AUTOMATON FIGURES.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2096, 22 September 1875, Page 3

AUTOMATON FIGURES.

Automaton figures, imitating by mechanism the movements of life, -have been marvels of invention in many ages. In the old classic times, one most wonderful automaton was the flying pigeon made by Archytas, of Tarentum. Another was the walking statue of Doedalus. In the middle ages there was the speaking-head, of brass, made by Pope Sylvester. There was the moving and speaking head of Albertus Magnus. There was the mechanical fly of Bishop Mirgilius. In later times the most wonderful automaton in the world was, at one period, the flying eagle of Johann Muller, or the crawling steel fly of. the same mechanism; at another period, the artificial man of Reysolius; and, at another the miniature of chariot, horses, lady, and suite of Mons Cam us. In the last century, the greatest wonders in this class of Mechanism were Vaucanson's automat on flute-player, which performed with correctness of execution, and with clear good tones, certain airs which it was constructed to play ; and Vaucanson's automaton duck, which preened its wings, quacked, ate, and digested its food. Late in the last century the most wonderful automaton was Kempele's famous chess player, which was apparently intelligent, so that it cowld move any of the pieces at will and in anywwasy s according to the play of the adversary—a very different thing from simply executing a series of motions for which the machinery is purposely arranged. However, the automaton turned out to be a deception ; and the playing was really accomplished by a man inside —a Polish patriot named Wourousky, who, having lost both legs in battle, was thus enabled to conceal himself in different parts of the figure while the mechanism was being examined by the public. Another was the Invisible Girl of Mons. Charles, in which questions were heard and answered through trumpets, apparently suspended out of any communication with a living person. Another was the writing and drawing automaton of Mons. Madlardet: another, the marvellous little piping bull-finch, constructed by the same inventor; and another was the automaton peacock of Le Droz. The French conjuror, Mons Robert Houdin, made an automaton harlequin, which performed antics in and out of a small box, blew a whistle, and smoked a cigarette. Professor Pepper constructed at the Polytechnic Institution an automaton Leotard, which tumbled and postured upon a swinging trapeze. A conjui'or named Beaumont improved upoa this, by making a doll vault upon a swinging rope, and after holding by its hands, disengage them from the rope without assistance, and then haug by its feet. The latest wonder of this kind is an automaton card-player, the joint invention of Mr John Nevil Alaskelyne, and Mr John Algernon Clarke, brought out in " Maskelyne and Cooke's Entertainment," at the Egyptian Hall, in London. This figure, representing a man in Oriental costume, seated cross-legged upon a small pedestal, with cards arranged in front of it, plays whist and other games, itself choosing "and taking up with its thumb and finger any card it intends to play. It also tells any card selected out of a pack by the audience ; replies to questions by striking a bell; obeys by its movements the direction of any person in the audience ; can instantly show any color called for by any person present; can work any sum in addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division ; and, in short, execute an extraordinary number and variety of feats, evidently demanding mii telligence as well as complicated and ingenious mechanism. The peculiar feature of this automaton is, that it apparently effects all this without the possibility of its receiving any assistance or guidance from without. It is supported upon a single piece of thin transparent glass; and persons from the audience may stand all round while it is at work, and may see inside the body of the figure and the pedestal."