The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-06


 cpmpanied the music with gesture and
 look, from time to time took a pinch of
 snuff and bowed to those who opened the
 glass door of the clock. When the chiming
 was ended a canary, standing on the
 hand of a child, whose gestures expressed
 admiration, 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 then turned toward the spectators. pointing at his companion with his finger. Near the shepherd . lamb bleated from time to time and dog approached his master to caress him and to watch over . baslet of apples. If any one touched the fruit he
 would bark until 1t was put back in its place. He presented one of his clocks to King Ferdinand VI, who was so delighted that
 he refunded the expenses of the Journey
 and paid in addition 800 lois dor. The king assembled his courtiers in order to snow them his acquisition. Among the automatons was clock with a shepherd playing on his flute and dog guarding & basket of fruit. A well-Behaved Dog.
 ''The dog" said Jaquet-Droz. lis as faithful as he is well behaved. Let Your Majesty put him to the proof by touch Ing one of the fruits in the basket" The King endeavored to take an apple, but the dog immediately threw himself on his hand. barking 50 naturally that hound present in the room responded with ali nis strength. The courierg thought that
 sorcery was at work and fled precipitate-
 ". making the sign of the cross The King and the Minister of Marine were the only ones to remain.
 The latter asked the shepherd what time t was. As he did not answer Jauuet-
 Droz remarked smilingly that he probably did not understand Spanish and begged His Exceilency to address him in French
 The question was repeated in that lam
 suage and the shepherd replied immedi- ateiy. The Minister was frightened, and
 ne too. hurried away. In conseduence of
 this seance the Neuchatel artist, fearing
 that he might be arrested by the inquisi- ton and burned as a sorcerer begged the King to invite the grand inquisitor to be present. Jaquet-DroS took the clock apart in his presence, piece by piece,
 showing him all the springs and explain
 ing to him the action of the train Prob ably the inquisitor understood little or
 nothing of the matter; nevertheless he an-
 nounced the fact publicly that he discov- cred no magic and that. the mechanism
 was moved entirely by natural means. Three Perfect .Automata.
 Three of these automatons whose perfection
 exceeded everything which had ever been known In this class of work, are the young musician. the draughtsman and the writer a young woman, seated at the harpsichord, Axe- cuted several pieces of music with dexterity, without any person touching the instrument The draughtsman. seated on stool. made drawings with . pencil, slgetched them cor
 rectly. and then shaded them. From time to time he raised his hand to examine his work
 the better. corrected some defect and blew
 the dust from the paper. Henri Louis. having gone to Versailles exhibited his automatons to the king The draughtsman, to amusement of the court, sketched the portrait of the French king with laurel wreath on his head. Jaquet-Dros went over to England he placed the draughtsThan before the king, and soon the hands of the automaton were actively at work. but the surprise of those present was boundless when they beheld. not the iTnage of the king of France. which they had expect
 ed. but that of the English monarch. Of course. the portraits were not finished produe-
 tions, but presented 6 general resemblancesr
 The draughtsman of Jaquet-Dros was not, however, the most remarkable of the works created by the inexhaustible genius of this
 before an isolated desk. without contact with
 any person. He would dip his pen in the
 inkstand and write without dictatIon, slowly,
 1t Is true. but distinctly and correctly.
 Each word occupied c suitable place at the
 desired distance from the preceding. When
 line was finished he commenced a new one. leaving between them the necessary space. The movements of the eyes and of the arms and hands were admirably, initiated. The writer might even be interrupted. He stopped in the middle of Q word if asked and wrote another.
 The means used by Jacquet-pros for securing this result have remained unknown. The cour- teirs, scientists and the most skillful mechan- icians have vainly sought to penetrate the mystery. It is needless to say that the writer performed only in the presence of JacQuet- Droz which involves the idea of some action exercised by this artist. It has been supposed that he made use of a magnet concealed in his shoes or clothing This idea was suggested by his habit of walking back and forth and turn ing sometimes to one side and sometimes to the other while the automaton was writing. | thus perhaps being able to attract the hook toward the wheel with the aid of a magnet and | cause 1t to return by the same force. The lords of the court endeavored, by means of other magnets of great power concealed in | their clothing. to disturb the working of the | apparatus by their attitudes and movements, l but in vain The automaton wrote with the | same accuracy. The writer is still in exist | encA It continues to write, provided the | hook and the wheel are kept in action by the | hand The motive force used by the artist Is | q secret which unfortunately has been buried | with him.