Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1888-12-15
THE COMPROMISES.
A Chicago Genius Invents Marsso1'
Calculating Instrument.

A chicago Genius Invents a Marveious
Calculating Instrument.
No one is ever surprised at any curl
ositv which turns up in Chicago put
the one that has been lately uneartneu
is well worthy of notice. They can II
n comptometer, or, in other WORDS
calculating machine. The inventor
Mr.. Smelt. is a modest young man
who looks as if he might De schooi
teacher or divinity student, Dut' al
though he is only twenty-six years VI
age, he has already, in various ways
shown himself to be man OF rare
inventive genius, of which the comp
tometer, or calculator, is the latest anu
most important product
The standard instrument is IA
inches long, II inches wide, D lnches
high, weighs pounds and can Do
manipulated without Inconvenience on
any ordinary desk or table. 1t diners
from all former mechanical calculators
in that, like the typewriter, 1t Is
worked altogether by keys.
Two or three instruments, with a
similar object in view, had been pre-
viously NOTABLY one by
Kentucky monk-which were capable
of making computations in the rule OF
addition, but with only one column o.
KEYS, leaving part of the work to be
performed mentally. whereas MIR.
Felts invention carries all the columns
in sums of addition at the same time,
and performs all operations, even to
the smallest fraction-as well as to the
highest power in billions-in the four
fundamental rules of arithmetic, on
eight columns of keys.
An expert on this instrument can
work as rapidly as a typewriter, and
the merest novice can work as rapidly
as the most expert accountant working
on the old mental system. Mr.. Joseph
Mccoy, acting Government actuary of
the United States Treasury Depart
ment, Washington, who has tried the
instrument, states that an intelligent
novice rapidly becomes the superior OF
the most skilled expert in the old
method. and he bases his assertion
upon the unfailing accuracy and speed
of the comptometer.
A gentleman present, when the in
strument was tested the other day5took
out his notebook and wrote down the
figures 4,782, which he proceeded to
multiply by SO as rapidly as he could.
Mr. Felt brought his instrument into
requisition, and when the gentleman
had commenced to multiply with the
second figure the instrument had
recorded the full answer, 468, 636. The
number 1882 was then multiplied by
itself, and when the expert had reach
ed the third figure of the multiplier
Mr. Felt sang out the answer, p, 867,-
524 The number 423 was then multi
piled by 476, and the result divided by
423, when the correct quotient was
reached by the instrument before the
nimble gentleman 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 4.84s, what is the Amer
lean value of your money? In second
the very-ready reckoner had reached
81, 1874 Coz, while the slow but earnest
man was wrestling with the preliminary
fraction.
In reference to the speed and accu-
racy of his instrument Mr.. Felt said:
when was in Washington last year
was invited by officials of the Treas
ury Department to exhibit the comptO-
meter in the presence of experts. Cen
eral Rosecrans was particularly inter-
ested in the instrument, but was unable
to be present at the expert test. Those
experts are certainly 'dandies' at their
craft. They are mighty smart fellows.
and / felt considerable timidity about
4 tussle with them. However, the Of
fetal who acted as examiner gave out
FIVE long sums in the four rules. The
experts worked away with their pencils
and with my instrument.
I'm four cases out of the five | fin
ished irst-though am only novice
and my answers were quite correct,
while all the experts, in their desper-
ate efforts to keep up with me, got off
the track and were wrong in every cal
culation. 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
human skill can make it, all the oper-
ating parts being made of the finest
hardened steel, thereby insuring the
greatest degree of permanence aud the
least degree of friction. As an instance
of the expense incurred in perfecting
the instrument, 1T may be stated that
more dies are used in the construction
of comptometer than are to be found
many typewriter.-C Chicago Letter.
A Singular Experience.