The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-09
STORY BY MAJ. DEFREES
HE RECALLS THE TIME WHEN HIS
FATHER WAS PUBLIC PRINTER.
The Ownership of Team of Horses
Caused Friendly RivaIry-First
Typesetting Machine.

story that combines both grave and gay
features was related recently by Major
Thomas NJ. Defrees. "In the year 1888.
said he. my father John ID. Defrees went
TO Washington. after disposing of his news
paper interests I'm Indianapolis. Arrived in
the National Capital he and man named
Wendell started a large printing and bind
ing establishment, and secured the contract
for the government printing. In 1861 Con-
gress passed a law requiring the govern
ment to do its own printing and. since the
establishment of Defrees x Wendell was
really too large TO run private account
1t was sold TO the government, and my
father was appointed public printer. My
father was Of course, a Republican, and
oddly enough, Wendell was a strong Dem
ocrat. The two families resided on opposite
= sides of the same street and could easily
call over to each other when either had
anything to communicate to the other
The government. at that time. provided a
carriage and a team of horses for the pub
lie printer. This carriage. OF course, stood
on our side of the street during the time
father was public printer. One morning
however. after the death of President Lin
coin, Mr.. Wendell called over to my father
and said, % John, tomorrow night that
carriage will be on my side of the street
Sure enough, he was right. He was ap-
pointed public printer TO succeed my father
and the carriage and team went across the
street.
The first time Wendell drove away from
his house in the government carriage he
called out in bantering tone John | am
going TO sell these horses. They are entirely
TOO slow fer me- 1 expect they are good
enough for Republican. but they are not
rapid enough for Democrat Accordingly.
Mr.. Wendell sold the team and bought a
pair that were rather skittish Wen. the
carriage and horses remained on the Wen
dell side of the street just two weeks when
Mr. Wendell was relieved of his Office and
father was reappointed public printer So
the equipage shifted to the Defrees side of
tho street. As father got i'm the carriage
the next morning to go down to his office
ne called over to Wendell and said Wen
dell, / am afraid these pesky horses will
run away with me- l wish you had made
sure OF your job before you bought new
horses, because they are too wild for me
and shall have to sell them
a TYPE SETTING MACHINE
My father had an unusually interesting
experience during the latter part of his
tenure of office of public printer" con-
tinued Major Defrees. Some time i'm the
year 1864 an inventor brought a peculiar
looking machine into his office and placed
II on the desk. Ii was model OF a ma
chine that would set type and believe it
was the first type setting machine that
was ever invented OF course. il WAS very
crude as compared with the present-day-
linotype machine. il used type that were
ST
type casts its own type. The type tina.
we're used in this primitive affair had
grooves so arranged that the machine
could catch hold of them and set them in
a printers stick. but the machines use
fulness ended right there. IL would not dis
tribute type. The inventor was naturally
the center OF an interested group OF com
positors who worked in fathers office lie
explained the machine 10 them with con-
siderable attention TO detail. and the lttI
group of spectators seemed thoroughly all
sorbed In his explanation. as indeed they
naturally were. Well, the inventor went
away from the Office. saying that he would
call for the machine in a few days. Days
heightened into weeks. but the inventor
failed TO put in his appearance. Father
made every effort, through the patent Of
fee. TO find out something of the mans
whereabouts. but without avail The ma
chine sat about the office as long as father
was public printer. and is there yet. unless
II has been thrown into the scrap pile. The
suspicion was always entertained. though
never voiced. that one or more of that little
group OF compositors, seing in the model
of that wonderful machine a menace 10
their way of earning bread for their fami-
lies and themselves. determined TO rid the
world OF such a dangerous individual II
this is the true explanation OF the mystery
the men believed that by putting the In
ventor out OF the way they would destroy
the Invention. Their plans miscarried."