American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-12-11
Man as an Automaton,

A LITTLE more than year ago Prof
Huxley startled the world with his famoul
paper on animals as Automatic" In thai
paper the lucid writer and bold thinker
used the word automaton in much the
same sense as we use the adjective auto.
matte, namely, to describe something
which acts involuntarily, and not, as
Webster defines il, "a self-moving ma.
chine, or one which has its driving power
within itself" Prot. Huxley meant to
say that the movements of animals were
directly caused by external impressions
independently of any exercise of will
power; in other words they were ma
chimes upon which certain causes pro-
duced certain effects. We are not YET
ready to acknowledge ourselves as autom-
alta or machines (and really the two
words mean the same thing), even if 50
great philosopher as Huxley should tell
US we were.
The differences between a man and a
machine are numerous. In the svariety
of work performed man surpasses any
engine that he has yet devised, although
many of his machines surpass in perfec-
ton their builder. Where great accuracy,
great delicacy or great strength are requi-
site, the machine Outstrips the man; and
yet so simple q motion as that of walk
ing has been but poorly initiated by ma
chinery.
The superiority of man to q machine
is shown by his ability b. devise and con-
struct machines; it is, in fact. the superb
GRITTY of mind to matter. But between
the machine which can do nothing but
what it was expressly built for and the in
telligent thinker and inventor who planned
the machine there are all the intermediate
stages represented by different members
of the human family. There are men of
little brains and much muscle, men of
big brains and less muscle; men who
plod along, year after year, in the paths
which their fathers trod, and men who
put all their heavy work on muscles of
steel and of leather. The proportion of
widc-awake, thinking men to dull, routine
of country is easily determined by the rel
alive number of patents taken out in that
country; and measured by this standard
the United States contains the least pro-
portion ofautomata.
But there is a word to be said in favor
Of automata or man-machines. Even now,
toward the close of this nineteenth cent
ury, there remain many kinds of labor
which cannot be done by machinery.
There Is also large number of men, and
women too (for the fair sex are not to be
excluded in this classification, required
to tend the machines, feed them, prepare
work for them and fill up the gaps in
their work. For some of these positions
there are required skill, thoughtful care,
presence of mind, nerve and ingenuity.
Yet the more nearly all our motions re-
semble those of machine the greater is
the amount of work we can do in given
time and the less the fatigue. AS the
become automatic and regu-
lar, moved apparently from the control of
the wall, they become more rapid and
easier. Why has division of labor ac-
SO much? Chiefly because
man whose sole work it is to do one par
ticular thing not only comes to do it bet
ter but learns to do it with the least ex-
penditure of time and the least exertion
Of brain and muscle; in fact he works
very much like a machine. The compos-
TORS hand travels the same road every
time as it goes from the case to the stick;
he bricklayer always seizes his brick
with the same hand and makes no unnec-
sssary motions in conveying to its place,
IN preparing its mortar-lined couch or
.apping it home; the shoemaker whose
'oIe labor is mailing on heels goes
through the few simple motions automat-
cally, no more stopping to think which
DOL is next required or where he is to
ook for his nails than an old woman
when knitting thinks about the stitch OF
IN ordinary person thinks what muscles
ne is to call into play when he is walking.
he shape of a letter, or do his words and
thoughts flow automatically from his
inger-ends? The fingers of an expert
,nced player find the keys of his piano as
! compositor finds his type-boxes or the
hand knitter her needles and yarn-autO-
Habit is another term often employed
% designate what we do automatically,
but habit applies alike to mind and
muscle. A man accustomed to smoke or
rink does not do these things without
thinking about them; habit only causes
md strengthens the desire. On the other
land man who habitually swears, like
! woman who bites her finger-nails, does
7 unconsciously, and hence automatically.
It is acknowledged to be q good thing to
possess good habits, and not merely be
rec from bad ones so it is equally de.
irable for man employed in any
pecIalty to acquire the simplest and best
way of doing his work; this way selected,
ct him adhere to it perseveringly until it
,ecomes automatic. Let the habit become
lxed, and he will find his speed increase
md the exertion diminish. To accom-
,lish this desirable end it is, however, alb
Olutely necessary that no superfuous
movement be made. In feeding a small
land printing-press, where each card
must be laid on separately, if the cards be
,ilcd in such a manner as to involve turn
ng each one over or around, the speed is
educed at least 10 per cent. Every mo-
ion, however slight, which must be re-
,eated fifty TO 100 times minute is time
Obbing. The writer who crosses his is
nd dots his is cannot write SO fast as he
rho does not. The man who spells
fought, through, received, etc., in their
impler forms bot, thro' and reed, saves
large percentage of time; and if all the
ilent AMI useless letters we're omitted the
most hasty scribblers could find time to
Vrite distinctly. As that system OF short
and which has the fewest strokes con-
istent with legibility receives the prefer
nee, SO that language which uses the
ewest and shortest words to express an
dea perspicuously deserves to become the
universal language of the commercial
world.
Practice makes perfect is good ole
and a true one; but what is the
lse of perfection in bad methodist The
nan who always carried a stone in one
nd of the bag to balance his grist may
ave arrived at perfection in the selection
# suitable stone; but what gain wac
hat! First use your brains in devising
he shortest and quickest methods, then
y practice learn to do them automatically,
nd you have a maximum of speed with
minimum of 1abor.-Scientffc American.
A Scene in Cairo.
As we sit in our hotel windows awaiting
be moment of departure, We enjoy last
ableau of Cairo. A long train of camels