The National Republican And Ohio Political Register

AUTOMATA.—Mr. Maelzel, the proprietor of the automaton chess-player, is engaged in a controversy in Philadelphia on the subject of his ingenious pieces of mechanism.

A Mr. Mathias Snyder in an advertisement, offered to construct such an automata as Maelzel is at present exhibiting. To this the latter replies: I am somewhat inclined to think you reason like the vulgar and uninformed mechanics who imagine all things to be easy, until they have attempted their construction. The ingenious and the learned have admired the machine which can articulate sounds—I cannot say the same of the ignorant. As you offer largely, you may perhaps accomplish small things. I will not ask you to construct such a machine as my trumpeter, but to make the smallest and least difficult of all my mechanical contrivances. If you will make a puppet of any size whatever which will say mama and papa as distinctly as mine in the course of one month from this day, a thing which I can do in three days, I will give you $500 for it. If you cannot do this, you will permit me to consider you a mere boaster. If you accomplish it, I shall beg pardon of the public for exhibiting as a curiosity what is so easily obtained."

I profess to exhibit what is not to be found in the world except in my possession, and of my invention, and offer you a good price for the trouble of undeceiving me if it is in your power.