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Show i 4 4THE - I j ! 4j THE "INVENTOR INVENTOR " " OF THE TYPEWRITER I I f i J By ELMO SCOTT WATSONIlrlJ WATSONHL WATSON : a5 TIE HL ' c"cl ccl click " < nnd and n " " clatter chlte . ofr 01I ofi 01 of ofrj I j the Leys keys l.e le . , } s " were ere silenced 1 1as IlrlJ | ns as the \ visitors ISltors sisitors paused p'1l1sed p1l1sed ' beI besIde beside be I side the desk from which whichthe whichthe which3J the noise came came'What 'What What ' What are you , } you ou dolng'1 dolng1 doing dolngi"I'm dolngiIm ' ! ' ' uI'm uIm "I'm Im " ' ' \ writing rlUng an article on the time thetype timetype thetypevv type , . riter . " "I I " 1 know you are . . . . . . I can cnn "ee ee see "eethat seethat " seethat that for myself mselt . } . . But what's whats ' ' It Itabout itabout Itabout"It's ItaboutIts about ? ' "It's Its " ' about the typewriter . . " 'Oh Oh "Oh 011 " ' ' , , now I understand underst'1nd underst1nd ' I f ! You're Youre You'rewrJUng You'rewriting You'rewriting Yourewriting ' wrJUng writing an ' article 1rtlcJe ABOUT the type t\pe- t pe type- tpewrIter typewriter . typewriter \ - - writer ON the tbe typewriter . But Butwhy Butwhy Butwhy why 7 ? ' "Well Well "lVell lVell " , , you see , , February 14 hap happens happens happens pens to be the anniversary of the thebirth thebirth thebirth birth of or Christopher Chrlstopber Latham Sholes Sholesand Sholesand Sholesand and he . . . " "Oh Oh uOh " yes , he was W'lS WlS ' the chap who whoInvented whoInvented wlioInvented Invented the typewriter , wasn't wasnt ' he ? " That 'That "That . " ' depends upon what you youmean youmean youmean ' ' be because because because mean when you saj say 'Inventor Inventor cause . . : . " ' ' * - . Yes , n a great gre'lt grelt ' deal does depend dependupon dependupon dependnpon upon the definition of that word word'At wordAt ' At least a dozen men did tlie the plo pio ploneerIng pioneering ploneering neerIng work wort . that eventually eventuaUy re- re resulted resulted re resulted - - sulted In the modern high speed speedwrlUng speedwriting speedwriting wrlUng writing machine m'lchlne mlchlne ' and andeach each of them bas has bassome hassome hassome some claim to the title of or " "father father " of ofthe ofthe ofthe the typewriter typewrltcr " or to the honor of ofbeing ofbeing ofbeing being Its "Inventor Inventor " . " Probably the first effort efYort to pro produce produce produce duce a writini writing wrltml : ; machine " was 1S ' made madeby madeby madeby by an English ngiish engineer named Hen Henry Henry Henry ry \ Mill l\I11l l I11l In 1714 A patent Issued to tohim tohim tohim him by Queen Anne on Tanuary 4 7 ' 4of 7of 7of of that year states that he "invent invent "invented "invented "Invented Invented " ed and brought to perfection an ar artlfic1al artificial artiflclal tlfic1al tificial machine or method for tor the theimpression theimpression theImpression impression or transcribing transcrlbing of letters letterssimply letterssimply letterssimply simply or progressively progres.ively progresively : . one after afteranother afteranother afteranother another , as in writing . , , whereby nIl all nIlwrltlngs allwritings allwritings wrltlngs writings whatsoever whatsoe\"er whatsoe "er er \ " may m'lY mlY ' be en engrossed engrossed engrossed grossed In paper p'lper plper ' or parchment so soneat soneat soneat neat and nnd exact as not to be dls dis dlstrngulshed distinguished distingulshed trngulshed tinguished from print ; that th'1t th1t ' said saidmachme saidmachine saidmachine machme machine or method may be of great greatuse greatuse greatuse use In settlements and public rec records recorris records ords orris , , tlie the Impression beln being , : ! ; deeper deeperand deeperand deeperand and mOl moie mote e lasting than other writ writlng writIng writIng lng Ing , , and not to be erased or coun coup counterfeited coupterfected counterfeited terfeited terfected without manifest disco