The Washington times., 1903-11-30
THE ELLIOTT & HATCH
BOOK TYPEWRITER

Tx EEEtOI q TIA III
BOOK TYPEWRITER
The Elliott & Hatch book typewrite;
is a machine intended primarily TO write
in record books. A company was organ
lied to manufacture and sell the ma
chine, with Walter p. Hatch as general
manager. II. J. Gensler, one of the
stenographers of the United States SEN
ate. was in August. 1887. given the agen-
cy for Maryland, Virginia, and the Dis
trict Of Columbia.
The machine was not a success. On
January a. 1899, the postmaster at
Brooklyn. n. Y, 20 whom three ma
chimes had been sent, wrote. asking that
they be taken away, stating that they
were useless and an incumbrance to his
Office. The postmaster at Chicago mott
fed the department that they were Of
no advantage to him; that the clerks
could do the work better and faster by
hand.
The work done upon these typeWrit-
ers was of such an unsatisfactory char
acter thar the clerks of the INSPECTING
divisions Of the Auditors office protest,
ed against their use Their protest was
transmitted to the First Assistant Post
master General by a. L. I.awshe. Acting
Auditor. suggesting that the use of tho
typewriter be discontinued.
Gensler to Hatch
ON September %. 1898. Gensler wrote
Hatch as follows:
% ! have Mr.. Eyler's letter of the I'D.
concerning the No machine which was
delivered to the postmaster at Allen
town, Pa, who only wants to pay $40
for same. He does not cut any ice.
You will notice from the copy
of the letter received by me this morn
ing from the Postofice Department.
sent you under another cover. that the
postmaster has been authorized to pay
500 for that machine, and you can bet
that he VIII pay IL p d. q. or he VIII be
hauled up with a jerk
"Gensler's correspondence plainly indi-
Gates that he had an understanding with
Beavers 10 furnish his machines when
requested by postmasters. But re-
quests Did not come In fast enough. and
Beavers furnished the Elliott & Hatch
when other machines were asked for.
The postmaster at Erie. Pa. request
ed an allowance of $50 to purchase a
Fisher book typewriter. but il was de-
elined; and one week later he was fur
nished an Elliott & Hatch, for which
he was ordered 10 pay 500
"On October 80 1889. the postmaster
at Council Bluffs, Iowa. asked permits
sion TO buy Remington machine at
$40 His request was declined. but in
March following he was forwarded an
Elliott & Hatch and ordered to pay 500
for it,
On June 2. 1899 the postmaster at
Asheviile. \. c.. made a similar request
with the same result
on October % 1899. the postrnast..,.
at Decatur III, asked authority to pur-
chase a Smith Premier typewriter at
500 which was declined. He then asked
permission 10 test a Remington. which
was. also declined, but on January 2s
following he was ordered to pay 500 for
an Elliott q Hatch
Request Refused.
The postmaster at Elgin. III. asked
permission to buy Remington ma
chine. stating that it was. cheaper than
inc Elliott & Hatch, and did his work
more satisfactorily, but this request
Mas declined. and he was ordered 70 pay
300 for the Elliott & Hatch.
The postmaster at Kansas F,itv. No
made similar request. with the same
results
The potmaster at Spokane. Wash.
asked permission to buy a Remington.
stating that he could get one for 800.
that the Elliott & Hatch was not suited
TO the needs of his office. He was re-
fused permission 10 buy the Remington
however and ordered to pay 800 for the
Elliott & Hatch.
n hundred other such cases can be
cited.
Gensler. however. was not able to
induce many pOsmasters 10 ask for the
Elliott & Hatch machine. From Jan
uary 1885, TO April Is. 1901. 1s3 of these
machines were bought by the depart
ment. at a total cost Of S3s. 575. OF this
number. 151 were sent 10 postmasters
without requisitio1.
The investigation revealed the fact
that Gensler had a contract with the
company by which he received SO on
each machine sold TO the Postoffice De-
partment. From this SIS he paid w
Scott Towers, superintendent of Station
G Of the Washington postohice, $50: and
the inspectors have evidence that Tow
ers divided this $50 that he received
from Gensler equally with Beavers
Towers and Beavers were indicted by
the grand jury In the District OF CO.
lumbia October / and 5. 1903