Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-09-27
Counts Like Lightning.
Chicago EEening Journal.

DILL
Counts Like Lightning.
Chicago Evening Journal.
It is only natural that Chicago should
be the birthplace of great inventions.
The abnoral business capacity and the
restless energy that withip half cen
fury have placed her high up among the
prosperous cities of the world, with
promise of far greater things still in store,
have been the means Of attracting men
with the highest order of talent in every
vocation, and perhaps this attraction has
been strongest and most remarkable in
the sphere of mechanical invention.
A reporter having, heard of very
curious novelty that had just been
perfected by Chicago man, went down
yesterday to the machine shops of Robert
Tarrant, on Illinois street, near Market to
examine the calculating machine invented
by Dorr E. Felt. Mr.. Felt happened to
be in the office, and Immediately entered
upon full and interesting explanation
Of continuance calculated beyond any
other in general use to save the grey mat
ter of brains which are constantly en-
ployed in the massing of arithmetical
symbols.
Mr.. Felt is modest young man who
looks as if he might be a school-teacher
or divinity student, but, although he is
only 26 years of age he has already, in
various ways, shown himself to be man
of rare inventive genius, of which the
''comptometer," or calculator, is the
latest and most important product.
The standard instrument is 141 inches
long, u inches wide, inches high,
4 L. i
without inconvenience on any ordinary
desk or table. It differs from all former
mechanical cal3ulatcrs in that, like the
typewriter; it is worked altogether by
keys.
Two or three instrume ats, with SINH
ar object in view, had been previously
Enthusiastically one by Kentucky
mOnk-which were capable of making
computations IL the rule Of addition, but
with only one column of keys leaving
part of the work to be performed men
tally; whereas, Mr.. Felt's invention carries
al the columns in sums of addition at the
same time, and performs all operations,
even to the smallest fraction-as we'll as
to the highest power in billions-in the
four fundamental rules or arithmetic, on
eight columns of keys.
An expert on this instrument can work
as rapidly as a type writer, and the
merest novice can work as rapidly as the
most expert accountant working ON the
old mental system. Mr.. Joseph S. Mccoy
| acting government actuary of the United
States treasury department., Washington,
d. c., who has tried the instrument, states
that an Intelligent novice rapidly be-
comes the superior of the most skilled ex-
ba nfI nd ha ~
assertion upon the unfailing accuracy
and speed of the comptometer.
The reporter took ont his note book
and wrote down the figures 4,7S2, which
he proceeded to multiply by 50 as rapid
| ly as he could. Mr.. Felt brought his in
strumen6 into requsition and when the
| reporter had commenced to multiply
with the second figure the instrument had
recorded the full answer, 1855 The
number 4,782 was then multiplied by it
| self, Gud when the reporter had reache G
the third figure of the multiplier, Mr..
| Felt sang out the answer, 1857 ,524. The
number 423 was then multiplied by AIS,
and the result divided by 423, when the
correct quotient was reached by the in
strument before the nimble scribe had
commenced his division, The following
sum was then tackled: Suppose you
bring 9234 from England to New York,
where the rate of exchange is$4S4B,
what's the American value of you money
In second the very ready reckoner had
recorded $1,134.60A, while the slow but
earnest newsman was wrestling with the
preliminary fraction.
In reference to the speed and accuracy
of this instrument Mr.. Felt said: "When
| was In Washington last year I was in
vited by officials OF the treasury depart
ment to exhibit the mptouneter in the
| presence of experts. General Rosecrans
was particularly interested in the instru-
ment, but was unable to be present at the
ex pert test. Those experts are certainly
! candles at their craft. They are mighty
smart fellows, and 1 felt considerable
timidity about tussle with them. How
ever, the official who acted as examiner
gave out five long sums in the four rules.
| The experts worked away wish their pen
ellis, and | with my instrument. In four
cases out of five [ finished frst-though
[ am only novice-and my answers were
quite correct, while all the experts in
their desperate efforts to keep up with
me, got # the track and were wrong Ia
every calcr lation. In the fifth case the
experts finished first, but were wrong,
while my answer was correct.
The Mechanical construction Of the
comptometer, under the supervision OF
the inventor, is as nearly perfect as hu-
man skill can make it, all the operating
parts being made of the finest hardened
steel, thereby insuring the greatest de
gree of permanence and the least degree
of friction. As an instance of the ex
pence incurred in perfecting the instru
ment, it may be stated that more dies are
used in the construction of comptome
ter than are TO be found in any type
writer.
Mr.. Felt concluded the interview b!
saying: Chicago is the best city in this
country for a fellow to get show tt
bring out any invention that really ha
millions in it-like Oursw
nan n. II TT