The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-18

Gnen moro than 5000 GypoWriOoro IN use
south Of Fulton street and east OF Broad
way, and that throughout the city the num-
berof high-class machines In daily operation
exceeded 5000. Chicago, twas estimated,
used $4,000; Philadelphia, 14,5oo; Bos-
ton, 6,ooo; st. Louis, 4,7oo; Baltimore,
1890; Washington, $500; Cincinnati,
$500, and San Francisco, 5000, while
Cleveland. Buffalo. Pittsburg and Detroit
used more than 1000 machines each. In
not n Of q dozen smaller cities Of the
Union were to DO found lees than 500, and
some Of them had as many a. 1900. The
total number in use In the United States
was placed at 100, ooo.
Since 1899 the manufacture and sale Of
typewriters has greatly increased. No
statement Of the exact number made and
used at the present time is available; 1t
certainly exceeds half amillion, and reaches
perhaps ~three-quarters Of q million. Agen-
Giles for the sale Of the machines and dealers
In typewriter supplies are located In every
city and In many small towns Of the coun-
try. The number Of schools In which type
writing L. taught IL estimated to be 1900,
attended by more than 10000 pupils, q
large majority Of whom are women.
Perhaps no other distinctly American In
dustry has been 30 little affected by foreign
competition as has that under oonsldera-
ton. Despite repeated attempts on the
part Of people Of other nations to devise
writing machines which would supplant
those made In this country, the American
product is to-day as much q favorite abroad
as 1t is at home. In fact America praoti-
cally supplies the demand for typewriters
all over the world. The expectation Of them
during the past eight years has probably
been about one-third Of the entire produc-
ton. The total value Of the typewriting
machines and parts exported during the
fiscal year ending on June 80, 1897, was
S1.5ee,e1e.
The business Of typewriter making lately
has become even more extensive and Inn
portant than was predicted ten years ago
by Its most sanguine promoters. This Is
due partly to the fact that the public's
great appreciation Of tho machine has In
many quarters resulted In causing its use
to be insisted upon, and partly to numerous
improvements which, from o mechanical
point Of view, have rendered It more desir-
able and have enlarged it's field Of usefulness.
The successful introduction, also, Of a type
writer for use upon books is another note
worthy feature Of the industry. From the
time the machine first made its appearance
attempts have been made to construct an
instrument which could be used as well upon
bound pages as upon loose sheets. The OBJ
ject was not accomplished, however, until
recently. Book typewriters are now In
great demand on both sides Of the water,
and their sale promises to make business
brisk for the manufacturers.
The typewriter's rapid progress in the
last few years seems almost incredible In
view OF its extremely slow development
vising a machine that would record words
appears to have been first conceived in
TIA. In that year HENRY MILL OF Eng
land patented and produced a continuance
for the purpose Of printing embossed
letters for the blind, and, strangely
enough, it Is said that his invention
had several characteristics in common with
our modern typewrtters. Seventy years
passed before the invention Of another
writing machine. This appeared In France.
In 1929 q typewriter was patented by W..
A BURT, ar American. In 1888 France
was again in line with a queer-looking ma
chine called the "~ktypograph," which was
designed to write music as we'll as
words. Ten years later a resident Of
Worcester. Mass, contrived q typewriter,
the most Objectionable feature of which
was its slowness Of operation. Next came
the invention. In 1850, Of o. T. EDDY of
Baltimore, whose device was intricate and
otherwise unsatisfactory. From that time
until the invention of JOHN PRATT of Ala
bama, in 1855, four or Ave American pat
ents were issued for similar machines, but
none OF them was Of much practical value.
PRATT's patent wa closely followed by nu-
merous others, from which the modern
typewriters have been evolved.
Judging from the present activity OF in
v~entors, the machines evolution is still
progressing at a lively rate. The number
Of typewriter patents granted In the United
States during 1897 was 90. and at the be-
ginning OF this year the number granted
since 1880 had reached 1,41o. There ap-
pears to be 40 doubt, therefore, considering
the machines popularity and rapid improve
ment. that the universal demand for Amer
lean typewriters will continue to increase
as time goes on.
A Frank Reply.