Show EVOLUTION OF THE PEN frum brush to goose and from quill pen to steel in the lays of parchment and papyrus pens were unknown bes causse there was no need for them tho as thick then as printing is and a brush was the jibing with which to apply the ink to the parchment to the present day the chinese still use a brush for thia purpose as also do most of tho oriental nations but the invention of paper necessitated chiore delicate touches than could have been made with a brush and the first effort to meet the need was a split reed for a long time thia answered tho purpose but when greater was demanded the goose baill buill was pressed into service and forlong acca has supplied iho demand during the last century many efforts were made to improve on the quill the necessity of constantly mending it being found a drawback to its use but all were unavailing the attempts were principally di reeled to fitting the cointa with some substance harder than the quill so that mending would not be needed points of steel copper agato andeen diamond being tried but to no purpose in the first veara of the present century to be made entirely of metal and tho survival of an old habit was plainly prominent in the first or pena made they being shaped in the form of a quill as nearly at possible they were fearfully hard stiff things went scratching over the papery with a most abominable noise and spluttered ed at a great rate and a they bod for 50 cents each were not very popular in 1820 gillott the pen manu fac mad 0 a wonderful improve mentin ment in their manufacture giving the pen three belits instead of one which gave more flexibility ini machinery reduced the belling price ap that he was able to eel these three split pens for about a arpea it is of note that a better article of pen is now made and sold for twenty five cents a gross than could then bo made for the difference being in the perfection of the machinery calling for less attention from tho men employed the cheaper pens are mado entirely by machinery but the better grades are partly by hand and it is computed that the various manufacturers turn out every year about pens to be used or and then thrown away the procesa of manufacture is exceedingly interesting and the persons employed in slitting the pens by hand acquire wonderful skill so that a quick cutter mil shape pens in a day and a will cut the slits in st louis globe democrat Damo crat |