Huntsville gazette., 1885-10-10
A NEW MACHINE.

That May jim Time Create Revolution In
Type Setting But, Like the Keely Motor
Il Its Success Is Still Prospective and, To
Some Extent, Problcmatical
WASHINGTON, D. c., October c.
There was meeting OF prominent news
paper men in this city last week. The
purpose Of this meeting was not gener-
ally known. These gentlemen have In.
vested large sums in type-setting ma.
chine. This machine was made in Balti-
more, and has been upon the eve of So
called completion for a number Of years.
1t was originally backed by John Cla-
phane, one of the leading stenographers
here. He organized company, which
was made up of nearly all of the official
stenographers OF Washington. Their
capital being limited, and the expert
ments Of the invention not reaching sue
cess within fixed period covered by
their means, other investors have been
taken in from time to time. Mr.. Hutch.
ins, the editor of the Washington Post,
appeared TO think we'll of the invention,
and bought its stock during the second
period of the increase of the company.
1t is understood that through his repre-
sentations Whitelaw Red, of the New
York Tribune; Richard Smith, of the Gin
cinnati Gazette; Mr.. Haldeman, of the
Louisville Courier-Journdl; William
Henry Smith, of the New York Asso-
ciated Press, and Mr.. Stone, of the News
of Chicago, have become investors. 1t
is said that these last named gentlemen
have invested in all $250,000 in the
stock, which two years ago was at fif-
teen. 1t is now said to be at sixty, but
it is question whether any block of the
stock could be sold at that figure. 1t
has been claimed for this machine that
it would do away with the composition
entirely. With the keyboard of type
writer any one capable of writing,
this last named machine would be able
to set the matter up and stereotype at
the same time the type required for the
printing of a newspaper. The machine
has been inspected by a number of ex.
perts. 1t is very ingenious and will un-
doubtedly be used in printing book work,
circulars or in copying legal documents.
But is very serious question among the
stockholders whether this machine will
ever be sufficient to meet all the require
ments of the modern newspaper publica-
ton office. The meeting of the news
pdPCk pCOplC HOlu hOi Q ldot WYNN Wdo AOI
the purpose of considering the question
pany should not be transferred to New
York, and to further consider ways
and means of raising money for
further experimenting with this machine.
There are number of conflicting stories
about the condition reached in the con-
struction of this new invention. 1t Is
claimed by some of the gentlemen inter-
ested in it that it is now perfect and
ready to be used. If this is true, this
fact will be early disclosed, because the
majority of the gentlemen interested in 1t
have control of publication offices where
the use CT this machine would certainly
make great sensation. 1t has been
claimed for several years that this inven-
tion would rival the telephone In the
profits resulting from it, and the news
papers not in the company controlling 1t
would be driven to severe loss from
their inability to compete with
the Offices having It. 1t. has been
claimed that this machine would
reduce the price of composition two
thirds. This invention has now been
under way four years. Two years ago
Abram S. Hewitt came very near invest
Ing in 1t, so as to secure the control, but
his jud gment, after investigating its
merits, led him to withhold the invest
ment. This invention has been the SUBJ
ject OF great deal of talk at Washing
ton. The principal Investors in 1t seem
to be perfectly confident that it is one OF
the greatest inventions of modern times,
and that it will return royal income 10
it's stockholders, while there are cold
bIooded, cynical minded people who
argue that it Is the Keely motor over
again, and that, while the machine is
very ingenious, it never can be made
practical for the use of newspapers.