A WIZARD'S USE OF ELECTRICITY.

Southland Times, Issue 1057, 16 November 1868, Page 3

A WIZARD'S USE OF ELECTRICITY.

The once famous Eoberfc Houdin has made electricity do the work of a retinue of servants and a watchman to boot. The ex-conjuror lives at a country seat called the Priory, near to his native town oi Blois, and there it is that these wonderful applications have been effected. A visitor presenting himself at the portal finds the name of " Bobert Houdin" on the door-plate, above which is a little knocker; operating upon the latter, a great bell sounds within the house. In a few moments the lock is thrown back, and the name on the plate changes, like a pantomime trick, to "Entrez." visitor obeys, and the door automatically closes behind him. If more than one person enters, the invisible and inanimate "concierge" makes known the fact by tinkling a small bqll, which keeps up its tintinnabulum so long as the door is held open. The carriage gates, some distance off, announce themselves open or shut in the hall, where an inscription exhibits the words " The gates are open," or " the gates are shut," aa the case may be. The letter box on the gate tells in the house how many letters have been put into it, and, by an arrangement with the postman, which are letters and which book parcels or newspapers ; and it the postman is wanted at the house to carry correspondence to the village, he is apprised of the fa"t by a bell, the ringing of which he knows the meaning. The horse, in a stable more than forty yards from the house, is fed at regular intervals by electrical intervention. At stated times a clock sends a current, which opens the orifice of a shoot or hopper, and allows the due proportion of provender to fall into the manger. The same clock is charged with the transmission of time to two large external dials, and to several smaller ones about the domicile, all of which go together in sympathy, so that Father Time has here a company of subalterns that march step by step with irrefragable order. Then it rings bells at the proper times for meals and other regular household duties, calls up the servants by alarms in the morning, and at night puts a galvanic current in connection with a wire that communicates with all the doors and windows, so that if any of these are attempted by burglars an alarm is instantly given. Lastly, the greenhouse telegraphs its temperature to the conjuror's study ; if the gardener allows the thermometer to rise above or fall below certain limits, his master is apprised of the irregularity, and he is called to account next morning. The poor man knows when he is at fault, but does not know who or what tells the tale, and he thinks he has a sorcerer to serve ; and so in the only sense in which we cac now-a-days regard the word, he has. — ' Casseil's Magazine.'