The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-12
A WATCHMAKER's TOY.
1t Took Him Two and n Half Years
to Complete 1t.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.

From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
over in Hoboken, in a house overlook
ing the busy Hudson, lives Mr.. ]. Louis
Mathey, says the New York Evening
Sun. He was born in Switzerland, in the
neighborhood of Geneva, and watchmak-
ing is his trade, which he learned as a
boy in his native village, and has fol-
lowed in this country for half a century.
He is the senior member of a Maiden
Lane firm, manufacturers of Swiss
watches, and an expert in the art of
making and putting together the most
complicated clockwork.
Lately Mr.. Mathey has completed a
piece of mechanism OF great originality,
hillside on the shores Of a lake. Moth
ing is missing that belongs to the usual
surroundings of everyday life.
The embryonic idea of his model VIII
lage first took hold of him when he found
himself in a quandary as to what TO buy
as a Christmas present for his children
but once started, 1t grew upon him until
it assumed such intricacies and magni-
tude that ii took him fully two and a
half years to complete his model and
put it in working order.
The model is laid out in rectangular
shape, four feet by four and half, and
is about one and half feet in depth, and
is beyond doubt one of the cleverest pie
ces of mechanism in existence.
You see a church. houses, docks, br1dg-
es, warehouses, roads, streets, parks and
even a waterfall and grottoes. A fort.
ress frowns down from the summit of
the rock upon the village protecting II,
as it were, while two adjoining light
houses at night warn vessels on the lake
at the foot of the hill.
In the foreground is a machine and
power house where perfectly construct
| ed stationary engine is at work producing
| (seemingly) the power for the different
| plants and workshops.
1t requires twelve magnets Horseshoe
and electro to move the different parts of
| the machinery, and in addition six strong
| clockworks. Underneath, and covered by
| a red cloth, are four Garnet batteries,
| connected with a switchboard containing
! four switches and as many electric but
! tons The pressing of one of these but
| tons sets that part on the surface in mo-
| ton with which it is connected, the con-
nection being accomplished by network
/ of wires on miniature poles girding the
A ferry boat runs from shore to shore of
| the real lake. 1t is constructed after the
model of the Hudson river ferries and
crosses the lake on schedule time, the
!, round trip taking about four minutes.
1 When the boat reaches its slip in the
! ferry house, the gates of the latter open,
and close again shortly before the boats
departure.
| riding at anchor gives the starting signal
| for two yachts, the Defender and the Val
! kyrie, which start on race. A pinch of
| powder in a miniature gun on the deck of
| the gunboat is ignited with loud report
The electro magnet (non-conducting zinc
| forms the bottom of the lake, is put in con-
| tact with the iron keel of the yachts
which thus pursue their course as the
| magnetic needle moved by one of the
clockworks indicates.
| The boats tack, making short legs and
| long legs, avoiding a bell buoy that rings
| at stated intervals, and other obstacles
| 1t takes ten to eleven minutes to cover
! the entire course.
| The lighthouse on the lake has a revolv.
| ing red and blue light Mr.. Mathey sud
| denly touches one of his mysterious but
| tons and the entire scene-factories,- light
| houses, churches and all-is lit up by cleo
tricity. 1t is all very natural and real
| istic.
of course it is all simple Won know >,
| when you see it done, and understand the
| details of the mechanism All Mr.. MATHEW
! had to do was to make connection with
the electric wire that lights his house. One
candle power does it all, and not even the
| safety light Qike a safety valve on ma
chnery) is omitted. to avoid a too strong
/ pressure and possible accident to the TOW.
| There is also life-saving station with
| its boats. When a boat is in distress. a
line is shot from mortar over the rigging
| accurately aimed. This is also accomplish
| ed by the pressure of a button the onera-
| tor knowing exactly when the boat Is IN
| the right position to set the magnate Ia
! work
A remarkable feature is that the boats
| can all be taken out of the water and VET
| follow their course when replaced as long
| as the clockwork that moves them is run
| ming. Six clockworks set in motion a num-
Der of pulleys with endless belts. which
are connected with magnetic needles di-
| recting the motion, for instance of the
| ferryboat or the yachts.
| Among the many noteworthy pieces of
| mechanism the unique features are two
| fishermen. One about hree-uuarters of
an inch high, sits on the end of a dock
| with a rod and line. He draws his line
i from one side to another, and straighfenS
| himself as soon as he gets a bite" and
pulls up a fish. The other fisherman stands
| in a skiff. and his antics are surprisine
| The beat Is in the center of a strong mas
| netic current, and consequently moves
/ abott ceaselessly.
-Tolstoi's hands are large and rough.
| like those of a laborer, and do NOT I6oi II,
/ as if they were ever used for writing A
| recent visitor from Vienna found bin1