Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-19

ing MS district, language, color, literacy,
sex, months unemployed, age, occupa
ton, conjugal condition, birthplace, etc.
This work will be done by IN army of
clerks acting in the capacity of punch
ers, tabulators, and sorters.
The enormity of this undertaking can
hardly be realized. Each card is handled
a number of times. These so, OOO, 600 if
piled on top of each other would reach .
distance OF over nine miles. 1t became
necessary to invent the best labor and
time-saving device that brain could pro-
duce.
The following is a. description of the
three principal parts of these almost hui
man machines:
KEYBOARD PUNCH.
The keyboard punch is about the size
of q typewriter tray, having in front q
perforated punch-board of ceiluloid.
Over this keyboard swings freely a sharp
index finger, whose movement, after the
n OF q paragraph, is repeated at
the rear by a punch. The movement of
the punch is limited between two guides,
upon which are placed thin manila cards
ST inches long by 81 inches high, with
the lower corner slightly clipped. The
keyboard has twelve rows of twenty holes,
and each hole has its distinctive lettering
or number that corresponds to the inquiry
and answer respecting every person.
Hence, when the index finger is pressed
down into any one of these holes the
punch stamps out a hole in the manila
card. The keyboard is scientifically
grouped. Il it is very readily learned.
For such inquiries as are answered by one
of a very few possible c~lasses-sex, for
example, which recognizes only two par
ties in the State-the answer is simply
male or female" or IN" or 81"
So, too, in regard to conjugal relation
ships, where the answer would be either
These holes may easily be found in 3D."
"Wd,' Mr. or IS" Where, how
ever, the would cover a wider
range of classification, as in age, running
from ! to 100, recourse is had to a combi-
nation of two holes, the first indicating a
group. as from % to 20 years, while the
second hole designates the detail single
year in that group.
To assist the clerks in memorizing the
keyboard for punching, classification lists
are used. which show the combinations
used to designate each occupation. At
first this looks a little complicated, but
after all. the symbols "come easy with
each lot of schedules.
HOW BIRTHPLACE Is RECORDED.
The birthplace is recorded by punch
ing first the general nativity, either an
for native or IF" for foreign. The par
ticular country Of birth is recorded by
punching one of the holes indicated in
the lower lines Of the symbols for birth
places on the card. Thus, "Sc' for
Scotland, "Ch" for China, "Hu" for
Hungary, Eff" for France, etc. For
example, FIR being punched in con-
nection with IF" for general nativity,
would mean France, but the same hole
punched according to the upper symbol,
sc" in connection with IN" for gen
eral nativity, would near South Caro-
lima. BY this simple means the birth
places are indicated in half the space
that would otherwise be required on
the card.
A clerk punching the card for an
agricultural district has but few symbols
to bother about. 1t will thus be seen
that these innocent combinations are no
more burdensome on the memory than
the details of a typewriter keyboard. On
the contrary, they are vastly interesting.
That the work of punching becomes as
easy as any other task requiring ordinary
intelligence is shown in the fact that the
estimated average of 800 cards per day
per clerk is the actual average, 1t is
stated that some of the more expert
punchers, working seven hours, have
done l. 100 cards, with an aggregate of
1900 holes, each card having II holes
in it that relate specifically to the indi-
vidual whose life history is thus con-
densed. After the cards leave the
punching clerks, they are kept in their
enumeration districts. and they have
Q to be further punched to show the
exact locality they belong to, i. e., the
civil division of which the enumeration
district formed a part. For this pur
pose the space OF about one inch across
the left-lland end of the card is used, no
portion TO the left of this line being
punched on the keyboard punch, This
space is further divided into IS squares,
in the combinations of which every emu
.meration district can be recorded, and it
is perforated by means of the "Gang
Punch" The combination for any given
enumeration district is arranged in this,
and then all the cards of that district are
passed through. From six to twelve
cards can be punched at a time, hence
the name, n pressure may be applied
by either the hand or foot. When this is
done the cards are complete.
FAMILIARITY WITH COMBINATION.
So familiar do the clerks become with
the position of the holes in these cards
they can read them off at a glance. As a
means of verifying, however, a reading
board y is provided for that purpose, the
same size as the card, and having also
each of the $40 authorizations in a
quarter-inch space, SO that when a per-
forated card is put on this templet the
~abbreVatiOn will show wherever a hOle
has been punched.
These wonderful little cards have now
come to stand for over 70, 0OO, 900 people.
Each card is not only full of holes, but
has its number, and is ready for the next
stage of treatment, when each of the
holes will tell its story in just the same