discov discovery discovcry v very ery . " Except 'Ceept Ceept ' for this patent , . which Is Isfiled isfiled Isfiled filed In the British patent office office.there officethere . , tbere there is , . ho\\ ho how hoe however \ e\ e es eer \ er . , no other record recordof recordof recordof of the principles prmclples of operation of ofM1l1 ofJill ofMills M1l1 Jill s machine The same Is true trueof trueof trueof of a writing wrltmg machine whicn whlen whica Is said saidto saidto saidto to have hae hale ha\ ha \ e been Invented In\"ented In "ented ented \ " In France rrance Prance In In178l In1784 178-l 178 l 1784 - So neither nelther Mill Mm nor this un unknown unknown unknown known Frenchman rrenehman rrenchman have any ver very veryvalid veryvalid ) valid claim to the title of 'inven inven 'Inven- inven- 'Inventor 'inventor ' inventor - tor " of the type1'1 typev\ typev type\\ type typevriter typewriter \ \ 1'1 11 ' riter ter . . First ClaimantThe Claimant ClaimantThe The first r.t rt : . real claimant to thattitle that thattitle , title " was "as as an nn American-William American William Amerlcan-William Amerlcan AmericanWilliamAustin AmerlcanWilliamAustin American - WilliamAustin Austin Burt , a native natne of Massachu Massachusetts Massacuufietts assachu assachusetts setts , where he was born June 13 13,1792 131792 , , 17D2 1702 . , but a citizen cltzen [ of Michigan IichigaD In In2S23 1 , 1vhen ' \ When \vhen vhen he 1m ins Invented ented his "typog typog "typographer "typographer "typographer typographer " rapher . " ' At any rate the record recordof recordof recordof of his Invention Invenllon In the United UnitedStates UnitedStates UnitedStates States patent p'ltent pltent ' ofllce o onice lce declares tl.1at tl1at that that"this that"this thatthis . .tllis tllis "this this " . patent discloses the actual actualconstruction - construction of a typewriting pewrltlng tpewrltlng t\ t \ ma machine machine machine chine for the fir flrbt first t time In . any .lny lny coun coon countr3 coontry country tr3 try ; . " It then describes the worldnl working workingof workingof ; ot of the 'typographer typographer typogrn.pher typogrnpher ' . ' ' as follows : "The The " t type ) pe are arranged on the un under under under der side of a segment carried carned by a aJever alever alever Jever lever pivoted to swing vertically verticallyand verticallyand verticallyand and horizontally'rhe horizontally horlzontJ.lly horlzontJlly . 'rhe rhe * ' . The .rhe rhe desired character Is brought broughtto to the printing prIntmg point pomt bY bYmo bymosing by mo\ mo moIng mosing mosingthis movingthis \ Ing Ingthis this lever Ieer loser Ie\ Ie \ er horizontally horIzon t'llI tllI ' v to a positionover position positionover positionover over the same S1.me S1me . character ch'lrarter chlrarter ' In the In Inde indes Index des de , and tbo tho the Impression ! Is s made by bythen bythen bythen then depressing the lever . . Several 'Several ' st styles ) les of type may be bensed beused beused nsed used and they are arranged In two tworos tworosss tworows ro\\s ro s rosss \ on the lever These rows of oftype oftype oftype type can be shifted slmifted on the lever to tobring tobring tobring bring either one to the prlnU1) prlnU1 printing printingpoint printingpoint printingpoint"The ) point point"The "The The " paper Is carried on an end endless endless endless less bandvhlch band which \vhlch vhlch \ tra travels trasels \ eIs cro crosswise crosswiseon < ; cwise cwiseon : ; on the machine and this band Is IsWILLIAM > r , J r rrte rte- rte rteM rter - " M , k rtek r i ' ' 1 jy 1 I , t r rt /t t / tJd Jd ) } 1 1r 1WILLIAM r WILLIAM AUSTIN BURTmoved BURT BURTmoved moved tor for letter spacing by tlie the 1m im 1mpression impresslon 1mpresslon pression presslon lever every time the lever leveris leverIs leverIs is depres depressed ed to print . , ' Tlie The line space Is made by shIrt shift shIrtIng shifttag shiftIns Ing tag the frame carrying carr31n the prInting