The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-06-04
SENSITIVE MACHINES
TSPEMRTERS ARE JEALOUS or
THEIR INSTRUMENTS.

Why - 10 That the Expert lEanipalasol
- the Keys of the Writing lasehin4
Are Partacular About the Care Of Thei,
Rmvorites-Fingers Travel Miles.
Stories innumerable have been told
relative 10 the engineer and the sym
pazhy existing between him and his loco
motive. Veracious writer's have reveled
In singular tales in which the engineers
guperstitious mind and the locomotives
almost animal instinct have been the
chief and bewildering features. But the
remarks Of girl typewriter the other
day open an almost hmitlees field OF
thought and discussion, and discovers a
new subject for the dissertation of psy.
Geological students.
'tMy typewriter is intelligent" said
this human typewriter. referring to he1
mechanical friend
seThat is, understand it and it under.
stands me- wouldn't lend it to any.
Dne. It's sensitive little thing, and
It's resentment at being loaned out would
i
attempted to use it. Skillful type
writer's are extremely jealous in the
care of their instruments. | have sew
era very dear friends engaged in the
same business, yet not one could obtain
the use of my typewriter, and am con-
fident they could not be induced to lend
me theirs"
Investigation shows these statements
TO be correct. Those who have their
own machines never lend them even for
temporary use, while In large offices.
where the firms furnish the Instruments
each of the latter has certain operator.
and no one else isallowed its use. Fanci-
full as the idea is that the prosaic writing
machine should resemble the violin in its
readiness to respond to familiar hands
End its consequent rebellion at being
used by strangers, there is no doubt in
the minds Of the typewriters as to its be-
ing solemn and important fact
Whatever the reason, " said the super
lntendent of an establishment where
typewriters are sold, ga machine that
has been constantly used by a certain
person is ruined for that person by some
one else's use of it. This refers to ex-
pert typewriters-those who do much
work and whose constant practice has
developed a remarkable rate of speed.
So pronounced has this opinion become
and so luxuriantly has the idea fiourished
that typewriters are usually furnished
In cabinets that can be locked and are
then secure from molestation. know
of no explanation for this queer state of
affairs. Machines are made by the
dozen: the pieces that form the machines
are made by the hundred, yet each com
plete mechanical typewriter has what is
known as distinct touch
"An operator may try several ma
chimes before she finds one to her liking.
and when she does no other will she use
An experiment was once made for the
purpose of testing this. An operator Of
q particularly sensitive and nervous
temperament, and who was particularly
in her complaints regarding
tie use of her typewriter by others. was
blindfolded and tried il rapid succession
Fifty different machines of the same
make. To every ones surprise she Sc
lected the one she had been in the hat!r
Sf using"
Few people know the amount of man
MI labor involved in a days typewrit-
ing or realize the distance the hands
travel in days work. Probably few Of
The typewriters themselves appreciate
Ii. Yet their hands cover a distance
they would never think of covering with
their legs unless necessity compelled it.
The highest rate of speed ever at
tanned is 200 words minute. This is
to be the result of the most
rapid movements the human hands are
capable of. The person making this
record maintained this speed for only
been able to exceed that limit Assurl-
ing the words average six letters apiece.
/ 200 letters minute were written. Ii
Is estimated that to make each letter
the fingers are raised height of two
inches from the keyboard. Two inches
added flor the descending movement
make the finger travel four inches be-
Gf1IG EACH 1cLICI IL StEuCk. Do GIllS C4-
parts hand in writing these 200 words
travelled 1880 inches, or 400 feet, dur
Ing the minute in which she wrote 200
words.
But this is unusual, Of course. Very
rapid writing is speed of seventy-hve
words minute, aud this rate is too fast
for comfort. Practical work is ten
pages of legal paper an hour. Each
page contains 800 words. Six hours,
steady writing can be regarded as an
entire days work. This is speed
OF fifty words a minute. and the prac-
tical worker writes during the day sixty
pages-lS, 600 words, or 1O8. 900 letters.
II her finger travels four inches to make
each letter. during the day it travels
az, 600 inches.
This provides for the perpendicular
movement only, and it Is fair to increase
this distance by one-third to estimate the
distance the hands travel over the key
board In o horizontal direction This
total sum In inches Is $4,000. This is