Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-12-27
AIDS THE B00KKEEPER.
A New Machine Which Calculates Workmen's
Wages, Interest and Other Accounts,

| A bout three years ago James +.
Duncan of this city patented a clever
computing scale that attracted the
notice of E. Roenius CT the
Grand Rapids Foundry Co. Mr..
Roenius himself is of an in
ventive turn of mind and he con-
ceived the idea of celebrating the
design of Mr.. Duncan and working
over the computing scale into a
computing machine. To do this
numerous changes and new ideas had
to be introduced but after many
months Of patient study, experiment
and labor, and by the valuable assist
ance of Geo. f. Krieger in the
construction work of the apparatus.
he has invented, patented and is now
manufacturing one Of the cleverest
and most useful computing machines
in existauce. 1t is a marvei of
accuracy, simplicity and speed and can
be operated by anybody who can
read figures whether or not they
know anything about mathematics.
The primary design OF the machine
was wage computing device, but
this will be extended to an interest
scale and scale OF general accounts.
In the making up of pay roll as at
present done, with few exceptions.
each mans time must be multiplied
his rate of pay per hour. When
fractions appear, either in time or by
rate, a considerable amount of mental
effort and time are required and a
reasonable chance of error is intro
duced
This device is intended to obviate
these chances of error and greatly
economic the labor required for
computing wages. Instead of the
| bookkeeper each week figuring out
| certain combinations of SO many
hours at such "a rate, the manpafac-
lures has calculated all number of
hours, from one hour to months
time, and arranged these results in
such way that the operator only
needs to move the index finger or
hand along single line of figures to
the example wanted when be reads
the result without mental effort or
chance of mistake. AS a calculator
in this line it would easily do the
work of five or six men.
The machine consists of twO rollers
around which the extensive tables of
figures are wound. 1t is 16 inches in
length, and is encaSed in metal
cover, and complete weighs about, 6
pounds. At the top of the machine
is a spiral rod along which an index
hand is made to move, pointing to a
| line of figures on a celldloid plate on
the front of the machine. On this
plate are two columns of figures, the
| first column indicating the length of
time, and the second the rate per
hour, day or month for which the
computation is made. Just below this
plate is narrow slit or opening in
the outside case that reveals on the
| rollers spoken of the plain figures on
the computing sheet, and all that is
! necessary TO find out how much wages
| is due for a nartain nI1n1har of days ~
hours work, is to move the index hand
to the number of days or hours workeu
| and look on the calculated sheet just
beneath the rate per day or hour,
| which shows the amount of wages
| due. We should have stated that the
rollers spoken of, revolye rapidly by
the movement forwards or backwards
of the index hand, which throws the
column of figures on the calulated
sheet into view to correspond with the
number of days or hours worked and
each figure in this column is figured
| ouU w COlleopOIlu w UlIC IdUS pei
hour, day, or week that shows just
above it.
The machine is expected to sell for
Sl5, and an effort will be made to in
troduce it into every state in the
Union. Otto Roenius, who has done
nearly all the work of computation on
these machines, expects to start on
the road Immediately after the 1st of
January and introduce them through
out the state.
Goe. f. Krieger, who did the
mechanical work on the machine, was
formerly master mechanic for the
Elgin Watch Co., also in the Spring
field, ILL.,, and California watch
factories and is very ingenious man.
His shop in the Grand Rapids Foundry
Co. is splendidly equipped with all
kinds of lathes and machinery and he
is prepared and capable of doing any
thing in the line of special mechanical
devices or work