Smyrna times., 1872-03-13
About Steel Pens.

D. worthy old gentleman has Just died at
birmingham, England, of whom, while his
name is famous to the ends of the earth. nroha-
Dly as little is generally known as of the
ooscurest OF New York newsboys. He, more
than any other man of his generation. had
practical experience of tn fact that ''the men
Is mlgntler than the sword at least, mightier
as as the instrument by which to achieve great
fortune His name was Joseph elliott: what
booE-keeper, clerk, or even writer of friendly
ietters-what schOOl-boy, what sailor blunder
ing over log book, or country grocer making
out bills, has not read it on his pen. as he
wrote! elliott, from being Sheffield grinder
ana rumOr has 1t that he was very ''chari
table grinder became the greatest manufac
turer OF pens in the world and in his old age
was patron of art, lover of rare old books
ana hoSpltabe gentleman, keeping an omen
mouse and a well-stOcked cupboard. The nen
trade in England is one of the most sbsrpIy- L"
competltlve of trades; but the grinder from
oheneld long ago took the lead, and has
s'ur1lly Kept 1t ever since-exceing in all
grades, 1t appears, from the wee nbs that
make halr-strOkes, to the stout bodied mag
num-bOnums, 'ostriches,' and 'sswanS
Indeed, Mr. GillOtt's history is almost the his
tory OF the rise and progress of steel pens :;
When he began to make them, quilts were uni
versal, as they are still arist0cratic. is odd
- observe now the aggregate handwriting has
shrIveled within the past forty wears. The
manuscripts of our grandfathers were in largo
0old characters-because such characters conld
De made with quill, with the expenditure of
as little force as is now used in making the
smaller and lighter characters with steel nibs
AT nrst the innovation was stoutlv resisted
such as gas, railways, and the telegraph. were
resisted by TOrycOlored souls but the great
advantages OF steal over quill pens were too
apparent not to make rapid progress in popu
lar favor. 1t is said that in the private schools
of England, there were, for many wears aftnr
ulllott factory was started strics rules for
bidding the scholars to use them: and even at
TINS day there are arlstOcratic mansions where
qullls only are to be found and used Litbo-
graphers seized upon steel pens as a most val
liable implement tor their art; the cheapness
OF steel pens caused their adoption among the
lower and middle classes and mankind ever
prone to Incidence, and so ndulgent to inven
tlons, were not long in finding out that steel
pens We're less troublesome than quis, and
that the current of thought might now flow IN
without being checked tn rein by the necessity
OF pen-mendlng. 1t would be interesting To in
quiTe now far the substitution of steel pens for
quils has been responsible for the deterioration
OF handwrltlngs; for it is certain that the gene
raj handwriting of our day is less intelipibIe. as
well as less pleasing to the eye that that of the
qulll era; Some Of the French public offices
compel the clerks to use quills for this reason.
IL Is common saying that great men write
abOminaby; but this could not be said Of
Washington Jefferson, or lafayette, of Goethe
or Schiller, or of the sgners of our Declaration
OF lndependence-users of quills, one and all
On the other hand, Byron, Wellington, and
Napoleon wrote badly; while among modern
writer's many may be found distinguished for
their skill In caligraphy.