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MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, AUTOMATIC. 



upon the rocks. At Karnak, on the eastern 

 bank of the Nile, there was a similar peculiar- 

 ity mentioned by the savants who accompanied 

 the first Napoleon on his Egyptian expedition, 

 and verified by later expeditions. There is, on 

 the California coast, a section of gravelly shore 

 that emits musical sounds of most entrancing 

 character when walked over. On the Susque- 

 hanna river is also a section of musical sand, 

 which gives out tones equaled only by the 

 tones of the ^Eolian harp. 



In the eighteenth century mechanical powers 

 were first directly applied to other musical in- 

 struments than bells. From the ease with 

 which the ponderous bells were struck, no 

 doubt grew the idea of utilizing machinery for 

 musical sounds in other directions : music-box- 

 es, the cuckoo-clock, and the bird-organ, were 

 probably the primal successful ventures, and 

 from them has grown an enormous industry. 



Music-Boxes. These have a metal roller or 

 cylinder with projecting points ; a steel comb, 



MUSIC-BOX. 



the vibration of the teeth of which gives the 

 sounds ; a spring to give the power, and a fly- 

 wheel or fan to regulate the motion. The 

 music is first arranged by skilled artists. A 

 selection having been made, the requisite in- 

 tervals are marked upon the cylinder in paral- 

 lel lines running both lengthwise and around 

 the cylinder. If the cylinder were split open 

 and flattened out it would give a proper idea 

 of the system of laying off and marking the 

 music. The surface in reality constitutes a 

 scale on which the music is written by boring 

 holes in the designated intervals, then driving 

 in steel points or fingers which shall at the 

 proper instant touch the appropriate sounding 

 tooth of the comb. The work is one which 

 requires the utmost mathematical accuracy. 

 The pins in the cylinder are made with the ex- 

 treme of delicacy and temper. A wire is first 

 drawn, then by successive indentations divided 



into requisite lengths. These, being driven 

 into the cylinder, are broken off, leaving the 

 cylinder section of a determined length. When 

 the points have been driven, the cylinder is 

 filled with molten cement, and placed on a 

 lathe and caused to revolve very quickly. The 

 cement adheres to the inside surface, and when 

 cooled holds the points as firmly in their places 

 as if they formed a part of the original metal. 

 The comb is of the finest steel and tempered 

 with the extreme of delicacy. The tone of each 

 tooth is lowered or raised by filing near the 

 base for lowering, or at the point for sharpen- 

 ing. Originally each tooth was independent 

 of each other tooth, and held to a bar by its 

 own screw. The comb in which all the teeth 

 and the base are of one piece is the result of 

 steady improvement. At first two teeth were 

 made on one piece, then three, at last the 

 whole comb. When ready for use, the machine 

 is wound up, and as the cylinder slowly re- 

 volves a cylinder-point comes in contact with 

 the under side of a 

 comb - tooth, and, 

 crowding up, lifts it 

 from its position of 

 rest. As the point 

 passes on it suddenly 

 releases the tooth, 

 which, flying back, is 

 left in resonant vi- 

 bration. The move- 

 ment of the cylinder 

 is steady and strong, 

 the consecutive notes 

 coming as a result 

 with extreme regu- 

 larity. Each revolu- 

 tion of the cylinder 

 begins and completes 

 a tune. The earlier 

 music - boxes were 

 made as evidences of 

 skill, then for orna- 

 ment. Their music 

 being recognized as 

 of superior quality, their manufacture was en- 

 tered upon with zest ; and they were fitted t< 

 snuff-boxes, and the name musical snuff-box 

 given them. This seems to have been about 

 the first public introduction. At a later di 

 they were fitted into the bottoms of decanters, 

 The lifting of the decanter to pour out a glass 

 of wine would set the 

 works in motion, and the 

 sparkling music added to 

 the delights of the spark- 

 ling wine. As the trade in- 

 creased and improvements 

 were made, they were in- 

 closed in albums, work-boxes, cigar-cases, writ 

 ing-desks, automatons, dolls, and formed an in 

 portant feature in clock-work, the hours W 

 marked by selections of rich music instead 

 strokes on a bell. On account of the richness 

 the tone caused by the vibration of the solid b 



CYLINDER AND COMB. 



