Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1909-12-13
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that individual. This In done by
punching out the corresponding SYM
bols. leaving open holes at those
points
The semi-automatic electrical punch
ing machine. which will be used, 10
built on the plan Of typewriter. with
keyboard very similar In appear
ance. but having 24O different keys.
The machine. In its operation, differs
from typewriter In a most important
respect. Az is we'll known. In operat-
ing the typewriter. every time key
is depressed. letter is printed and II
a mistake IL made. the letter must bs
crossed out or corrected, with consid.
cradle loss OF time and dishguring Of
copy. The new card punching ma
chine obviates this as the operator.
instead OF punching one hole at n
time. can depress into position for
subsequent punching as many keys
as are necessary TO record the re-
quired facts. Each key is independ.
ent OF all the others and can DO re-
leased at will
Before pressing button. which
turns on the electric current for OPP
Grating the punching mechanism. the
operator can look over the depressed
keys. comparing them with the sehed-
ule. and II key has been erroneous
ly placed. II can be released and the
error rectified. The work OF eorrec-
ton Is assisted by having different
colors fer the keys for each field or
division OF the card. II enables quick
er discovery OF the key In error. In
the old style punching machine. hole
was punched In n card every time the
plunger was depressed. II an error
In punching n symbol was made. the
card had TO be taken out and thrown
away. As the puncher's efficiency was
based largely upon the number Of
cards punched In day. II will be seen
that the old method laid the operator
open TO the temptation to let tho er-
ror stand.
With the old machine. q skillful
clerk could average 1900 cards day.
Another time and money-saving fea-
ture OF the new machine Is that the
feeding OF cards 20 the punching keys
is entirely automatic. As the blank
cards are fed in from the rear OF the
machine. the punched cards are drop
ped into a magazine In front.
While the operator is punching a
card the machine also. by means OF
a "gang. punch," is automatically ap-
plying a mark. or designation. TO the
card which shows that IL is one OF
the total number representing all Of
the population in a particular census
area, whether city, county or state.
Automatic counters are attached TO
the keys and in this way. preliminary
announcements OF certain important
population totals may be made as soon
as all OF the cards have been punched.
Under the old system. when all the
punching was done by hand. those fg-
ures were not available until the tabu-
lating work was started.
The census bureau has ordered 5000
Of these new punching machines. and
IL Is calculated that the facts on the
population schedules can be trans
ferred 10 cards by n double shift OF
employees at the rate OF about 25.000.-
600 cards a month.
After the cards have been punched
and verified. they are ready Tor the
new semi-automatic electrical tabulat
ing machine. similar in many respects
20 the one used In the twelfth census.
which was invented by Mr.. Hermann
HoIlerith. II is in the form Of heavy
cabinet from the front Of which ex-
tends a movable arm or lever attach
ed 20 the outer extremity Of which IL
a "pin-box." containing a pin for each
possible hole In q card