HOW IS SALT rROCURED? 27 



other. Although I have not found it an easy task to complete this an- 

 alysis, a much greater difficulty still remained, which was to convey the 

 result to the mental ear through the organs of sight. I had no other in- 

 strument but the English aljihabct which is not only inadequate hut de- 

 ceptive.'''' 



This admits the evil of which we complain in its full force. An al- 

 phabet is to represent this analysis of a language, and if it does not do 

 so is worse than useless, or as the author whom we have just quoted 

 says, "is not only inadequate, but deceptive." This being the acknow- 

 ledged fact, we must find some substitute for the existing alphabet. This 

 has already from the necessity of the case been done, but, as we have 

 seen above, it has been done in a very unsatisfactory manner, by making 

 one sign the representative of several entirely different sounds, and ascer- 

 taining which of these it is by tradition, or by some other sign connected 

 with it. But this is not a natural or an easy method. To this Dupon- 

 CEAU himself directs us: "There was no possibility of getting over this 

 difficulty but by devising a new instrument in lieu of [the old] alphabetical 

 signs, but what instrument could I find»that was not at least composed 

 of those treacherous and insufficient elements .' If I succeed in my en- 

 deavor, which is to give a clear idea of all the sounds existing in the 

 English language, nothing will be so easy, as afterwards, to affix signs to 

 them, and an auxiliary table of characters, to be used only as an instru- 

 ment by which to compare, fix and ascertain the pronunciation of words, 

 and as a key to pronouncing dictionaries in lieu of the insufficient let- 

 ters and figures that have hitherto been used." 



It is my object to make our existing English alphabet, and a few ad- 

 ditional and simple characters answei these purposes not only to the 

 learned, but also to the child, the unlettered man whose literature ex- 

 tends not beyond his county newspaper and his almanac, and also to 

 the foreigner of whatever nation. And in doing so, I am not afraid that 

 this will tend "to the destruction of our literature, and perhaps, ulti- 

 mately, to the entire corruption of our language," but believe that it will 

 be favorable to the preservation of the one and the purification of the 

 other. 



HOW IS SALT PROCURED? 



BY PROF. CHAS. A. HAV, OF GETTYSBURG. 



There are various ways of obtaining salt. It can be dug out of the 

 earth in some places in a state fit for immediate use. It is thus obtain- 

 ed in several of the Polish mines. 



