Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-01-22
NEW CALCULATING MACHINE

We read in the Monitear: an. Thomas,
of Colmar, has lately made the finishing I'M
provements in the calculating machine, cali
ed the arithmometer, ut which be has been.
working for upwards of 80 years. Pascal
and Leibpitz, in the 18th century, and Di-
derot at later period, endeavoredto con-,
struct machine which might serve as .
substitute for humanintelligence in the eom-
bination of figures, but failed, NJ. Thomasa
arithmometer may be used without the least
trouble or possibility of error5 notsonly for
addition, subtraction, multiplication, land dr.
vision, but also for much more complex op-
erations, such as the extraction ofthe square
root, involution, the resolution oftriangfes,
&c. multiplication Of eight figures byeight
others is made in eighteen: seconds; 20 diyis-
ion Of sixteen figures BY eight figures in
twenty-four seconds and in one lninutesand
a quarter one can extract thesquare roet Of
16 figures, and also prove the accuracy Of the
calculation. The arithmometer adnpts itself
to every sort of combination. AS an instance
of the wonderful extent powers, We may
state that it can furnish in few seconds
products amounting to $780, ,999, $685.
999, ,999, 1896, ,999, ,999, ,999! A marvellous
number, comparable to the infinite multi.
tude of stars which stud the armament, or
the particles of dust which float in the at.
mosphere. The working ofthis instrument
is however, most simple. To raise or lower
nut screw, to turn winch few times, and
by means of button, to slide off a metal
| plate from right to left, is the whole secret,
Instead Of simply reproducing the operations
of mans intelligence, the arithmometer re-
lieves that Intelligence from the necessity Of
making the operations. Instead Of repeat
ing responses dictated to it, this instrument
instautaneously dictates the proper answerto
the man who asks the question: < s3 y, -
"It is not a matter producing materiale ef-
fects, but matter which thinks, reflects, rea-
sons, calculates and executes all the most
difficult and complicated ari,hmetical opera.
tions, with rapidity and infallibility which
defes all the calculators in the world. The
arithmometer is moreover simple instr11-
ment of very little volume and easily port
able. 1. is already used in many great fnan-
cial establishments, where considerable ceoh-s
omy is realized by its employment. tt will
soon be considered as Indispensable, and be
as generally used asa cloak, which was for
merly only to be seen in palaces, and is nov
in every cottage. Generally speaking, the
practical application Ofany great mechanical
improvement involves an injury to certain
interests, but that is not the case here. The
arithmometer will not cause to the persons
employed in banks, counting houses, and !.
public Offices any such prejudices as the kdit-
ters suffered from theinvention of the stock
ing frame, the spinners from the spinning
jennies, or copyists from the invention OF
printing. The person who makes use Of this
machine even daily does not therefore lose his
aptitude for calculation in the ordinary Ways
On the contrary, although a child may be
easily taught to perform the NEST eomplicas
ted calculations by the use of the Instrument
the more expert in figures the operatoris is the
more advantage he will derive from the aid
of this machine. The arithmometer is not.
only palpable evidence of q great difficulty
overcome, it is an element of wealth, new
means of multiplying time, like the locomo-
tive engine and the electric telegraph. The
discovery is an event the full Importance, of
which it is impossible as yet to measure. !" se