Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

QUEER AUTOMATONS. examples from the days of DtEDALUS to the present. A Wooden Venue That Walked and a Brasen Man That Talked —A Wonderful Mechanical Duck—The Greatest of All the Fraudulent Automatons. There are few things more attractive to the generality of men or more calcu lated to excite their wonder and admira tion than a dexterously and mysteriously contrived automaton. There is, indeed, something Almost udcanny in the sight of a figure made by men’s hands acting like a creature of flesh and blood, and this uncanniness is one of the most sub tle of fascinations. Hence the silver of the curious readily finds its way into the pockets of men ingenious enough to invent such marvels. This passion for the automaton is cer tainly no new thing. One meets it in almost the earliest books, sometimes veiled in myth, sometimes more direct ly stated. Vulcan, it will be remem- * bored, made automatic tripods for the gods of Olympus stools which ad vanced of their own accord to the ban queting table and so retired when the feast was over. Aristotle tells "us that the human au tomata which Daedalus made were so active 'that it was necessary to keep them tethered for fear they would run away. The sime philosopher describes a wooden Venus who walked about and gives also the secret of the phenomenon. She was filled with quicksilver—a some what crude device. Albertus Magnus is credited with having made a brazen man who talked and St. Thomas Aqui nas with having pounded it to pieces with a club, suspecting it to be a work of satan. Some marvelous feats'of mechanism are credited to John Muller, otherwise known as Regiomontanus, who flourished in the fifteenth century, and in dealing with him we perhaps touOh firmer ground. One was an iron fly which flew around a table, another a wooden eagle which went out to meet Emperor Maximilian on his entry of Nuremberg on June 7, 1470, and re turned with him to the city gates. Whether due or not to the stimulus given by Louis XIV, the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were in France • times of great automatic activity. In deed, the first named century marks the beginning of the really historical era of .automata. In the eighteenth century lived Mr. Vaucanson, perhaps the most wonderful of all makers of automata and the creator of the famous duck which first appearerfbefore the public in 1741. The duck was Vaucanson’s masterpiece and completed a reputation already made wide by his mechanical flute player and an automatic musician which not only blew upon the flageolet, but also kept time to it on a tambourine. The bird was of life size, and not only was it outwardly an exact imitation to a feather of a real duck, but its internal anatomy was absolutely true to life. So, indeed, were its movements, for it swam, dived, walked, quacked, ate, drank and by an ingenious device even seemed to digest its food. This automaton disappeared after its inventor’s death, but turned up again in 1840 in a garret in Berlin and was purchased by a George Tiets, who took four years to put it in proper working order again. At the end of this time it was exhibited in a room in the Palais Royal, Paris, where Mr. Houdin, the celebrated conjuror, saw it, and, indeed, afterward, when something happened to one of its wings, took charge of and repaired it. No doubt it* is still in ex istence. Os more modern automata this is scarcely the place to speak, for they are private secrets. Let us confine our selves to merely mentioning Mr. Mas kelyne’s “Psycho” and "Zoo.” Like most things, automata have not always been what they seemed. Os many frauds upon the wonder loving public perhaps the completest was that of the famous automatic chess player of Mr. Kempelen, which was exhibited all over Europe at the end of the last century and afterward in America. It was the figure of a life sized Turk seat ed behind a large box, the top of which was marked in the middle for chess. Prior to the automaton’s meeting an opponent the front of the box was open ed and skeptical lookers on were shown an arrangement of strings, pulleys and cylinders. After this they were allowed to examine the interior of the figure, which was hollow. Then Mr. Kempe len wound up his Turk with a key, and it was ready to play, which it did by moving the pieces