Connecticut western news., 1890-07-09
TAKING THE CENSUS.
How the Electric Calculation Helps Ad-
 ding Up the Figures.

How the Electric Calculation Helps Ad-
 ding Up the Figures.
 The facts in relation to population and vital statistics, upon reaching the census bureau, are all counted by cleo tricity, which does the work almost without assistance. It is estimated that in the compiling of tables the ma chine employed saves three-fourths of what would otherwise be the labor in volved and three-fourths of the time. To begin with, there is little pencil of steel on the end of metal arm a foot or SO long, which is so arranged that you can push the pencil in any direction above celluloid plate that is full of small round holes, just big enough to allow the pencil to be thrust into them.
 Each of the holes has a letter or fig ure close by it to distinguish 1t from the others. Now the operator inserts a manila paper card in holer just back of the movable arm, and, taking in his left hand one of the original enumerator's schedules, holds the steel pencil in his right hand and proceeds to business.
 The name of the person on the schedule is Peter Fish, but that is not worth counting, for Mr. Fish is hence forth to be regarded from the statisti- cal point of view merely as a unit. He lived in Ward 1, and accordingly the operator jabs the steel pencil down into little hole marked ''1" in one of the divisions of the celluloid plate. Al so he was white-another hole punch ed-male-another hole-56 years of age-another hole-born in Germany another hole-his father likewise another hole-his mother ditto-an- other hole-his occupation was that of a alaborer-another hole-and he die d in January-another hole-of malar- ial fever-another hole. That is all there is about Fish; so the card previ- ously inserted is removed from the holder, and 1t is found to be punched with number of round holes in diff ferent places. From that card, with nothing on it or in it but the said holes, practiced hand can read about Mir. Fish and his history as easily as from the original schedule; for the DO sition of the holes gives the meaning to be conveyed But the signifcation of each hole does not have to be read by human intelligence. Electricity does that, and counts the facts record ed by the holes as we'll.
 The punched card is laid in the bot tom of a tray which has holes in it corresponding to those in the celluloid plate. These holes are filled nearly full with mercury Above the tray is horizontal metal plate, which moves up and down as directed. The metal plate has attached to its lower side lit tie metal plungers corresponding in number and position with the holes in the tray beneath. When the metal plate is lowered, the plungers go into the mercury filled holes and the cir cult is complete, the contrivance hay. ing an electric battery connected with it, with a separate connection for each hole.
 But suppose a card is placed in the tray, with dozen holes in it here and there, fitting exactly over the holes to which they correspond in the tray, ii is apparent that all the plungers will be stopped by the card, save those whC find the holes, thus completing only the corresponding circuits. Each ol the circuits thus completed connects with sort of electric clock-a small affair-which counts numbers on its dial instead of hours and minutes The clocks communicated with give one tick forward apiece, thus noting the fact that one more man, say, was g laborer, born in Germany, died in Jan uary, etc.
 If Mr. Fish's history had been diff ferent other holes would have been originally punched in the card, othe, clocks would have icked, and the sums finally recorded from the clocks, which cannot make mistakes would have been slightly altered. In asmuch as each of the possible 3Ot holes has its counting clock attached when the metal plate comes down or the card, nothing can be missed. On' clock will count g, 999 before it has tt be started over again. The sums re corded by the clock are taken down o1 paper slips and from them transferred to the tables for publication. Such i the electric method of counting cen sus.-Rene Bache in Savannah News