The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-08-03

ing to hold him fast.
American inventors have been fruit
ful of queer ideas in musical instru-
ments. Patents have been sought for
violinS made of metal, of earthenyvar,.
of glass, of leather, and even of glue.
Plain wood, however, maintains its
place as the accepted material for this
purpose. How many people have ever
heard of the ''doorophone?" 1t con
sists of frame and sounding board
with tuned wires nj little metal balls
suspended. The contrivance is hung
upon door. When the latter is opened
the balls swing back and forth and
strike harmonious chords.
There is a patent device for PLAYING
the banjo by electricity 1t requires
no skill, the instrument being op-
Grated by sheet paper with per
forations which control the making
and breaking of a circuit. Mechanical
fingers thus actuated pick the strings
and depress them at the frets. An
other instrument is so arranged that
one may play the banjo by manipulat-
ing the keys of a keyboard like that of
piano on a small scale The same
idea is varied by combination of
piano and violin, the strings of the lat
piano-li<e keyboard. OF course, that
is the difficult part of violin nlaying
the handling of the bow being simple
enough. The bow is held in the
right hand while the fingers of the left
hand strike the KEYS
Within the last few years many
musical instruments that play them
selves have been invented These
ought to be a godsend in non-musical
house holds, not to mention the saving
of money for teaching and of distress
to the nerves of those who are not do
ing the practicing. For example. there
is the piano-organ. which is operated
by strips of perforated paper like an
Organette. 1t is either piano an
organ, or both together, and ii plays
itself much better than most people
who understand the piano could play
it, because the mechanical arrange
ment is made with a high degree of
musical skill. The performer simply
works the bellows. But there is a con
trivance with mechanical hands which
may be showed up in front of any
piano and will do the playing.
Another patent contrivance for the
piano furnishes the instrument with
auxiliary strings which sound in
sympathy with the ordinary strings,
though they are not struck. Then are
turned in harmony with the primary
strings, and augment the volume of
tone. There is a kind of piano that
holds a note as long as the finger is
kept on the KEY: the string is kept
vibrating by an electro-magnet- The
.Ianko keyboard is already becoming
we'll known. Its arrangement enables
the PLAYER to reach several octavcS
with single hand. thus renderinr
certain effects of execution possible
which could not be obtained on an
ordinary keyboard There are several
devices by which the performer is en-
abled To improvise ON the piano and
to have the improvisations recorded
with self-inking pens OF otherwise
Afterwards the record may be trans
lated into the common notation
Patents have been granted for max
ing innumerable queer things ont of
paper, such as carpets. electric con-
duits, leadpencils, roofing material.
ear wheels, boats, pals. cotfins,
brushes and combs. Mattresses are
manufactured ont of paper pulp and
ordinary sponge. springs being imbed
ted in the composition. 4 cloth paper
for banlInoteS has been invented. the
notion being to render such money les
periShablc and more difficult To coun-
terfeit Paper is used nowadays for
architectural decorations. interior and
exterior. Cornices. panels and friezeS
are nodded out of the pulp.
Music boxes nowadays are made in
all sorts of queer shapes. The glass
water bottle on the dinner table plays
a tune while the guest fills his tum
bier The cigar holder become 'une-
ful when a match is struck upon IL
Toilet sets have music boxes concealed
in them. Fruit plates, on being placed
upon the festive board. start up with
jims and waltzes. Photograph albums
become harmonious when opened
Clocks. instead of striking. emit op, r
attic fragments every hour. Artificial
singing birds. run by clockwork with
bellows and whistle. carol melodious-
". One may buy an imitation canary,
robin or nightingale, in a cage.
One of the most successful of recent
inventions is a process for making arti-
fetal straws out of paper for drinking
iced beverages. Everybody knows
that real straws are apt to- be defective:
but the limitations are always satisfac-
tory and never fail to draw After
they are rolled they are treated WIFI
parafffne to render them watertight
and non-abSorbent. The same patent
covers mouthpieces for cigarettes,
which are manufactured in a similar
fashion.
Medals are made out of paper and
colored- to initiate silver or bronze.
Cigar boxes are manufactured from
the same material. favored with cedar
oil to give them the customary smell
Hollow telegraph poles of paper pulp
are a new invention. They are coated
with silicate of potash to preserve
them.
One of the oldest inventions recorded
at the patent Office is a sort of gun in
tended to be fixed upon the head of 4
steer that is to be slaughtered The
stroke of a hammer or pin fires a
cartridge and discharges bullet int
the brain of the animal. 1t is almost
noiselcss. and death is instantaneous.
There are several ideas for death
al arms, To give notice in case a person
comes To life after being buried.-Rene
Bache. in Detroit Free Press
COMMERCIAL FIGURES.
KAISER WHHELM's LAND, a portion OF
southern New Guinea, exports nothing
but tobacco and bamboo.
THE wine export of France is great
l. France lmnortS ten