with its Jes t hand and giving three nods for check to king and two for check to queen. All the noted chess players of Europe succumb ed to the figure’s superior strategy, and its skill so impressed the Empress Cath erine II of ( Russia that she wished to buy it and was with difficulty persuad ed by Mr. Kempelen to give up the idea. It was not for years that the secret was discovered; but, like most secrets, it • leaked out at last. The real chess play er was a Mr. Wronsky, a Polish ex-cap tain, both of whose legs had been am putated at the trunk in consequence of a wound from a cannon ball. While the spectators were examining the box Wronsky was in the Turk’s body, and when they turned to inspect that an in genious mechanism slid him back into the box. To the fact that Wronsky was a chess player of consummate skill the wide fame of the automaton, which he secretly controlled, is to be attributed. After this disclosure Mr. Kempelen’s automaton naturally enough ceased to move mankind to wonder.—New York Post Strict Sunday Laws, Swinemunde on the Baltic has strict Sunday laws. Shipmasters who enter the port are fined heavily by the town authorities if they have their ships washed or painted on Sunday or church holidays. As foreigners are not ac quainted with the German church cal endar they are frequently caught JAPAN’S WOMEN. Thay Have Been OrganlslnK *• Seowre Their Kights. “The Japanese ladies are really organis ing at last. They are beginning a strong m ivement to amend the Japanese laws so tbat a Japanese gentleman that supports another woman besides his legal wife can be arrested. The laws are now one sided *-yes, very much one sided. The Japanese husband can have as many oatside wives as he pleases; not regular wives, you un derstand. Japan law lets the husband marry only one wife. Otherwise he is guilty of bigamy, same as here.’’ Thia announcement of woman’s inde pendence in the land of silent wives and maidens ‘ that won’t be kissed came recently at the Hotel Ryan from S. Kiehl, a young attorney, of Tokyo. Mr. Klshl having practiced some time in his own city, resolved to venture forth into western lands to see hbw it was possible for lawyers to make an honest living in Europe and America. The study of this intricate problem detained Mr. Kishi six weeks in San Francisco, three months in Milwaukee and some weeks in Chicago. He has now arrived in St. Paul, where he will enter the law department of the Great Northern railroad and remain several months. Eventually he will proceed to Europa “Formerly,” continued the smiling, white toothed law pilgrim, “that is to say, up to 25 years ago, a Japanese gentleman could have as many informal wives as he wished. He was rather proud of them and showed them in public. Now.sentiment has so changed that he keeps them hid away. He would be thought very immoral to exhibit them in public. Yet he cannot be punished by law, but this exception in favor of the men is likely to be done away with. There is a commission now revising our civil code. That code is based upon the Code Napoleon, not on the English common law. Our commercial code, how ever, is modeled after the commercial code of Germany. “But it is natural for woman to want less than man in Japan. We consider that she is equal to man in quality, but not in quantity. That is the way we express it. And she is always by nature different. Man is strong, rough, brave. Woman is weak, gentle, gracious, timid. She must attend to her home. Man must go out into business, into government, into war. We do not mix occupations as you do here. For example, the men ride bi cycles In Japan very much more now than before, but the women —never. A woman astride of a bicycle I It would be too rude, too bold. She should be at home, not showing herself upon the streets. “Her costume? Oh, it Is almost always Japanese. Years ago, perhaps ten years, one of our cabinets thought they would help. Japan abroad by persuading our peo ple to dress like Europeans. Even the court ladies began to wear foreign dresses. But the cabinet went down. The women took back their native costumes. Now a Japanese lady most always wears her an cient costume. We find that your dresses are not convenient, as our women sit about on the floors of our little houses. But the Japanese men are using the Euro pean clothes very generally in our cities— that is, for business in government offices and in the professions. But when the men get home they take off these clothes and put on the good old Japanese robes. Then we are comfortable.”