The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-06-07
SENSITIVE MACHINES.
TYPEWRITERS ARE JEALOUS OF
THEIR INSTRUMENTS.

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pathy existing between him and his loco
motive. Veracious writers have reveled
in singular tales in which the engineers
superstitious mind and the locomotives
almost animal instinct have been the
chief and b~ewildering features. But the
remarks Of a girl typewriter he other
day open an almost limitless field Of
thought and discussion, and discovers a
new subject for the dissertation of psy-
Geological students.
MY typewriter is intelligent" said
this human typewriter, referring to her
mechanical friend.
"That is, | understand it and it under
stands me. | wouldn't lend it to any
one. It's a sensitive little thing, and
its resentment at being loaned out would
soon be manifested to me when | again
attempted to use it. Skillful type
writers are extremely jealous in the
care of their instruments. have sew
eral very dear friends engaged in the
same business, yet not one could obtain
the use Of my typewriter, and [ am con-
fdent 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 a certain operator,
and no one else is allowed its use. Fanci-
full as the idea is that the prosaic writing
machine should resemble the violin in it's
readiness to respond to familiar hands
and its consequent rebellion at being
used by strangers, there is 40 doubt in
the minds of the typewriters as to its be-
ing n solemn and important fact.
"Whatevcr the reason" said the super
intendent of an establishment where
typewriters are sold, "a machine that
has been constantly used by a certain
person is ruined for that person by some
one elsc's use Of it. This refers t. ex-
pert typewriters-those who do much
work and whose constant practice has
developed n remarkable rate of speed.
So pronounced has this opinion become
and SO luxuriantly has the idea fourished
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 a distinct touch
can 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
annoying in her complaints regarding
the use Of her typeE1ite by others, was
blindfolded and tried in rapid succession
fifty different machines of the same
make. TO every ones surprise she Sc
lected the one she had been in the habit
Of using"
Few people know the amount Of man
ual labor involved in a days typewrit-
ing or realize the distance the hands
travel in n days work. Probably few of
the typewriters themselves appreciate
it. 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 a minute. This is
supposed 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
-four consecutive minutes, and has never
been able to exceed that limit. Assum-
ing the words average six letters apiece.
1900 letters Il minute We're written. 1t
is estimated that to make each letter
the fingers are raised Il height of two
inches from the keyboard. Two inches |
added for the descending mOvement)
make the finger travel four inches be-
fore each letter is struck. SO this ex-
pert's hand in writing these 200 words
travelled 4,S00 inches, or 400 feet, dur
ing the minute in which she wrote 200
words.
But this is unusual, of course. Very
rapid writing is a speed of seventy-fve
words a minute, and 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 a speed
of fifty words a minute, and the prac-
teal worker writes during the day sixty
~pageS-lS,O 900 words, or los. 900 letters.
If her finger travels four inches to make
each letter, during the day it travels
432 900 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 a horizontal direction. This
total sum III inches is J16. 600. This is
equivalent to $4,000 feet. or a little over |
nine miles Il day. In a week the hands
can cover tfty-four miles. and in a
years steady application to business
over $500 miles.
So the vagary Of the male and female
iypewriters a IN a large measure be
excused and their preference for their
respective machines accounted for
New York Recorder.
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