The state herald., 1893-12-08
A MILWAUKEE, INVENTION.
Tho Typewriter First Put Into Use b,
O. Latham eholes.


Q. Latham eholes.
The inventor Of the typewriter wa
G. Latham Sholes OF Milwaukee, say
tho Philadelphia Press. Although
for years in poor health. he was I,
man Of great energy. His inventiv,
genius possessed him ut all times
and his mind was busy with mcchan
ical problems day and night. II,
had boon printer, but at tho tim,
the typewriter was invented was col
lector OF the port OF Milwaukee
having been some years earlier editol
OF the Milwaukee Sentinel His Us
sociates In the task Of working on,
his ideal for q writing machine were
Samuel Soule and Carlos Glidden
After tho completion OF tho frs
practicable machine Jamos Dens
more, Of Meadvillc. Penn, DO
came tho financial backe,
OF the enterprise. Soon afte !
Soulo and Glidden withdrew.
Tho first typewriter was built o
wood almost entirely. and was crud.
enough compared with the machine,
OF to-day. 1t was 80 far satisfactory
however. that 1t wrote rapidly ant
accurately. although plainly not YET
sufficiently perfected to be put OF
tho market One very noticeabl.
defect was that sheet could not bt
seen until the writing had been com
pleted. and tho plan Of printing
through the paper against the ribbor
was bad, necessitating, us 1t did, the
,iso OF tissue paper entirely.
Ivy dint OF work that was wearing
on the patience and energy OF tho
inventor machine that was con.
sidored complete was finally turned
out 1t was put in tho hands of
stenographcr and afterward sent te
James Clophano, OF Washington,
whose opinion was considered
valuable. Mr.. Clophanc tried the
machine and 1t gave way, literally,
under the test Another was sen,
to him, and In the course of time
several. each having somo improve.
ment, but all met u similar futc.
In 1873 tho machine was though,
perfect. and contracts for its manu-.
facture were made with the Reming.
ton machine works. of lion, N. Y.
IL was even some time after thit
that tho typewriter us the general
public know 1t was put successfully OF
tho market, for even with. the niccty
with which the finished mechanic
there turned out tho parts OF the
machine many altorations:werc found
necessary. Competitors soon sprane
up, but with few exceptions the
general plan OF Sholo's machine was
adhered to. The method OF throw.
Ing up the types, tho printing ribbon.
the keyboard and even the frame
wero Endorsed. so to speak. by the
rival inventors, and seemed to be
accepted as the best that genius
could devise. But Mr. Sholcs' labors
had not ceased. Stricken down with
lung difficulty and confined to his
bed. he employed his time in making
improvements on his own inventions,
and many OF these wcro incorpor.
atcd In the machines then nut on
tho market, and are still used. Pc.
fore he died. In February. 1890, he
had CONSTRUCTED models for two new
machines. the last one being in his
Judgment u complete triumph over
all his former efforts James Dens-
moro also died in 1890. possessed OF
much wealth said TO have been real.
lied BY his labors AS agent and in
troducor OF tho Sh0les typewriter
Mr. sholcs died poor man compare.
lively. seeming TO have shared the
late OF too many men Of inventive
genius.