New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-09
Paris, the 18th January, 1917

Paris, the l2th January, 1917
My dear Friend
You ask me what ] am doing at present
That can be told in few words. am work
ing hard on English, which is becoming sbso.
lutely necessary in France, especially after
the war, with increasing commerce and
new influx Of tourists. | think many Eng.
lishmen will stay in France. Besides for
me such a study is a distraction. The type.
writer does not interest me any longer as /.
is built, because it must be modified for the
one-hanGed | am having a machine built at
Underwood's according TO my instructions
At present can attain the speed Of IS words
a minute, and with my perfected machine
hope to reach 80. My idea consists simply
in grouping the most frequently used letter.
under the left or right hand, whichever re-
mains. am also adding a few other useful
devices. As for the Braille tablet for raised
dot writing. | am having a new one made
which will work much more rapidly.
| have thought of a scheme for perfectihg
a counting machine, and that, too, is being
built for me now Another thing Interests
me even more. Necessity is the mother Of
invention In about month expect TO have
completed the necessary trial OF 1oinsd
artificial hand Nothing of the sort embody.
ing nv idea exists, and the articulated hands
which are now being turned out, even ne
highly perfected ones, are useless for prsct.
cal purposes. am going 10 employ motor
force for the fingers, which is very powerful
in comparison with the contrivances now IN
use. It will be very supple, and its greatest
advantage is that il entails no effort al
therefore no fatigue on the part OF the uet
If | obtain the results | desire, | shall hoN
to derive from my discovery my future posi-
ton. II is a mechanism that caused my
wounds, and it is from mechanism that |
shall try to win back part Of what has been
taken from me.
What embarrasses me most at the present
moment in executing my ideas is my lnaon.
ity to draw plans in pencil. had to build
a little apparatus which can draw lines IN
relief All these things are in the process
of construction. and every day ! hope and
pray for one of my machines to arrive. iou
see, | am not wasting my time, WHICH, now
ever. does not prevent me from enjoyment
and rest. I have taken up horseback riding
and canoeing. two sports | loved keenly.
have tried swimming and enchanted all the
pretty bathers about me as they watched ms
70 bravely into the water. As you surmlse'
was with a charming young LADY Wn0
watched carefully over me and uniaiilhsP
held on to me whenever tried to stray RON
her-an attempt which therefore repeated
quite often. You know how strong Is NJ!
spirit of independence. l learned TO s"ln
fairly we'll, but after all, these snusemenf
no longer have the same attraction Tor "
These tricks are just done TO make peeps
talk and admire, not for any real p!essOi'
that we can find in them. Riding, alas can
never give me again the delight once had
Well this makes the sixth time | nav
been interrupted while writing tails letter !
beg you, be not too severe with me for n!
errors. 'If you see some occasions in news,
papers to work, you will be so kind to seIa
me the article and his translation. WnN 'o
you think that can do? Do you know s
interesting situation for us2 | DO not 'n,h'
possible the representation (salesmanl'
cause the fares would be too great sIa
doubles on account Of our conduct Cgdi'u'
This is my father that read my letters %
WAYS the same adresa" Very cordially 'O''
800 M b