—Sb. Paul Pio neer Press. “Arranging” a Landscape. The composition of a landscape photo graph requires as much care as any other picture, though beginners in photography visually think that a landscape, being com posed of stationary objects, cannot be “ar ranged” in any special way. This is true, but if the landscape cannot be moved the camera can, and by shifting it a.little to the right or left an artistic picture may be made of what would be a most uninter esting scene if the point of view were not well chosen. In a general landscape view the camera should be adjusted so that the horizon line will be about a third of the way from the top or bottom of the picture. If the hori zon line is nearer the bottom than the tdp, there should be plenty of clouds in the sky to give variety to the picture. In case there are no clouds in the sky they can be printed into the picture from a cloud neg ative. The line of the horizon should never run straight across the picture, but must be broken up as much as possible by ob jects which rise above it. According to artists’ laws, the lines of a picture should either run diagonally or be arranged in a pyramidal form. If the lines run diagonally the tallest objects should be at one side of the pic ture, and if they are to bo in pyramidal form have the tallest point a little to one side of the center of the picture. By mov ing the camera a few feet either way this effect is easily obtained. A picture should never be divided in the center by any prominent object, like a tree, a house, etc. Pictures, of this kind are very trying to look at, giving the effect of two pictures on one card.—Harper’s Round" Table. Hopeless. A Mr. X. wished to have a telephone put in his house, but his aged mother vig orously protested against it. “Robert,” she said, “if you bring one of those dread ful things in here I’ll never close my eyes for fear it may break out and sweep us all into eternity, and us not a bit the wiser.” Mr. X? tried to persuade her tbat it was a most harmless instrument, but she said: “No, no. Look at the thousands—aye, millions—of poor Hindoos it killed last autumn." “Why,” exclaimed he, “tbat wasn’t a telephone, mother! That was a typhoon.” But the timid old lady lowered her spectacles, and, looking at him over the rims thereof, said: “You need not try to make a fool of mo, Robert. I perhaps don’t know very much, but I do know that the typhoon is the emperor of Japan.” Mr. X. gave it up as a hopeless case. — Strand Magazine. Story of Lee’s Surrender. When Hamlin Garland was gathering material for the life of Grant, he spent a day or two in Atlanta, where he met an old Virginia negro who said that he had witnessed Lee’s surrender. Garland was interested and questioned him closely. “You say you were present when Lee surrendered?” “Dat I wuz, suh!" “Did you see Lee give up his sword?” “No, sub, I didn’t! Gin’rul Lee give up he sword?* Not him! Dey tried ter take it sum him, but he made a pass at cne er two of dem, en dey lef’ off—l tell you!” “And where was Grant all that time?” “Oh, he wuz right dar, suh! En he tol’ ’em, he did: ‘Well, boys, let him keep do weepon. He can’t do much damage, kase he done whipped anyhow.' ’’—At lanta Constitution. A VIRTUE OF OLIVE OIL. Man-of-war', Men Say That It Will Pre vent Intoxleation. The glasses were going round when the man who had been it the navy spoke: “Wait a minute, b< ys. We’ve had several. Let me give you a tip that I learned when I was on the China sta tion. You are pretty good drinkers, you Kentucky boys, and* you can bold your own with anybody, east, west or north, who tries to put you under the table. But unless you cany out my plan don’t you ever stack yourself up against an Englishman, and especially an army or a naval officer. You could knock him out on whisky, but he doesn’t drink it, except in the shape of smoky Scotch and Irish abominations. But cham pagne, burgundy, claret, ale, sherry, madeira, port, pulque in Mexico, saki in China, palm liquor in Africa, bam boos and shandygaff in India, steer clear of them—that is, unless you have the good luck to meet a certain little, yel low faced, wizened