The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-11-17

in perfect Greer; II boy to mould the
metal once. uaed hocl< into blocks; the
metal. mud veur and tear of the ma
| chimes, and the capital invested. These
| ttrma Vnry, In very large Office
| they amount TO "a comparatively small
| sum per thousand ems, but in small
office they add no inconsderabIe sum
60 the cost of composition. How much
can only be told after six months or
| d years experience.
In many. offices the introduction OF
| machines has not reduced the cost
Of composition ON the whole, but has
permitted the publication of much
more reading matter without addi-
tonal cost. But in most of the smaller
offices there has been considerable
saving on the weekly pay roll.
When the Linotype was first intro
duced in 1S86, there was much bitter
| prejudice and violent opposition, and
for time its progress was slow. But
the fact that there are 5000 machines
in operation, distributed the world
over, is the best evidence of their sue
cess and utility.
In most of the Offices where intro
duced, there is no change of the re-
lation existing between the Office ana
the Typographical Union. The prin-
| ters are taken from the case and learn
ed to operate the machines. In some
ploy such operators as they choose
and terminate their relations with the
Union. In Washington and New
York the relationship with the Union
continues. In Richmond and Atlanta
the morning papers have no relation
with the Union. In Raleigh, this paper
long to the Union.
1t is hoped by the management of
this paper that the introduction Of
these machines, the first that have
been brought to North Carolina, will
enable the company to give its pa
irons much better paper at de-
experiment as yet, and we make no
promises
And just here It is worthy of note
that the type setting machine is
North Carolina invention, the first
one being invented and patented by
Fenton G. Foster, of Franklin county.
1t was called the wild Goose Type
setting Machine" and embodied the
principle of every type setting machine
since. The Mergenthaler especially is
built on much the same principle, ex
cept that movable type were used in.
the "Wild Goose" Machine in
stead of matrix and consequently the
work of adjusting and distributing
had to be done by hand instead of by
the machine. The ''Wild Goose" ma
chine had the type writer keyboard,
just as is used on the Mergenthaler
and the type travelled down an inclin-
ed plane and assembled in a line, just
as in the present case.
Mr.. Foster was a plain farmer and
lived near Louisburg, but at the time
of his invention he was associate edi-
tor Of the Keystone Masonic paped
published in Raleigh about twenty
five years ago, and the Farm and
Fireside," an agricultural and family
newspaper. After patenting his ma
chine he sold half interest in it to
capitalists in New York for $4,000.
But, owing to the fact that the type
had to be adjusted and distributed by
hand and consequently no labor was
saved, the machine was never put into
practical operation. 1t, however,
stimulated inventive genius by calling
attention to the great need for prac-
teal machine of it's kind and furnish
ed the only idea on which such a ma
chine can be constructed. The per-
lection Of Mr.. Focter's ideas are seen
to-day in the Mergenthaler machine.
But, as is generally the case with
great inventions, the original inventor
has not lived to see his ideas put into
practical operation or reaped any of
the rewards.