused the
manufactures to exclaim that his work of
thirty years had been destroyed. The
distinguished mathematician, Job Null
ler, made, among other works, a fy
which would move about on the table:
and an eagle which was placed on the
gate tower at Numberg, and welcomed
the Emperor Macmillan IL. on his ar
rival in that city by moving its wings
and head. The Emperor Charles 7.
found in his old age great pleasure in
works of art of this kind. The cele-
brated huffman of Numberg made
figures which marched to and fro, beat
ing the kettle drum and playing the lutte.
1t IS said that in the 18th century a
potter III Rome produced a flute player;
IN 1858 the French General, Count
Geuner, made a peafowl, which walked
and ate; the missionary Thibaut made
for the Emperor of China a walking lion:
also n tiger.
Among the artists in the 18th century
the names of Pierre and Henri Louis
Droz Gather and SOM must be placed in
the foremost rank. The elder, Pierre.
was born in the Swiss canton of Neuf-
chatel in the year 1921, died 1890; the
younger was born 1852, died 1871.
Among their works OF art mention must
be made OF a two year old child, who
wrote frcrch words, dipping her pen in
the INK, and after each word would look
at her copy; the drawer also the size of
a two year old child; another craftsman.
the size OF a grown man, could draw
with a metallic pencil on parchment very
rapidly: sketch followed sketch. and vcry
often they had to furnish him with
another piece of parchment; the piano
PLAYER, q young girl, who played several
pieces, following the music with her
mead M eyes, and after each perform
ancc she would rise and bow to the audi
encc. The younger Droz made a snuff
box which contained a small bird, three
quarters inch long. It's wings were
green and yellow, it sat on q small pold
table, tapping its little wings, moving its
tan and delighted the audience with q
mc!odious song. The king of Spain was
presented by these artists with a wondcr>
tui clock, on which was n bleatine sheen,
and a dog continually watching Il basket
filled with fruit, and barking when any
one tried to take it of. Vaucanson Cborn
at Grcnoblc 1903, died at Paris 1882
showed IN 1888 his celebrated flute play
cf' II was a Inquire 0! feet high, sitting on
Il pedestal, IN which was concealed the
mechanism. This figure would put the
llutc to the lips, moving the fingers rogu-
larry, producing good and correct notes.
and played several pieces. Another
automaton played on a shepherds Huto
which he held in his left hand, and with
his right hand beat on a t~ambourine the
accord. y third work of art finished in
III was a duck made of bronzed
copper, which tapped Its wings. stretch
ing out It's neck to cat the corn scattered
before her, and digesting its food. The
inventor Of this work Of art was apDoint-
ca inspector of the silk manufactures at
Lyons, and the manufacturers threatened
10 stone lm, fearing their sales would
be greatly diminished. The inspector,
nearing OF this threat, made in rctalia-
tlon the figure of an ass weaving cloth in
varlegated colors. This machine con
tanned innumerablc chains, springs.
levers, etc. o.
About the same time the Hungarian.
Wolf8ang, born in Prenburg 1874, died
1904, created the greatest sensation with
his wonderful speaking and chess ma
chine. The first was invented in l77S.
and consisted of n wooden box | by 3
feet, IN which, by means of n pair of
bellows and several springs, the voice of
a child was initiated. Several machines
have been made by Mical, K~ratzunstcin.
foSch, but generally with less success.
The wonderful chess machine, which
was shown to the Empress Maria
Ihesesa in 1869, consisted Of a figure,
natural size, dressed in the Turkish cos,
tune, who was sitting before q table 81
by q feet put on rollers. This machine
played chess with experts, and almost
always won, at which the inventor was
always present; INC whether he directed
the play, or q person was concealed in
the machine, has never been satisfactory
~ explained, as no direct communica-
ton had been detected. The inventor
was always willing to show his wonderful
machine when not p~crforming), which
consisted OF a number of chains, wheels,
levers and springs. The opinion pre-,
vailed that magnetism was the motive
power, but this theory was soon cx-
ploded. This machine was on exhibition
IN 1872 at Mailand, 1919 il London and
1922 in Paris.
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