The Phonogram, Vol. 2:10 (1892-10)

thought and experiment and represent writer in this field of literary (?) work will the outlay of^vast sums of money. A be very Blow, and, in fact, we are willing to brief account of the growth and develop- count it out when it comes to writing love ment of some of the machines may be of letters. interest to you. This same idea that it is not in good When our attention was first called to taste to write your letters with a type- tlie odd and clumsy looking machine first writer exists to a certain extent in foreign brought out at Milwaukee, in 1868, by countries, and in England, we are told. Slides and Glidden, it was looked upon lawyers who may find it convenient, on as a mere toy. It was thought to be a account of the saving in time and space, good thing-to show up the common mis- to prepare their manuscript qp the type- takes people make in spelling and punc- writer, have them written out in long- tuation, and might therefore be useful in hand before making use of them. * Don’t the education of the young, but very few you think they must be a better class of thought it would ever be used to any penmen over there than the average •extent by business or professional people, lawyer in this country ? When we began to see the large field of When the first machine, afterwards usefulness it might some day occupy and called “Remington No. 1,” was put on outlined the same to a few friends, we ' the market, it found few friends. After were laughed at, ridiculed and pronounced struggling a few yeare, it was acknowl- visionary, and that word “visionary ” has edged by the meters to be a failure from followed us ever since. a business standpoint. About thre< The boys and girls of the present day thousand had been sold or given away, cannot imagine, when they see the type- most of which were aftei'wards exchanged writer in use in every large business for the la'.er machines. You will seldoii house, how great was the prejudice see one of them now in use. against it. and how difficult it was to get One thing ^hat prevented its genera the machines so far perfected that they adaption w^-^hs fact that it used onb ■could be used, and then to get them capital letters.^ How to get the smnl introduced. letters ^without'making the machine to< When people began, with a good deal of large and having too many keys was th< hesitation and distrust, to 8end out their problem. ' letters printed, they were frequently When we finally thought of putting twi returned by the indignant recipients, who type on one bar and arranging the rolle felt insulted by the implication that they or platen so that it could be shoved bad could not read writing and that it was by means of a shift-key so that the capita necessary to print letters to them. Yes, letter woul£ prinfr instead of the Bmal indeed, people felt that it was a reflection letWk, it was’St once acknowledged tha on their education, and it was not con- something might be done with it. Hoi sidered polite or in good taste to send out we took these improvements to the Actor printed letters. It might do for circulars, of E. Remington & Sons, Ilion, N. Y. We know young ladies to day who would and contracted with them to make th be greatly offended and who would make hn proved machine and allow them to ca it pretty “ warm ” for the young man who it the “ Remington ” is a matter of histor would dare to send them a letter printed which all of you may know. The machine in cold, unfeeling type. which was put upon the market by I We think the introduction of the type- Remington & Sons about thirteen yeai