New-York tribune., 1901-08-04
RrCOGyTzNG Ay OLD FRIEND

Progressive Western nations laugh at the slow
Oriental aFriculturst who scratches the surface OF
his microscopic grain field with antediluvian
plough Of bent wood. Yet people who fail visit
the great expositions and critically 20 examine the
progressive exhibits there equally behind the
times
The writer hereof forcibly reminded while
reading a Sunday story from the Pan-American. OF
"A corr0borative incident within his own experience
concerning a certain remarkable combination OF
iron, steel. nickel and brains, called the Oliver
typewriter Having some business transactions %
negotiate few days which required the inter
ventiou OF of greatest express companies.
the writer was surprised to find that the foreign
billing" hitherto done with the pen. was all neatly
clearly and beautifully executed in type. the figures
evidently typewritten. while the ruling. both YER
tcal and horizontal was as accurately done as
though by some manufacturing stationer.
How do YOU manage to get these forms prepared
so quickly and accurately" ne asked. prompted by
that curiosity that often brings grist to the
newspaper mans mill Don't have them prepared.
Do them on the spot. vas the hurried reply But
inqulsitive scribe. oliver; thirteen Of them,' an
undaunted scribe may a mere mortal ask for an
other minute of your priceless time? Who these
tb4n9a Thirteen oliver typewriters Do All our
foreign bingnd DO ro n sISa 9f EurTaT a9&eu WIN
That was the clew which, duly followed up. led
achievement in useful mechanism. The writer had
more than once sought 70 supplement the lraslie
N
writer. but there had always proved to be iuSuper-
able objections. there seemed TO be- radical dlr-
ference between the ideas that boiled upon the
ivory keys and the wretched tarrdgO OF bad spell
ing and nonsense impressed upside down on the
paper and slowed away out OF sight until too late
for rectihca Therefore his delight in the dis
coverv of the Oliver may be imagined on II each
word and sentence clicked off could be reread and
all errCrs i detected and corrected
subsequently. in conversation with Mr. smith,
whom he called for further enIiEhtenment-as TO
the reception accorded the little wonder by the pub
lie that gentleman said. The most progressive
business and corporations taking II up
Thev must have the very fest-the machine thaI
Will turn out the and the best copy. with the
least tax upon the operator and with the least la
bility to accident delay. Right there. however
they meet an obStaCle-the typeWritlnE young lady
she whose nimble fingers tap out the characters.
hen she Is stopping 10 grasp the carriage ana
invert IL, TO what the nendlsh type have been
doing since looked, second or two earlier
There are hundreds and thousands or these type
writer's who will not listen TO any criticlsms upon
the old machines Men operators who give the
Oliver a fair trial sure 10 adopt IT, But women
gDerators well. they conservative; and their
education typewrters has been upon the old
machines They used 10 their perverStries.
their weaknesses their shortcomings and their IN
Verted way of looking at things II the women
could be brought TO realiZe-Or. rather when they
have been brought realiZe-the great gain In not
lifting up their carriages some thousands OF times
in a day and in being able to proceed unnterrupt-
edly with their printing they would then, perhaps
consent TO be bettered
"A fairly good office operator whose spelling
is not rraakish. and whose presence is bestowed
upon her employers with commendab Bile regularity.
receives a salary let say, OF fifteen dollars PER
weelS-after Il very little practice with machine
she could make herself worth eighteen dollars and
work nearly so hard.