The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-22
Curious OLD TYPEWRTTERs.
some Queer. Looking Specimens That Mark
the Machines Development.

the nnaCnineb De~vetOpmeut.
As early as INA a typewriting machine was
made and patented by Henry Mil In England,
and, strangely enough Mr.. Mills invention
had several features in common with writing
machines OF the present. II was designed mainly
to print embossed letters for the blind. The
machine was Of little commercial value and
served chiefly to mark the commencement
Of the typewriter era. Since that invention
a legion Of devices, ingenious and otherwise.
have been made TO do the work Of the pen.
Most of them have had only a small sale; but,
even If they proved to he failures commercially,
they opened the way for other inventions which
were destined to completely fill the require
ments. Probably nowhere outside OF the
Patent once at Washington Is to be found
a larger collection Of curious old type " riters
than may be seen In the shops OF dealers in
secondhand writing machines In this city.
The reporter visited recently the ofioe OF q
dealer, who has perhaps handled, at one time
or another, every machine of this sort which
has met with any marked degree OF success
in the last twenty years. In cabinets and
showcases and on shelves and tables through
out his place may be seen specimens OF queer
and awkward-lookins contrivances intended
TO supplant the pen, whose constr uction has
bewildered and perpleIed the minds Of type
writer inventors during the period named.
One Of the fret curios to attract the at
tention Is a device called the Coffee MIL"
This is a small, lightweight machine. insiG-
niflcant in appearance, with a metal disk at
the top and "a hard rubber knob by means Of
which the operator does his work. To the
ordinary observer the Coffee Mill" AZ once
suggests the little machine so generally used
for perforating bank checks. inasmuch as Its
manipulation whirls the knob around on the
disk until he finds the character no wishes TO
print and then depresses 1t through a groove.
which guides the type to its proper place. To
Judge from a brief illustration OF its possibili-
ties, a fairly expert operator upon 1t would
require nearly "A fortnight to do what would
be regarded generally as a days WORK for the
average amanuensls.
Conspicuous among other relics Of the type
writer's history was a machine called the Dan
ish Writing Globe" which. as its name InplIes,
Is a device OF foreign make, EVER, part OF II,
except the type and springs. was Of FURNISHED
brass, and in APPEARANCE ii was n rart 81 a globe
supported VI on a square frame OF brass;
Through the top OF me convex part projected
the upper end bearing a letter Of the alphabet.
and when one Of the disks. or keys, was de.
pressed by the finger Il printed a letter on tho
paper beneath. Al the top OF the oval tho
wires were spread out over a space OF perhaps
i've or six inches. while beneath they were all
concentrated at a given point. below which was
between the type and the paper. The roller
which guided the paper was scarcely larger
than 6ne's, finger. and Us movement was 40
; FSaD!'s aSiidn BY & If tSG SS e !%r SiRis..'Ss COB By x ss:
ingenious and extremely serviceablc as q key TO
future typewriter development. 1t was in Itself
One OF the first machines to take the place of
sgS o." v pe'" the Columbia. a " heel ds sV s@e
XotwtthstaHdinS the 9ds fact q, that thls o was the
other similar machines, Its own career was not
permanent Ii consisted Of a wheel Of metal
type standing on edge over n bar or roller Of
rubber. which carried the paper. The wheel
had to be- revolved and moved along as each
letter was desired, and, when the proper place
was found, pressed down to make an impression.
Az the ty pes Of this machine We're metal. mani
fold work could be done upon II but the device
was not durable and was abandoned. II had a
speed of about 900 words an hour, OF about 40
or 5o words less than could be- written In that
time.
K fat and complicated specimen. which
occupied the centre OF n row OF mechanical
curosities, was known as the "Maskelne'
was in plain sight Of the OPERATOR. ~ were also
the type levers. and when the latter were In
motion they reminded one of a lot Of grass
hoppers sprin ging from one point 10 another,
The "Naskcline" was made in England and IN
many ways showed evidences Of It's foreign
construction. u war, however, by no means
n useless machine, and in many important
respects II resembles some of the typewrters
In Use IN this country to-day,
Another machine OF. English manufacture
was unique By reason Of the ~uncomrnonly small
size Of It's key board Each KEY, however,
represented four characters--for example, two
letters Of tho alphabet and two nuplerdls, The
operator OF this typewriter. should have had
no trouble In memorzinG the position Of the
KEYS, but how 10 strike accurately the various
types thoy represented through the manipuls-
tInn Of other key and levers must have been
quito n different matter.
Naturally, rs America is the acknowledged
home Of tho tvp ewriter, more specimens Of the
work of American inventors in this line are 10
be seen than OF that Of other na'ionalit!es. One
Is strongly impressed while examining the differ
emit models, particularly those ~ the United
States and England, by the greater simplicity,
comparatively, of those made In this country.
The latter are, for the most part, peculiar for
their absence of the springs, wires, levers and
writer's Of foreign make so complex and difficult
of repair.
There were also the -Automatlc.' n long and
heavy contrivpnce; the Boston" a somewhat
crude device of more or less utility: tho Typo
graph" q machine approaching closely In con-
~striction the typewritors OF the present. and
the e. Road" typewriter, conspicuous for Its
smallness, simplicity and all-round uselessness
for practical work.
II would be unfair 10 overlook the real pioneer
Of American writing machines. invented about
thirty years a9o-the Sholes 4 0lidd~n ma
chine. Although this model Is large and clumsy
IN appearance It's essential details correspond
In a strtkin9 manner 10 the mechanism ~ the
49, - .1. - rls.r. To- ,aA az pr>s.