Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-18
USING THE TYPE WRITER.
Taking Messages from on Telegraph
Instrument.


Instrument.
The type writer has since its invention
played an important part in Office work
and correspondence, but until lately 1t has
never been used to any extent in taking
copy. A number OF obstacles have been
IN the way of Its use in general telegraph
offices. The chiefest trouble has been that
1t has been impossible to teach the receiver
to take the messages as quickly by type
writer as he could by the old manuscript
system This is the chief reason why the
telegraph companies have not adopted the
system.
A receiver who could translate au
courant the Morse characters and put them
on the type writer was so rare that he
commanded a price far above that of the
usual operator. Under these circum-
stances 1t was losing investment for the
telegraph company. The companies, how
ever, made thorough test Of the system,
aud, according to the manager of one OF
the compani centering in Chicago, found
II inadequate. While in great many
places 1t was possible to take messages by
type writer, yet In the greater number OF
cases many obstacles were in the way.
For instance, Ia the board of trade the
operator found that he could not use the
type writer. The continual hubbub me-
cessitated the closest attention, and he
could only catch the true meaning of his
ticker When his ear was close to the in
strument. In a case Ike this the use OF
the type writer Is out OF the question.
1t has been found, moreover, that no
time Is saved. At present first~class
Morse receiver can Just about equal the
gnnal % A uraf-nlug "a ltntar AM 80
on the part of the one or the other counts
for little unless his fellow can ind means
to increase his speed. BY the type writer
message can be taken more quickly than
by the old system in writing, but as the
sender OF the message the "pitchern as
the slang phrase is--can transmit the mes
sage no faster there Is In reality no gain
OF time. For these reasons the Western
Union and other companies, after thor
ough test of the type writer In telegraphy,
have abided by the old manuscript sys-
tenn.
In the transmission Of press dispatches,
however, the type writer has long played
an important part One year ago last June
the associated press decided 10 use the
type writer instead OF the stylus. The
associated press, by the way, has TO make
copies Of Geographic dispatches tor the
use Of the daily press. II found the type
writer better for several reasons. In tue
FIRST place the copy turned out was better,
Copy, by the way, is slang term In use
In newspaper offices. In WAS invented by
Benjamin Franklin, who Invented also
electricity and the republic, 1t Is sup
posed to mean manuscript ready for the
printer In the case OF the type writer the
copy, OF course, comes out distinct and
unyarled. Again, manifold copy is
easier made.
In writing with stylus, as the old
fashion was, IL requires great amount
Of muscular exeruon to make an impress
sion ON eight sheets OF paper With the
type writer 1t is almost as easy TO print
dozen sheets as one. One expends little
more physical energy. The chlefest adj
vantage, however, Is that the receiver can
"tske" great deal more rapidly. While
by the writing system ilrstclass opera