Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-10
WRITING BY MACHINERY.
How the Pen has been Supplamted by
the Type-Writer.

the Typewriter
A NEW MACHINE WHICH BIDS FAIR TO BASIsH THE
PEN FROM USE ErTIRELY-THE WONDERFUL IN
vENTToN OF WASHINGTON NAN-THE pErECrs
OF TIE COMMON TYPE-wRIrEs ovERcoys BY AN
ENTIRELY NEW MACHINE.
The typewriter has already made the men did
fashioned The pen may still hold sway over the
little private writing done at home and be en-
trusted with the condolences Of my lady's diary
ana the tender secrets OF scented bilets-dOux but
In the counting-room or Office, where dispatch and
iegioility are important considerations the type
writer Is supreme notwithstanding the general
auoplioh Oh thls method OF recording the business
OF the world, and Notwithstanding the fact that
10000 type-writers are sold yearly no important
improvements have been made on the type-writers
In use since the day the rattling OF the keyboards
INST began Tn be heard In offices. The typewriter
purchased to-day Is essentially the same as one
purchased dozen years ago. The skill OF In
yentors applied to the old machines seems to
nave been or no avail In overcoming de-
fects which every operator soon discovers.
soon, however, there will be placed on the mar
ket new Typewriter, which, 1t is claimed, will
not only DO better work than the old, but do It
more rapidly, more surely, with less labor ON the
part OF the operator, and compared with the
clatter and rattle OF the old typewrfters without
any noise. This typewriter cannot be Spoken OF
as an improvement; 1t Is In all particulars an en-
tirely new machine, an original invention, even
because 1t has key board In front and carriage
for the paper behind The inventor OF the new
machine n,aS, said with pardonable pride. as he ex
was the first real typewriter that has been pro-
duced. 1t Is known as The Capital Typewriting
Machine. Its inventor is Mr.. c. L. Moore, OF this
city. He has his machine in use In his office
In the Kellogg Building, where he explained its
operations and mechanism TO STAR reporter:
speaking OF It's possibilities, he said that 1t would
extend the use OF type-writing machines into en-
tirely new fields He operated II to show the ease
with which IL accomplished its work. and the per-
feet character OF the work when done Sentences
were printed rapidly a sheet OF common soft
paper, were spaced and adjusted nicely in the
best book printing, and mere was no blur or sign
OF unevennesS In the distribution or ink. All this
was brought about by ingenious mechanism, pro-
vidng, automatically, for the spacing and for the
distribution OF Ink. one OF the main features OF
the machine is the variable spacer" "feeder."
the letters OF the alphabet take up
or "w" requiring more room than al"
or 81" The ordinary typewriter provides
tiers appear crowded while others seem to have too
much room The variable feeder" SO operates
that each letter makes room for itself. In other
words the paper carriage is moved far enough TO
furnish space for printing the required letter. This
symmetrical spacing, precision OF work, clear i'm
preston. and the even distribution OF the ink CON-
bne TO make line that pleases the eye. and sug-
gestS hundred possible uses to which the new
typewriter may be applied. The types are at
taehed TO the periphery OF a small wheel, which
lies fiat upon the upper part OF the contain
ing the mechanism. Depress key and the wheel
turns until the face OF the letter depressed comes
opposite the point on the paper where 1t is to be
printed, and that Is done by depressing the next
letter In the word; that is TO say the operation OF
depressing a key represents the triple opera
ton OF printing and releasing one letter and
setting up of another. Several advantages
are thus gained. To the casual observer the
advantage that Will be most apparent is the safe
guard II affords against mistakes Ii the operator
strikes the wrong key he can remedy the error be-
fore printing ana without diSfigurng the sheet by
depressing the correction button, which operation
places the machine in the position 1t was before
the wrong letter was depressed. Another impOr-
tant advantage OF this arrangement is that IT in
creaseS the rapidity with which the printing may
Dc done. III the machine were SO constructed
that tn pressure or key 'set-up" the letter and
his finger on a key during the whole operation. AS
IL Is, the type-wheel revolves from letter to
letter, while the operators hand is NOV
Hing time that would otherwise be lost
The machine has, too, most ingenious automatic
ink fountain with combination OF tiny linking
and distributing rollers that keep an even supply
OF ink on the face OF the type. Any Kind OF ink,
liquid or hard printing inks, can be used. Type
writers constructed on the old plan provide only
one style OF type. capital machine" can be
provided with any number OF wheels. each having
different style OF type BY changing the wheel
the operator can Change the type. The only imi-
tatlon upon this is that the type shall not he
larger than those to which the machine was origi-
nally adjusted, though smaller type OF any char
acter can be used. Another feature OF the s.Capi-
tai Typewriter Is that the operator always sees
the letter so soon as printed and does not have to
over the line on which he is engaged.
Impressions from the face OF the type are secured
not by the pressure OF the types against the paper
but or the paper against the types. 1t Is rather
curious that in this piece or mechanism, repre-
Senting one OF the advanced points of modern In
yention, an appliance Is used To secure the Inn
preston similar to the one employed In the Ben
Franklin printing press now in the National
Museum. The device Is q small arm with tOygle-
joint that dertly and gently presses the paper at
the required point against the face Of the type
When the printing Is done, even on soft paper,
there Is no perceptible identat1on OF the paper.
When line has been printed from end to
end, the paper-carriage, as In other typewriters,
has TO be moved back 10 the starting place again.
This Is done swiftly and easily by pulling a handy
lever at one side OF the machine. The same move
ment winds spring in drum, and thus stores
power sunicient 10 print the next line. This In
ventlon is owned by a company known as The
Capital Type-Writing Machine Co., chartered
under the laws OF West Virginia, and at It's head
are well-knOwn citizens OF the District. Mr.. Den
mis- Murphy Is president, Mr.. Francis Hufty, secre-
tary, and Mr.. William Wheatey, treasurer. These
gentlemen, and Others Interested, are practical
men, who at once saw the great merits OF the new
machine.