The times., 1899-10-29

thaler died at his home here at o'c'ock
this morning He had been suffering with
consumption for several years. but did not
give up his business completely until about
two weeks ago. since which time he had
been confined TO his room most Of the time.
He was attended by Dr. Samuel c. Chew
At the time Of his death his family was
with him. including his wife and four cnii-
dreu. He sank rapidly yesterday. but was
conscious this morning up TO the time o.
his death, passing away Immediately after
hemorrhage. Mr.. Mergenthaler had made
several trips to the Adirondacks, to New
Mexico, and to other parts of the country
for the benefit of his health. but got no
relief. Arrangements have not yet been
made as 10 the funeral Services viii
probably be held on Tuesday.
oumar Mergenthaler. creator Of the
Linotype machine which bears his name,
was born in wurttemberg. Germany,
May 10, 1854 He was the third born
in a family OF FIVE children. and was the
son Of Johann GeoTg Mergenthaler. His
father was a teacher in the public schools
OF the kingdom and his mother was the
AdNBIAeI OF q Le&cneT. his ancestors lot
several generations had been teachers and
ii was TO this profession that Ottmar was
devoted by his parents. When OFT
mar attained his fourteenth year ii was
determined that he should enter a semi
nary. the boy having completed the course
prescribed in the primary schools, and
that in this seminary he should receive
his training as a teacher. Ottmar did
not regard with favor the career which
haH haaT for i'm 11-
The bent Of his mind was 10 mechanics
He had maintained the village clock in
repair, frequently adjusting and renewing
defective parts. He liked TO watch ma
Chinery at work and to study problems in
mechanics. He sweTved from the path
which his parents would have had him
follow. and he was apprenticed to one
Hahl, a kinsman. who was a watch and
clockmaker at Bietgheim, in Wurttemberg,
q city with population Of four thousand.
He entered upon his apprenticeship with
enthusiasm in May, 1868 and while learn
ing his trade attended night and Sunday
schools. II was in these schools that he
pursued the study of mechanical drawings
which later proved Of incalculable ad-
vantage to him, enabling him to draft
his own inventions and designs.
His term OF apprenticeship which ac-
cOrding to the local custom was four years
expired in 1872. and TO avoid compulsory
enlistment in the army, and to hunt for
tune in the New. World, he came TO Amer
lea. He landed at Baltimore in October,
1872. and came directly TO Washington. His
capital was his trade a trunk of clothing,
and $50. Mr.. Hahl. a son OF the man under
whom Ottmar Mergenthaler had served
his apprenticeship, in the Cos opened an
establishment al Washington for the man
ufaCture OF electrical instruments Ii was
10 MIA 1o1e
for employment. and it is said that within
two years he had become the leading work
man in the Hahl establishment. He worked
extensively on electrical clocks and bells
and on the various electrical appliances
used by the United States Signal Service.
II is said that most OF the necessary ex-
periments on these instruments were car
Tied out under the direction Of Mr.. Mer-
genthsler He was particularly apt in the
manual treatment Of intricate devices and
was quick to appTehend the ideas Of in
ventors. Mr.. Mergenthaler came in con-
tact with many inventors. He lived in a
oongenial atmosphere. When Mr.. Hahl re-
moved his establishment to Baltimore, Mr..
Nergenthaler went with him.
The LfthOgraphic Machines.
A biogTapher Of MeTgenthaIer. in discuss
Ing the Ithographic rotary machines,
which we're among the first attempts TO
oisplace typesetting by hand. has written:
1T vas one day early IN August. 1876
that a gentleman called at the Hahl shop
in Baltimore. and introduced himself as
Charles Moore. of West Virginia. He was
the inventor OF what he called a writing
machine and wanted TO make terms for
Temedying its defective workmanship TO
which he attributed the failure OF his
machine. As the financial sponsors of his
invention he named J. o. Clephane Lewis
Clephane, Maurice Pechin. and j. H. Cros-
man. all Of Washington Mr. Mergenthaler
thoroughly examined the machine, and
found that not quality OF workmanship
but errors Of construction were the main
causes why the machine did not perform
as was expected. He gave the problem
some serious thought. and soon saw his
way clear to overcome some OF its defects
by remodeling the machine and at the
same time TO simplify it greatly. He so
informed Mr. Hail. who thereupOn con-
tracted with the proper parties for the
reconstruction Of the Moore writing ma
chine. guaranteeing 10 demonstrate the
practicability Of the plan, by making at
least seven. letters, including the widest
and narrowest print. clear and sharp on a
page OF paper. and spacing each letter cor
rectly IN proportion TO its width. The
general idea Of Mr.. Moore's machine was to
produce by typewriting a print just like
that produced from printers type, the idea
being 10 avoid the cost Of typesetting and
10 multiply the work so made by the
lithographic process. The remOdeled
Moore machine was completed and Eer-
formed all that was expected of IL. There
upon, full-sized machine was constructed
by Mr.. Mergenthaler. he making his OWL
drawings and doing most OF he mechani-
cal work himself The machine was I'm
ished IN the summer OF 1877, and printing
on an endless marrow strip worked very
rapidly mixed composition could be done
with great ease by means OF a single shift
Ing Of the type wheel carrying Roman and
Italic faces; the spacing Of the letters
seemed 10 be very accurate. and the print
was sharp and clear. But when the inter
ested parties came TO the final stage OF the
process-the lithographin turned out
that the conditions underlying the litho-
graphic process were far more exactina
than il was thought they would be- The
stone failed to take all the impressions OF
the original copy; it often showed blurs
where nothing seemed to be wrong with
the original, and the work lacked sharp
ness and regularity Of result. There were
too many processes, failure in any one OF
them resulting in entire failure OF. al
least. in greatly impairng the quality OF
the work II the printing machine there
might be too much or too little ink used
the paper was not always properly covered
with q starch coat. sometimes the papeI
caught oil while running through the ma
chine the operators would touch il with
greasy hands etc"
In some Instances ii is said that the sys-
TEN worked satisfactorily, and some COM