The times., 1899-10-29

announced to his Washington friends and
hackers that he had completed the plans
for his perfected machine, and stated that
his financial condition would not permit
him to put his designs into operative form.
The necessary fund was furnished, and Mr..
Mergenthaler came to Washington for con-
sultation with the prominent shareholders,
and within one day returned TO Baltimore
with ten subscriptions of 5000 each as a loan
to enable him to begin the building of the
perfected Linotype. There was a reorgani-
zation of the company in January, 1889, and
a new board of directors was elected, which
board chose L. G. Hine as president and
general manager. One of the first acts OF
the new board was to assume the cost of
the work on the improved machine with
which Mr.. Mergenthaler was busted, and
to give to him assurance of the good will
of the new management. A new superin-
tendent of manufacture was appointed and
earnest efforts were put forth to secure or
ders The improved machine was given a
practical trial in 1889 and proved itself to
be far superior to those built from earlier
plans 1t excelled them in the matter Of
speed, quality of work, and strength. The
single fault found was that il was too
heavy. It was alleged that this was due
10 the craftsman 1t was decided TO tighten
the pdlltlLS dS LiuNLA dS EOSoiblt anu "
build from them a second machine which
was to serve as the model for large num-
bers to be built thereafter. This machine
was finished in February, 1890, and was ex-
hibited at the Judge" Building in New
York, under the direction of Messrs. Mer-
genthaler, Stilson Hutchins. J. o. Gle
phane. and Abner Greenleaf
Demand for the Mnchines.
The exhibition resulted in several hun
dred orders for machines within a few
months The prejudices OF the printing
trade had been overcome and there was
no longer any difficulty in leasing Limo
types to newspapers. The 1888 machine
was a great money saver, but the 1890
machine was twice as fast did better
work and required neither aiTblast nor
electricity. The first machines of the i'm
proved model to enter into commercial
use were those installed in the composing
room of the Brooklyn Standard Union" in
October, 1890. 1t is said that the installa-
tion of the machines at this office was
of particular significance, not so much
because of the size and standing of the
newspaper, but because of the fact that
it was an Office within the jurisdiction
of the Typographical Union. II meant that
the resistance which the union had Of
and that henceforth there would be no
obstacle to placing Linotype machines in
other union offices. 1t was, it is said.
concession on the part of the union that
the merit of the machine made it irresist
ibIe So far the invention had been free
from imitators and infTingements. The
first infringement on the Linotype was the
Rogers Typograph. 1t was extensively ad-
vertised and was introduced into some
newspaper offices. The Mergenthaler com
pany through the law firm of Belts, At
terbury, Hyde, & Belts, of New York, ap
piled for an injunction on March H. 1891
The injunction was issued and was sus-
tanned. The final appeal of the Rogers
Typograph Company was decided adverse
ly to it in December, 1894.
In April, 1890 a contract was given to
the inventor for the construction OF 100
machines at a cost of 81 200 each. In April.
1891, the New Orleans Times Democrat"
was equipped with Linotypes, and the
equipment of the Cincinnati Commercial" "
Montgomery Advertiser" Atlanta Con-
stitution, Troy Press, New York Com
mercial Bulletin" and the Albany Jour
nal quickly followed.
In 1891 there was another reorganization
of the Linotype interests, and consolida-
ton of the Mergenthaler and National
Topographic companies, under the name
of the Mergenthaler Linotype Company Of
New Jersey. with a capital stock u So
900, 900, $4,000, goo of which was equally d.
yided between the stockholders in the MsF-
genthaler Printing Company and the Ma
tional Topographic Company while the re-
naming 81 600 600 was placed in the treas
L to be sold, that additional capital might