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PITCH BLENDE 261 PITT upright pianos are tuned to high concert pitch. In planes, the slant of a plane bit in its stock. In printing, one of the guide pins, which, in floor-cloth printing, an- swers the purpose of the register points. In shipbuilding: (1) The pitch of the paddles is the distance between them, measured on the circle which passes through their centers. It is commonly from 1.6 to double their depth. (2) The pitch of a propeller-screw is the length, measured along the axis, of a complete turn. A gaining-pitch is one in which the pitch gradually increases from the leading to the following edge. PITCH BLENDE, a mineral chiefly found in Saxony and Cornwall, composed of 86.5 oxide of uranium, 2.5 black oxide or iron, galena, and silex. In color it varies from brown to black, and occurs globular, reniform, massive, disseminat- ed, and pulverulent. Sp. gr. 7.5. It gen- erally accompanies uranite. Radium is extracted from it. PITH, the cylindrical or angular col- umn of cellular tissues at or near the center of the stem of a plant, also called the medulla. When examined micro- scopically it presents in section a union of cells resembling those of a honey- comb, of which a good example is af- forded by Chinese rice paper, the pith of the Aralia papyHfera. PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS, the name given to the fossil remains of a prehistoric animal found in Java, and which represent a form intermediate be- tween man and the higher apes. PITMAN, BENN, an American pho- nographer, born in Trowbridge, England, July 24, 1822; brother of Sir Isaac Pit- man, the inventor of phonography; was educated in his brother's academy; lec- tured and taught phonography through- out Great Britain for 10 years. He came to the United States in 1853, and founded the Phonographic Institute in Cincinnati; invented the electro-process f relief engraving in 1856; was mili- tary recorder of State trials during the Civil War. His works include "Manual of Phonography"; "History of Short- hand"; and "Phonographic Dictionary." He died in 1910. PITMAN, SIR ISAAC, an English stenographer; born in Trowbridge, Eng- land, Jan. 4, 1813. He was master of the British School of Barton-on-Humber in 1831, established the school at Wotton- under-Edge in 1836 and removed to Bath in 1839. He was the inventor of the phonetic system of short-hand writing and published his first treatise on the subject entitled "Stenographic Sound- hand," in 1837; "Phonography" (8th edition, 1840) ; and "Phonographic Re- porter's Companion" (1853). He was the head of the Phonetic institute at Bath, and was identified with the spell- ing reform. He was knighted in 1894, and died Jan. 22, 1897. PITNEY, MAHLON, a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Born at Morristown, N. J., 1858, and graduated from Princeton in the class of '79. Af- ter that date he practiced law at Mor- ristown, and from 1896-1899 served in Congi'ess as a Republican representative. From 1901 to 1908 he was associate jus- tice of the Supreme Court of New Jer- sey, and in 1909 became Chancellor of the State. President Taft appointed Pitney to the Supreme Court, Mar. 13, 1912. PITT, WILLIAM. See CHATHAM. PITT, WILLIAM, an English states- man; born in Hayes, England, May 28, 1759; second son of the Earl of Chatham; was educated at Cambridge University; studied law and was elected to Parlia- ment in 1780. He was as strongly op- posed to the American War as was his WILLIAM PITT father. In 1783 he became prime min- ister; was active in the negotiations of peace with the United States, and was instrumental in the passage of many important measures. Retiring in 1801, he was recalled to office when the Peace of Amiens was broken and war with Na- poleon again brought on. Through his