creole from Louisi ana whose recipe is passed around the mess table cf United States men-of-war to this day. “It started in the old days when the British officers always had the pleasure of outstaying their American guests or hosts whenever two ships met on for eign stations. Then that little yellow devil came along with his trick, and the Englishman has never since come out better than second in any drinking bout. The secret? Olive oil. One wine glassful before the fun begins, and, if possible, another later on, rnd you can keep your wit and legs throughout the dampest evening. I suppose one of two things happens. Either the oil coats the stomach and keeps the alcohol from be ing absorbed by the system, or else it floats on top and keeps the fumes from rising to the brain. But you’ll have to ask the medicine men about that. All I know is its practical result, and that has enabled Yankee Doodles to go home cheerful and clear headed many an evening when our foreign cousins were speechless. ’ ’ —Louisville Courier- Journal. AMERICAN TOOLS ABROAD. t Purchaser* Found For Them Nowadays Throughout the World. American tools are sold all over the world. The New York representative of an American tool manufacturing estab lishment when asked where American < tools were sent ran over the export or ders received that day. They included orders from Hungary, Austria, Ger many, France, England, South Africa and South America. There were alto gether about 20 orders, and from some of the countries named there were two or three orders. The export orders of the previous day included orders from Russia, Australia and New • Zealand, and these were not unusual orders, but such as are constantly received. ,In the shipping room at that moment stood cases marked for Java, for Ecuador and for Australia. Many of these orders are small. In some cases there were orders for a single tool, or for two or three; for some orders of half a dozen or two or three dozen to supply orders or to keep lines filled. These small orders are mostly from Eu ropean countries, with which commu nication is nowadays quick and conven ient. European merchants order these things just about as merchants in other cities in this country would. It costs no more to send to London than it does to Chicago, and it is as easy to send to Berlin as it is to Paterson. The characteristics that commend these American tools to their foreign purchasers are the same that mark American machines and implements generally—lightness, fine finish and perfect adaptability to their several uses. The exports of American tools to all parts of the world are steadily in creasing.—New York Sun. Bad Story Telling. If Oscar Wilde’s assumption were to bo taken seriously, that all fiction is ly ing, it might account for much that afflicts readers, since the lack of morale affects the intellect, and what is done without conscience is apt to be done badly. Os course all fiction is not lying, as all killing is not murder, but it is a sad fact that many writers of novels and short stories seem to have left their consciences and much of their brains behind when they go forth to work—as if these belongings might safely remain in seclusion, with the dress coat and the white tie, to be brought out only for especial occasions. Artemus Ward once remarked that he had a giant mind, but did not have it with him, and that (or the latter half of it) is apt to be the case with any of us when we are care less. True, even good Homer sometimes nodded, but this affords no example for us who are not Homers. To come to our tasks otherwise than with all our wits about us and invite public attention to the chance “oozings of our brains” is as if one should issue from his apart ments unshorn and half clad or enter upon the busy haunts of men without money in his pocket. —Frederic M. Bird in Lippincott’s. Leather and Kerosene. There is one use of kerosene which it seldom mentioned. It often happens that when a heavy shoe or boot has been wet it hardens and draws so that 'it hurts the foot. If the shoe is put on and the leather thoroughly wet with kerosene, the stiffness will disappear and the leather become pliable, adapt ing itself to the foot. If oiled while wet, the leather retains its softness e longer time. The kerosene does not in jure the leather at all. At the beginning of this century