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New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 209, 6 April 1877, Page 11

The Marquis of Salisbury and Mr. Farjeon have recagnized the merit of the writing machine, but we should like to have Mr. Carlyle's opinion of the newly-invented talking machine. We hear that after thirty years, which, the historian of the Great Frederic will probably think might have been better employed, a clever gentleman has succeeded in producing an apparatus consisting of a table with pedals, an organ bellows, and a keyboard. In the centre is an elaborate arrangement, representing the human lungs, larynx, glottis, and tongue. At the conclusion of the exhibition, in the Grand Hotel at Paris, it spoke a " piece" as follows : — " I was bora in America. I can speak all languages, and am very pleaded to see you. I thank you for your visit." There is already too much talk In the world, but yet this machine might be made useful. It would for instance, be invaluable at railway stations, where porters roat out the name of the place in tone 3 equally loud and unintelligible. A good talking-machine would be a vast improvement on the inarticulate porter. — ' Iron.'