The interesting article on typewriters in your num ber of August 13 would have been more complete had the writer known that there was a machine for writing Chinese. He was correct in assuming that the entire bulk of the written language some 14000 characters more or less is too large a dose for any machine with which we are acquainted but as the most of these are rarely used one can get on with a much smaller number; in fact about 4000 make a very comfortable vocabulary'and can express quite a range of ideas. A machine writing about this number of characters has been invented by Rev. D. J
The interesting article on typewriters in your num ber of August 13 would have been more complete had the writer known that there was a machine for writing Chinese. He was correct in assuming that the entire bulk of the written language some 14000 characters more or less is too large a dose for any machine with which we are acquainted but as the most of these are rarely used one can get on with a much smaller number; in fact about 4000 make a very comfortable vocabulary'and can express quite a range of ideas. A machine writing about this number of characters has been invented by Rev. D. J. Sheffield presi dent of the North China College A. B. C. F. M. The only specimen as yet existing is the one made to his order by an American firm and in constant use at the college at Tungchow near Pekin. The mechanism is peculiar ; the characters defy analysis in any way to make possible building them up piecemeal so a keyboard is out of the question. They are arranged on the face of a stereotyped wheel about 2 feet in diameter in radii of the circle. The wheel is mounted horizontally type face downward while homologous printed characters on the upper surface serve to locate them. The radius carrying the desired character must be brought into the printing line. A simple link motion finder brings the paper to the right place and a lever below presses it up against the type. The machine is marvelously compact and simple considering the large number of ideographs which it five times as fast as a very rapid writer with the brush pen. In the ordinary course of Chinese business either governmental or mercantile this dispatch would not commend itself particularly and in fact would arouse strong opposition as depriving a very worthy class of dental has a tendency to ' hustle ' the East. And in the railroad business which is beginning to assume tan gible proportions there is a call for celerity which is likely to demand more of these ingenious typewriters. You sir have doubtless foll
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