a most peculiar cholera remedy was in use in Persia. It consisted in wadding up a leaf from the Koran and forcing it down the patient’s throat The medical department of the queer, ’ household costs £2,700 yearly and com prises 24 persons. THACKERAY AND GOETHE. ’ Th* NowaUat** First Interview With tb» Great Poet. In The Century there is an article by Walter Vulpius, entitled “Thackeray at Wehnar.” The following is Thackeray ’■ account qf his first meeting with Goethe: Os course I remember very well the perturbation of spirit with which as a lad of 19 I received tbo long expected invitation tbat the Herr Gehcimerath would see me. This notable audienoe took place in a little antechamber of his private apartments, covered all round with antique casts and bas-reliefs. He was habited in a long gray drab red ingote, with a white neckcloth and a red ribbon in his buttonhole. Ho kept hia hands behind his back, just as in Rauch’s statuette. His complexion was very bright, clear and rosy, his eyes ex traordinarily dark, piercing and bril liant. • • • I fancied Goethe must have been still more handsome as an old man than even in the days of his youth. His voice was very rich and sweet. He ask ed me questions about myself, which I answered as best I could. Vidi tantum —I saw him but three times—once walking in the garden of Ms house in the Frauen plan, xmee going to step into his chariot on a sunshiny day, wearing a cap and a cloak with a red collar. He was caressing at the time a beautiful little golden haired granddaughter, over whose sweet, fair face the earth has long since closed. [Alma von Goethe died at the age of 17 years while on a visit in Vienna in 1844.] Though his sun was setting, the sky round about was calm and bright, and that little Weimar was illumined by it In every one of those kind salons the talk was still of art and letters. At the court the conversation was exceedingly friend ly, simple and polished. The grand duchess, a lady of very remarkable en dowments, would kindly borrow our books from us and graciously talk to us young men about our literary tastes and pursuits. In the respect paid by this court to the patriarch of letters there was something ennobling, I think, alike to the subject and sovereign. AN OCEAN VOYAGE. The Proper Fee* to Pay on Board an Atlantic Liner. Fees are too indefinite to bo regulated by rule, but certain amounts are cus tomary at sea. The voyager, if he is not seasick, is dependent for comfort first on the table steward. To this man it seems to be the rule to give $2.50 for one, or $5 for two or three persons in ♦ party, whether one is served in regular courses or orders what he pleases from the bilk Late suppers might increase the fee. One’s next best friend is the deck steward, if he is attentive and has fol lowed out suggestions about the steam er chair and rugs. Sometimes one can eat on deck when it is fatal to go below, and then, if the deck steward is oblig ing, he deserves the larger part of what would go to the table steward in reg ular course. If the weather is at all fair, it is most agreeable to find one’s chair well placed and the rugs dry ev ery morning, especially if one is in clined to seasickness. Moreover, this steward is the one. who continuously brings sandwiches and broth on deck, and, as he is obliged himself to fee the cook’s assistant to get these articles pre pared, it is clear that he should be well remembered at parting, if any one is. On many lines his pay, like that of most of the stewards, is npt higher than sl2 a month, and the company, on gen eral principles, keeps back one-third to pay for breakage. Another third goes to the cooks in fees. Where, therefore, would he be without tips?—Lewis Mor ris Iddings in Scribner’s. The Scotchwoman's Bank Note*. A poor old widow living in the Scot tish highlands was called upon one dajt by a gentleman who had heard that she was in need. The old lady complained of her condition and remarked that her son was in Australia and doing well. “But does he do nothing to help you?” inquired the visitor. ‘ ‘No,nothing, '■ ’ was the reply. “He writes me regularly once a month, but only sends me a lit tle picture with his letter. ” The gentle man asked to see on© of the pictures that she had received and found each one of them to be a draft for £lO. That is the condition of many of God’s children. He has given us many “exceeding great and precious prom ises” which we either are ignorant of or fail to appropriate. Many of them seem to be pretty pictures of an ideal peace and rest, but are not appropriated as practical helps in daily life. And not one of these promises is more neglected than the assurance of salvation. An open Bible places them within reach of all, and we may appropriate the bless ing which such a knowledge brings.