The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-11-10
TYPEWRITER DOCTORS.
Men Who Go from Once to Once
Repairing the Machineo.



These 60 about from Office to office
putting machines in repair, and the
reason for their great activity this
month is on account Of the return Of
the regular operator from the summer
vacation. ALI this sounds enigmatical
But 1t is true, says the New York San.
When = typewriter goes away upon
her vacation she gets substitute to
sit in her place and do her work. The
substitute appears promptly the first
day, takes of the tin inclosure from
the celluloid keys, gives q gentle s'tap!
tap!" and throws up her hands in hor-
ror. She cannot use . machine that
works SO hard. Where is the man who
regulates typewriters, and will he not
come to make the machine work easier?
This he does, and for two weeks all
goes well. Then the regular operator
comes home.
The regular operator is proud, nay,
naughty. She feels that the machine
must of necessity have been spoiled by
the substitute, and her senses are keen
~ alert for faults in the machine. The
first tap tells her that it works too
easily, and the second convinces her
that the action is SO light that she will
make mistakes every minute. So the
typewriter doctor is called to put the
machine back precisely as it was.
= There is large life insurance build
ing up town where regular call is left
for the typewriter repairer. He APP
pears usually at one o'clock and puts
in the rest of his day regulating the
machines. Sometimes he does not get
around until the middle of the after
noon, and then there is a great call
for him. Some one of the one hundred
and fifty machines in the building is
sure to be out of order, and the oper-
ator must sit idle until the repairs are
made. The repairer must carry ink
ribbons and all the smaller parts of
type machines. for there is no telling
what part may have yielded to the
strain of vigorous hands. There are
over one hundred men employed in this
way in New York city. For the most
part they are in the pay of the type
writing establishments, and are sent
out by them. A few work independents
ly, but the work does not pay them
then very we'll, and they finally give it
up and go in the employ of the large
concerns.
1t is said by the machine doctors that
the typewriters are as sensitive as hui
man beings and know who is handling
them. A good machine that has been
properly treated 'sulks" when new
and unslilled hands take hold Of it,
and sometimes it refuses to work. As
soon as it feels the regular stroke of
its own operator it is all right. This
is typewriter's superstition. And
strange to saw it turns out in accord
ance with actual fact.
All sorts Of things ''happen" to type
writing machines. Sometimes they
fall on the door as the Office boy moves
them for the sweep woman to do her
work. Occasionally they are expert
mented upon by the same small boysto
their own great detriment; and, again,
they are treated to doses of oil of . sort
not recommended rs good for their In
ternal machinery. Nobody seems to
reason that the machines are valuable
and that new one means something
like q one-hundred-dollar bill for the
owner of the Office.
"Why do the typewriting machine
companies keep repairers?" was asked
of = man who makes q business of keep
ing . certain kind Of machine in order.
Because they are obliged to do 20
to defend the reputation Of their ma.
chincs," replied the rcpairer. "Sup-
pose new machine got out OF order
and the company would not repair It
unless 1t great cost. Why, that ma
chine company would get the blacklist
kind of black eye from all who vis-
tied the Office where the defective ma
chine rested. They are obliged to do
it for their own sake"