October 4, 1889.] 



SCIENCE. 



241 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



The United States, their Growth in Population in Two 



Hundred Years. 



[The following letter was received from the Hon. W. E. Gladstone, in response to 

 a copy of Science mailed him, containing Gen. M. C. Meigs's article on the above 

 subject.] 



The Pennsylvania Weather Review. 



The monthly weather review of the Pennsylvania State Weather 

 Service for August last contains an isothermal map of the State for 

 the normals of the month, whose atrocious absurdity is paralleled 

 only by the isothermal maps of New Hampshire in the report on 

 the geology of that State several years ago. The isotherm of 67° 

 performs the extraordinary feat of branching three times in its 

 traverse of Pennsylvania. Three other isotherms end abruptly 

 within the limits of the State, apparently not knowing how to get 

 out. The lobate isotherm of 71°, that enters the State from the 

 south and includes Gettysburg, fails to surround the adjacent iso- 

 therm of 74°, which reaches Harrisburg. It is remarkable that a 

 travesty like this should appear under the direction of the commit- 

 tee on meteorology of the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia. 



W. 



Reformed Spelling. 



So far, all attempts to introduce a reformation in spelling seem 

 to have failed. The changes that are recommended by the philo- 

 logical societies and approved by scholars are disregarded, Mr. 

 Ellis's " Glossic " has been before the public nearly twenty years. 

 Dr. Hill's efforts for six years at Waltham produced no permanent 

 effect, it is doubtful if Mr. Bell's " World English " will fare better, 

 and Hosea Bigelow spelling is dropped by every one after they 

 have wearied themselves over a few lines. 



While so much study has been given to the changes that are 

 desirable, the best way to introduce them has perhaps been less 



considered. The eye is educated to catch syllables and words at 

 a glance, and soon tires of picking out letters, although their com- 

 bination may represent the sounds of words correctly. It is true 

 that children can be easily taught to read phonetics ; but, as one 

 who has learned a foreign language lays it aside in his native land 

 so does the phonetic expert for the printed matter he finds in daily 

 use, and the language floats on, unchanged and stationary. 



How much, then, is it wise to attempt? Can any changes be 

 proposed acceptable to readers, and such that printers will use 

 them } Instead of attempting to introduce a phonetic system that 

 is perfect, it may be well to employ one that is practical, and better 

 than that at present in use, but not differing from it enough to em- 

 barrass the reader, and to keep words of uniform spelling if the 

 correct sound of the letters in them is misused. No new letters 

 should be used ; nor does the eye tolerate new symbols, nor the 

 use of accents, to determine sounds. This narrows the field in 

 which changes can be made, yet leaves it large enough to furnish 

 a spelling that will recommend itself to printers, foreigners, and 

 illiterates ; while children instinctively adopt it, when they can 

 escape from the tyranny of the spelling-book, because it is uniform, 

 and regulated by analogy. 



First as regards the vowel-sounds. There seems to be no good 

 reason to change the short sound of a. Its sound as in trade is 

 fixed by e mute in all words except four. Its sound as in marry is 

 fixed by the double consonant. " Glossic " doubles a m father, 

 and adds u in water. Short e need not be changed. It is length- 

 ened when it is in a final syllable or followed by e mute, which 

 Professor Marsh tells us requires four per cent of all printed mat- 

 ter. " Glossic " uses ez for long z, which does not displease the 

 eye. Of the four sounds of 0, that as in tone is controlled by e 

 mute or by accent in pronunciation. The sound as in 7>z(n'e occurs 

 in twelve words, which may be memorized. Words with the sound 

 as in dove might perhaps drop e mute. The bete noire ou, with its 

 seven sounds, has already caused a rebellion, as v!\ plow iox the 

 time-honored //ozi(f/z, and may gradually drop most of them. 



Of the consonants, c is hard before a, 0, u, which can easily be 

 remembered, as it will be difficult to displace it hy k ; g has both 

 hard and soft sounds before e and i, wherey could be substituted, 

 disjemizne. There would be few mourners at its burial should the 

 printers condescend to drop u after g. The change to tz'on for 

 skun is displeasing, and its pronunciation is uniform. The print- 

 ing dthzs for thz's is a stumbling-block in the way of any change. 



The changes noted above arc the principal ones that would go 

 far to conform the spelling of the language to its pronunciation. 



Perhaps the best way to have any changes adopted would be to 

 have the most desirable printed on cards, to be kept in plain sight 

 at every case of type, and have some editor who has the improve- 

 ment of the language at heart print one article in his daily paper, 

 with the approved spelling. If it is favorably received, increase it 

 gradually as the readers approve it. The end can be gained by keep- 

 ing the changes before the eye until they are accepted by habit. 



W. C. Bryant used to say, " When you reformers agree among 

 youi selves as to what you want, it will be time enough for us of 

 the press to give the matter our attention." It cannot now be 

 said that there is uncertainty as to the proposed reform. The 

 action of the phonological societies, the efforts of linguist?, the 

 whole literature of phonetics, furnish a magazine to supply all that 

 is needed to move upon the conservative forces that delay reform 

 But the press should take the initiative; for with little effort they 

 can make it familiar to every reader, and give it success. The re- 

 sults on the brotherhcod of mankind will be such that every one 

 who is in a position to forward the reform should take an active 

 share in its introduction. M. 



INDUSTRIAL NOTES. 

 Electric Apparatus for South Africa. 

 Our readers are well acquainted with the many electric-railway 

 installations which have been made during the past two years, and 

 with the fact that the manufacture of electric apparatus for this 

 work has grown rapidly. It is now estimated that there are from 

 150 to 200 electric street-railways in this country, either in opera- 

 tion or in course of construction. 



Electricity promises to be the coming medium for transmission 

 of power not only for street-railways, but also for mining indus- 

 tries ; and it is hard to imagine an agent for transmitting power 

 which is more easily handled, and the apparatus for which is, on 

 the whole, more economical and inexpensive. 



Among the electric mining plants which are now being installed 

 by American manufacturers of electric apparatus, who lead the 

 rest of the world, are a number not only 'in this country, but 