— Dwight L. Moody in Ladies’ Home Journal. I’rewrving It. Miss Maud Powell, the violinist, had a somewhat unusual experience with her precious violin. She sent it by ex press solidly packed in a stout wooden box, but when she came to claim it it was missing. She described the appear ance of the box to the official, and a sad and sympathetic look came over his face. He sighed and went away, and presently returned with the box held coffinwise. “We had it on the ioe, ”he said.—Springfield Republican. Strawberries are often served with orange juices. Cover the berries with sugar and juice of several oranges. Let them chill in the refrigerator for half an hour and serve with powdered ice. A French autograph collector says the signature of Christopher Columbus can always find a buyer at $4,000. The brain of an idiot contains much less phosphorous than tbat of a person of average mental powers. I'Acmnull THAT THE Lflw I UnlA |FAC-SiMILE —■ /(Vegetable Preparationfor As- ■ SIGNATURE, slmilating tbeTood andßcg uti ■ ling the S towarivt and Bowels off ■ " OF Promote s Digestion,Cheerful- V A&C&el&iA ’nessandHestCootains neither ■ Opnin'.Morphhid nor Mineral. K jg Qjq- TTTk Not Narcotic. I WRAPPER Sgft- I 0F EVEBY | ■ * BOTTILE OF Aperfect Remedy for Cons lipa- 1M 3 Hon, Sour Stomach,Diarrhoea, ■■■ £« ■ ■ E Sjg K fitt Worms,Convulsions,Feverish- ■■ ■■ fKaSjfiff ness and Loss or SLEEP. ■ g gjg Pg RM Facsimile Signature of Nfcw "YORK. I Outer!* is yet ip in VM-&e bottlo* esly. It ■WTf<(H!*lWrrVlPnniKl| Eot sold ia balk. Don't zllrar to r." “just as and "w;’l nnsvc- every pr.r- IM po*e." tbat you get C-A-8-T-0 k-I-A. [fl n*tM- EXACT COPY OF WRAPPER, fl . * —GET YOUR — JOB PRINTING » - .W&BC ■' DONE A.T ' . ' ' ' ■ ?>“ .r'ISSjSS The Morning Call Office. ■ We have Just supplied our Job Office with a complete line oj Btaboher* kinds and can get up, on short notice, anything wanted in the way o/ LETTER HEADS, BILL HEADS. ■’i? if' - 3k SiS STATEMENTS, IRCULARB, ENVELOi’Es, NOTES, MORTGAGES, PROGRAMS, * *-V ''' '' ~ JARDB, POSTERS / • * ' •* *’•’ DODGERS, ~ LX. LTt -- - _ *• --W ■■ '•*>■ *•■** ■ /A ~,\H 'ffiVHyMgi We ccsvy ue xat iueof FNVEJ/IFEB w jlscef : thistrade. An aclrac.ivc FOSTER cf aay size can be issued on short notice, . „ Our prices for work of all kinds will compare favorably with those obtained' von ■ ** - any office in the state. When yon want job printing of* any dirciipticn me st ./ * ''* e call Satisfaction guaranteed. ===== ALL work done . ... . ■•' r. With Neatness and Dispatch. v ■ ■.•■•»•* ww . 1 --.•■=■ ;i£~ , ~ , ■ * ••<'*•- 'j-- Out of town orders will receive prompt attention J. P. & S B. Sawtell. - jn, "-f li ■»,- ,J CENTRM. OF MGH BW CD. <s> <£> wOii Schedule in Effect Jan. 9, 1898. . 'No. 4 No. 12 No. 2 ’ No- 1 1 #2; a I Ejfct Dally. Dally. Dally. btahow. Dally. , Daily. Daily. —.—_i. —l- - iii 7sopm 4 06pm 750 am Lv.....Atlanta.--...Ar 735 pm ll 20aml J 4aa» 835 pm 447 pm 868 am Lv..Jonesboro..Ar 668pm>1083am »gam 015 pm 630 pm 912smLv Grlffln Ar tUprn, ».‘*am 9 46pm 605 pm 945 am Ar Barnesville .....; <ta Stfpsa 963 am 547 am t7 40pmtl606pm Ar.... * Thomaston. .....Lv ttCOpm HMam 10 Is pm 681 pm 1015 am Ar ForsythLv 514 pm; BBam • 1110 pm 760 pm 1110 am Ar Macon Lv 415 pm !Bus ‘»« 1619 am 810 pm 1208 pm ArGordonLv 864 pm! TWam >Wam +B6O pm+llspm Ar Milledgeville Lv tStOam . M 130 am 117pmAr Tgnallle .Lv 156 pm. L}»» 815 am 82spm Ar Millen LvUSJam P’»>P« 686 am 83? pm Ar Augusta * Dr 8»am! 600 am6oo pm ArSavannah.Lvl 8 46 am II »”P» •Dally, texcept Sunday. Train for Newnan and Carrollton leaves Griffin at 9 «sam, and 1 sd pir daily except Sunday. Betnrning, arrives In Griffin 660 p m and 16 40 p m dally except Sunday. For further Information apply to ' . j C. 8, WHITB, Ticket Ageat, Griffin, Ga. PH 80. J>. KLINE, Gen*l SupU, Savannah. GajF J. C. HAILS. Gen. Pamenger Agent. Bav«»imh,Gaa K. H. HINTON. Traffic Manager. Savannah, Gs.