The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-09-16

Schwalbach, in the work. As with
many other Inventions, there were
constant discouragements met with
while the idea was being worked out
Various principles were tried and then
discarded, and the experiments were
found by no means inexpensive.
1t was in September, 1857, that q ma
chine was finally produced that would
write. The inventor was in high
feather, and letters were at once writ
ten on the machine and sent to per-
sons who had been cognizant of the
he had produced machine OF prac-
tical commercial value that he put the
cumbersome affair on an express
wagon and brought it to the ONCE OF
a Milwaukee life insurance company.
Il wouldn't give the thing table
gruh though well-meaning way, when
the work of the machine had been
demonstrated. The inventor was
somewhat cast down, but he lived to
see that very company devote a largo
corridor in it's building to typewriters,
perfected from this machine which
had been SO heartless1y laughed at.
This first typewriter, as will be seen
by the illustration, was built of wood
almost entirely, and was crude enough,
compared with the machines of to-day.
1t was so far satisfactory, however,
that it wrote rapidly and accurately,
although plainly not yet sufficiently
perfected to be put upon the market.
One very noticeable defect was that q
sheet could not be seen until the writ
ing was completed and the plan OF
printing through the paper against tho
ribbon was bad, necessitating, as it did.
the use of tissue paper entirely.
One of the letters written on the first
typewriter was sent to James Dens-
more, Meadville, Pa. and he was so
impressed by the invention that he
asked to become financially interested
in improving it. He was permitted to
join the enterprise by paying all ex-
penses up to date and was given q
fourth interest in the machine. fIo
did not see the invention until 1868.
He regarded it as valuable only be-
cause it demonstrated the feasibility
of machine writing, and he encouraged
Mr.. Sholes to persevere in bringing it
to a state of perfection, offering to pay
all expenses. A shop started at Chi
cago was abandoned after fifteen ma
chimes had been made, and Messrs
Soule and Glidden drew out Of the en-
terprise, Mr.. Sholcs then fitting up
workshop in a little stone building in
the milling. district of Milwaukee,
where water power from a canal was
available. This building has since dis
appeared. Within it's 1ingy walls the
work of perfecting the invention
progressed, and by dint Of work that
was wearing on the patience and en-
ergy of the inventor, q machine that
was considered complete was finally
turned out. 1t was put in the hands OF
a stenogra pher, and afterward sent to
James Clephane, of Washington. whose
opinion was considered valuable. Mr..
Clephane tried the machine, and it
gave way literally under the test. An
other was sent him, and in the course
of time several, each having some inn
provement, met similar fate. For
once Mr.. Sholes dcspaired, but Mr..
Dens1nore insisted that it was really
the salvation of the invention, show
ing the weak spots that would injure
it in the market, and laid stress on the
necessity of producing machine that
anyone could use. In 1873 the machine
was thought to be completely worked
out as to detail, and the proprietoxs