The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-12

tho machine work II the .irSult- controlling
device Is operated without card N place
Such machine also has the advantage
that 1t will not make mistakes Leeause 1t
Is tired or does not fcel we'll. or because
the weather Is warm, or by reason OF the
Thousand and one causes which Will upset
tho human machine"
Another description Of this Interesting
dcVlce--and no two persons can say the
same thing OF it's by the assistant direc-
tor, DR.. Wines, who says:
Roughly described, tho electric crunt-
ing apparatus consists OF box OF needles
set on spiral springs These needles de-
scend on each card as 1t passes through
the machine, Where there are holes in
the card the needles pass through and
dip into 4 cup Of mercury placed upder-
meath. This completes an electric circuit
and sets in motion an Indicator upon
dial, which moves forward exactly like
tho second hand OF a clock, the various
dials thus enumerating all the facts and
combinations OF acts wanted. From the
indicator dnls the figures are copied off
on result slips and filed for the tabu-
lating clerks
ut is estimated that each of the tabu-
latins machines complies and registers
information that would requir, the ser
vices Of twenty clerks under the old sys-
tenn OF tally sheets. consideration or
even more Importance is its greater ac-
curacy. The machine automatically
throws out any card that is wrong.
For example, If one Of the required
facts, say sex. has not been indicated on
the card the plunger Will not register,
and the bell at the side Of the L achine,
which rings TO indicate the correctness OF
each card remains silent. Il is then Il
, comparatively easy matter TO go back
to the schedules and supply the missing
Information, whereas on the tally sheets
such mistake would hardly be dis
covered"
This is the second instance whore the
census statistics of the country is being
disposed of by machine counte The irst
trial WAS made tn 1890. when the appoint
ment OF Robert p. Porter. In April, 1883
AS superintendent OF the census was soon
followed by the naming OF commiss on
TO advise him as to the methods to adopt
OF tabulaNng census data other than that
of daliyinG with the primeval tally sheets
) This commission comprised Dr. j. S.
Billings, Prof. Henry Gannett and l.. NJ
Il. Cooke.
To this commission three schemes o.
tabulation were presented. That submit
ted by w. C. Hunt proposed to transfer
the details given on the census enumera-
doris schedules TO cards, distinctions beins
made in part by the color OF the ink and
IN part by writing on them, the resutt
being reached atterward by hand sorting
and counting The next plan, that OF c
f. Pidgln, contemplated the use o.
chips" which should be duly ASSORTED
and counted. These chips were to be slip.
of paper OF various colors embracing data
printed in different colors so as TO indicat,
the readings of the schedules. Thus tn.
clerk seeking the most information woulc
need the most chips, and, as in an analog,
Gus diversion. would wind up with having
the most experience or valuable kn0wleds,
for his chips
Last and foremost came the system o.
Herman Honerith. In this plan the N
formation given in the schedule was to b
expressed upon cards by punching holes II
them IN certain positions The tabulati1r
from these cards was to be made by pas.
sing them through a press which woult
register their indications electrically On
dlals.
These three methods were put TO tn,
test, four enumeration districts OF The
census OF 1850 in the city OF ST. Loui.
being taken. 1t was found that the tim,
occupied by the Hollerith method was Z.
hours "a minutes; by the Hunt method, Il.
hours 25 minutes; by the Pidgin metho 4
ITO hours SO minutes. The time occupied
IN tabulsting was found TO be as follows
Hollerkh's electrical counters. hours ?,
minutes; by the Hunt slips, SIS hours .,
minutes; by the Pidgin chips, ~ hours Al
minutes This settled IT, The commits
sion also estima ed thft on basis 81
65,O0O00O popul alton the saving with tn,
Rollerith apparatus Would reach neariy
$500. 900. As a natter ~ fact as the saw
ing was based on an es.inatc OF 500 card,
punched per day, while 700 Is the average
~ saving under Mr.. Potter wa 70 Do,