prIntingmechanism printingmechanism printingmechanism mechanism toward to\\ard to ard tossard \ the front or the therear therear therear rear of ot the machine , . the paper re- re to- to tomaining remaining re remaining - - maining stationary"ink stationary"lnh stationary stationary"Ink "Ink Ink "lnh lnh " pads are located at each c'lch clch ' side sideof sideof sideof of the Impression Impreslon ' ) point , . and all the thetype thetype thetype type , . except xcept the one In printing prlntlDg printhnb po- po - poslUon position po-Bitlon po Bitlon - - slUon sition , , are Inked every time the im impression impresslon Impresslon pression presslon 1I lever loser \ er Is depressed"A depr depressed depressed"A l > bed bed"A "A A " dial la Is provided wnlch wl1lch watch indlCates Indl Indlcates Indlcatea cates the time len lenetb length th of paper pdper In Incheswhich Incheswhich Inches which has bas tins passed the thl printing point pointIn pointIn polmla In printing eacli each line , . and RDd as the theoperator theloperatnr theoperator loperatnr , operator knows kno\\s kno s \ tlie the theIdth width \\Idth Idth \ of or the paper paper pa per being used . , the time to stoi stop . - A ' kw kwirk irk \ , \ v ay ' AiM . Qyy \ t S'xy Sxy S'xyd ' . , d aJs aJsra , FvF ra ' ' t Y w 1 , , y w'x ' Q ' w 'x x iiw .etc etc . a aG v vr r G a f , ts 4 4a - ' ki kits : a A f ' - ' v \ , jpr ' a aa v a " , - vS S \ \ Ww WwY Y i iWw 2 2a a I . , a s m r rf f tA'N tAN tA'Nb ' b M ' b rt . . ; W W.m l , ' .m m . Miss Eileen Donohue as she appeared , in the costume of the seven . ties , In a skit presented by the New York Y . W . C . A . as a part of the thecelebration thecelebration celebration in 1933 to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the invention of ofthe ofthe the typewriter and the entrance of women Into the modern business businessworld businessworld world . The typewriter shown In this picture is the original model per- per perfected perfected - fected by Christopher Latham Sholes from which the first manufactured manufacturedmachine manufacturedmachine machine was copied . printing at the end of the line Is IsIndicatecJ isindicated IsIndicated IndicatecJ indicated " Principle Rever'sedThis Revei'sedThis Reversed Rever'sed Revei'sed Reveised ReversedThis ' ' This Indicates Indlcates that the prinel prlnel prinelpIe prlnelpie principie pIe of Burt's Burts ' machine maclune was tlie the Ie re reserse ieverse serse \ erse of that on modern machinebIn machinesIn machlDe machines In the typographer pographer 'typographer ' t " the type typemoved typemoved typemoved moved at the imprint of each letter letteruntil letteruntil letteruntil until the end of the ] line lne was wasleached wasreached wasleached leached reached and , instead Inste'ld Insteld ' of returning returnlnJ returnlnJthe returningthe ; the carriage carnage , as is done on a mod modern modera modern ern era typewiiter typewl1ter typewriter , , the frame carryingthe carryIng carryIngthe carryingthe the printing prlDting mechanism \ was as shifted shiftedbact shiftedback shiftedback bact back . to the stalling starting stal tlng point \ while sslille hlle the thepaper thepaper thepaper paper lts Itself lt remained motionlessBurt motionlessBurt motionless motionlessBurt Burt obtained obtamed type for his mil ma milchIne machine machine chIne from John Sbelton Shelton , editor and andproprIetor andproprietor andproprietor proprIetor of the Detroit Gazette Gazetteand Gazetteand Gazetteand and Slielton Shelton on : May 25 , 1829 1820 1329 , . wrote wrotethe wrotethe wrotethe the first letter on the new con contraptlOn contraption contraption traptlOn traption It \ was as addressed to Mar Martin Martin Martin tin Van Buien BUlen Buren , then thea secretary of ofstate ofstate ofstate state , and said : "This This " Is a specimen of prInting prIntingdone printingdone printingdone done by me on Mr . Burt Burts 3 s typog typographer typograpper typographer rapher rapper . You " will "Ill Ill observe obsene obserse some In Inaccuracies inaccuracies Inaccuracies accuracies In the situation sltu'ltlon sltultlon ' of the theletters theletters theletters letters These aie ale owing to the time theImperfections timeimperfections theImperfections Imperfections of the machine ; It IthavIng ithaving Ithaving havIng been made m'1de m1de ' In the woods woodsof \ woodsof oods oodsof of Michigan , wheie whelc where no piopci plopel proper tools toolscould toolscould toolscould could be obtained by the time In-rentor In rentor inventor inventorwho - , who \ ho , , In the time construction of It Itmerely , merely wished to test the time plillCI piinci plillCIpies piincipies pilncipies pies of It , therefoie therefol e . , taking tab.lng tablng . lIttle Imttle lIttlefalDs Imttlerains littlerains falDs rains In making mab.ing mabing . It I am saUsHed satisfied saUsHedfrom satisfiedfrom satisfiedfrom from my hno\\ hno knowledge hnoledge \ ledge of the prlDtlng printing prlDtlngbusiness printingbusiness printingbusiness business as well as from the time oper'l operl opera oper'ltIon operatlon operatlon ' tIon tlon of the IOU6h rough lou h machine machlae , . with withsshich withwhich sshich \ hlch I am printing pllntIng , . that tlie the typog typographer typographer typographer rapher \ will well III be ranked with the themost themost themost most novel no\el no el noiel \ , useful and pleasing pleasmg In insentions Inicntlons eoUons sentions \ of the age " On July 23 , 182'J 182J 1829 1329 ' , patent No 2GO 269 2GOsigned 269signed 2G9signed signed by President Andrew Jacl\ Jacl Jack Jaclson Jackson Jackson \ . son and Secretary Van Buren , wa was wasgranted wa&granted wagranted & : . granted to Burt for his 'typo typo ' typo typOslapher , lapher rapher " The original model of the themachine themachine themachine machine \ was ssas as lost in the fire of De De- Do December December - . cember 15 1G , 1836 , which whicb destro destroyed destroyedthe destroyedthe . } ed edthe the patent othce ollice office and all Its con contents contents contents contentsFound tents tentsFound tentsFound Found No Market . Burt's Burts ' Invention 1m entton was so far Inadvance In inadvance advance of the times Urnes that tl1at it foun found foundno foundno no market marhet , so he turned his atten attentlon attention attentlon tlon tion to other things Among them themwas themwas themwas was the tbe 1m ins Invention entton ention of the solar COin cow cowpass COinPIlsS coinpass PIlsS pass , . an Instrument which wlmlch reme remedIed remedied remedied dIed variations of a magnetic magneticneellle magneticneedle magneticneedle neellle needle , due to local causes , and his hisInterest hisinterest hisInterest Interest in Internal Internai Improvements in inMichigan InMicbloan Uchiban Michigan territory . , Ibe 'lbe lbe the ' latter In Included Ineluded ineluded cluded eluded a project for a canal around aroundthe aroundthe aroundthe the falls in St . Mary's Marys ' rh river riser er , the theforLFunner theforerunner thetornunner forLFunner forerunner ? of the pre present ent canal at atSault atSault atSault Sault St Marie , so Burt's Burts ' fame as'Father as asFather Father 'Father ' of the Soo Canal ' Is se secure secure secure cure e\ e even een esen \ en It tr if his right to the tItle tItleof titleof titleof of "Father Father "rather rather " of the Typewriter ' ' has hasnever hasnever hasnever never been firmly est'1bl1shedDuring establisbedDuring established est'1bl1shed est1bl1shed establisbed establishedDuring ' During the ne next neat t few years anum anumber a num numher number ber her of \ wilting writing lltlng machines of one sorl sort sorlor sortor sonor or another made their appearance appearanceThe appearanceThe appearanceThe The first of these tbese , and one which whichshowed whichstmosved whiclishowed showed stmosved a nearer approach (0 0 { ( o tht the thtmodern themodern tlumodern modern t typewriter pewrlter , \ was as Charles |