Robbie wrote yesterday, as a comment to the following :

> Last, but not the least, you could buy a good mechanical drum (2 sticks
> activated with a handle) as used in the past by parish constables for
> 6800 FF ( a little more than US$ 1000).  It makes a lot of noise for
> that price.  (Help, Robbie!, for translation of "Garde champetre".)
>
> [ Maybe "Rustic Constable".  But why did the parish constable beat the
> [ drum?  To summon the men to the town meeting?  To warn of attack?
> [ -- Robbie

For both reasons, Robbie, and also before the public reading of an
official piece, or an official announcement:  "Ecoutez, bonnes gens,
ecoutez ..."    [ "Listen, good people, listen ..." ]

Very often these "garde-champetre", who were in some ways the policemen
for small villages, with a large variety of official tasks, were old
soldiers, often wounded in wars, and sometimes crippled.  It may be
thought that such mechanical drums were designed to be used by a
one-armed garde-champetre.  I have no direct proof for that.  It is
only my opinion (IMHO ?).

It is said that Limonaire advertised about such instruments, but I have
not found the exact reference.

Best regards,

Philippe Rouille (Paris, France)
http://www.cnam.fr/museum/musica_mecanica/