Evening star., 1898-05-28


Some years ago. when typewriting was
introduced in the public departments. re-
marked an old typewriter to a Star report
er. there was a great fear expressed that
the work would rot hold out in comparison
with the pen writing: that the ink used
would fade away. and that in twenty-five
years or SO " would be entirely obliterated
and the record entirely gone. / am willing
to admit that the ink used when typewrit-
were originally introduced was not as
good as IT should be and by no means as
good as that which soon followed. but. as
far as / have been able to ascertain by
frequently referring to typewriting done as
far back twenty years ago. there are
no signs of deterioration. The aniline inks
now Ised are practically everlasting, IL
that word can be used in connection with
any ink. / find that the ink used in pen
writing fifty of sixty years ago, and in
some instances less. shows considerable
signs of fading out, though in many in
stances it seems to be as good as when it
was first used. The difference in favor of
typexriting is that typewriting is the same
all the time, while very few of even the
best clerks always write clear hand. Some
of the very old pen writing in The records
of some of the departments is very poor
for the reason that it was very poorly writ
ciphered with the greatest difficulty. and in
cases of proper names this delays searches
considerably. With typewriting the initials
OF names and the names themselves are as
plain as the rest. leaving no room for doubt
and causing no extra searches to corrobO-
rate them. Another advantage in favor of
typewriting is that more is put on the sheet
and the size of the record is corresponding
ly decreased. for there is no chance for
fourlshes. which. while easy enough to
read when fresh. are not easily read after
ward. The State Department has never al
lowed a typewriter to be used in that de-
partrrent. though they accept letters from
the other departments so written. Secre-
tarleS Olney and Sherman both endeavored
10 get typewriters introduced. but the ma
chtnery of the department and the desire
10 be foreign in evsfy respect, was too
much fo- them OF course. should any of
the real foreign offices start in with type-
writers our State Department would fol-
low suit in an hour afterward for il is
estimated that 1t costs the government
about three times as much to have letters
written by hand in the old-fa shioned way
as II does by the modern systems and type
writer's"
fhe particular purpose OF the office of
building inspector Is not thoroughly under
stood, explained one of the officials of the
District building inspectors Office to n Star
reporter, especially by those who have not
been engaged in building operations. All
kinds of questions in connection with party
walls are under the supervision of the build
ing inspector. and he and his assistants
answer freely. and without fee, every pos
sioie question that may arise There are a
numoer of people who are actually suffering
from incOnveniences in connection With
party walls which could be settled very
quickly and satisfactorily If applica tic.a
were made for the settlement of the same
Of course, the building Inspectors office
does not hunt around for such cases but
1t is perfectly willing to state the exact
rights that each party to a dividing wall
mas ir application is made for the fnforma-
tion. and IL Is his duty to settle such matters
III called upon. Party wall questions are as
rule difficult. but that law ia very clear
IN most instances. and there is but little
trouble in settling them. There Is but little
necessity TO hire lawyers in such matters
Tor axyers an only give to those who en-
pioy them the Information that the building
inspector gives out freely on applica ton
only recently case came to our informa-
ton where lady had paid out over 500
Tor a supposed damage she had done to a
party wall by removing her stable The
person who owned a stable adjoining sought
to have her wall again strengthened, and
wanted to have it done at the expense OF
her neighbor. She would have been able
TO do so. too had not a friend informed
the party who was supposed to be doing the
damage that the fault was on the other
wanted the wall strengthened she would
nave TO 90 SO at her own expense"
The newspaper of today, as far as its
Illustrations. maps and the like are con-
cerned. Is far in advance of the newspaper
printed during the war of the rebellion.
said Cen John Franklin to a Star reporter.
Take the pictures recently printed in The
Star Of Admiral Dewey and his officers
the vessels of the fleets the map of Cuba
prominent army officers, &C. in MANY
cases nalf-toned prints. the equal of pho
tographs. Such work could not have been
uone ten years ago even. for the simple
reason that the processes by which tley
are done had not been developed then ard
IL was simply out of the question during
the war of the rebellion. i. was rare in
those days that paper ever ventured to
print picture. and the best they could do
Vas by wood cut. which took several
days TO make. Now the half-tone can be
got ready in n couple of hours after the
occasion for il arises. The New York
Herald and Philadelphia Inquirer were
about the only papers that printed maps
during that war. but the maps were moth
Ing In comparison with those in country
papers nowadays The soldier boys. how