The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-07-27
SOME FAMOUS AUToMAToNs.

Few persons in the mechanical world have not heard Of the automatons of
 the famous Neuchatel mechanician of
 the eighteenth century. Most people
 would not know where to find autoIna-
 tons of Jaquet- Droz. They are said to
 be in Russia, in England and scattered
 here and there throughout the world.
 But the most remarkable of these mas terpieces are in the possession of Henri Martin of Dresden, where they are the admiration Of all those who happen to. visit Dresden and are able to examine them According to the information
 kindly furnished us by MT. Martin the automatons are in good condition and work as well as at the time when J quet- Drez exhibited them to the soyer- eigns of France, Spain, and England, though now they must be put in opera tion by hand.
 One of this wonderful mans clocks went for very long time without be- ing rewound. This kind of perpetual movement was produced by different metals expanding and contracting at the same temperature. Another clock, without being touched, answered. the question, What time is 1t 2" It must be presumed that the breath of the duestioner was sufficient by delicate lcombination to put the mechanism in movement. Still another exhibited the
 hours, the minutes, and the seconds, | the centre of the dial indicating the course of the sun through the zodiac, and the four seasons and the different phases of the moon in perfect accord with it's evolution.
 The dial was lighted at the time of the full moon, and the stars appeared and disappeared at the required inter- vals This artificial Armament was covered with clouds If the weather was unpleasant, or lighted if it was clear. As soon as the hour was struck chime was heard. It played nine different melodies, to which an echo responded IA lady seated in balcony, holding q | book in her hand, accompanied the mu- l sic with gesture and look, from time to tstime took 2 pinch of snuff and bowed to those who opened the glass door of l the clock. When the chifning was ef1d- led a canary, standing on the hand of a child, whose gestures expressed ad- niration, sang eight different airs. A shepherd came in his turn and played | on the flute, and two children danced around. Suddenly one of the children threw himself on the floor in order to make the other lose his balance, and l then turned toward the spectators, pointing at his companion with his fill- ger Near the shepherd a lamb bleated from time to time and a dog approach ed his master 10 acress him and to | watch over basket of apples If any lone touched the fruit he wolud bark un- til it was pu tback in it's place.
 He presented one of his clocks to | King Ferdinand VI... who was so de- | lighted that ht refunded the expenses of the journey and paid in addition 300 louis dor. The king assembled his courtiers in order to show them his ae- quisition. Among the automatons was a clock with a shepherd playing on his flute and a dog guarding a basket of l fruit,
 "The dog.' said Jaauet-Droz, lis as faithful as he is well-behaved. Let your majesty rut. him to the proof by touching one os the fruits in the bas-
 ket.' The king endcavored to take an apple, but the dog immediately threw
 himself on his hand. barking so natur- ally that hou,li present in the room
 responded witt, all his strength. The courtiers thoug..t that sorcery was at work and fed prec!pitately. making the sign of the cross. The king and the minister of marine were the only ones to remain. a. .,..,. The latter asked the shepherd what time it was. As he did not answer .Jaquet-Droz remarked smiling that he