Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-05-06
IS ALMOST HUMAN.

| II ID Qul1S udtuIdA tuAl AdA
who is in politics purely fo1
business reasons, should inn
|agine that all others wear the
political coat that will hold the
most dollars for themselves So
we find the editor of the Times
harping upon ''matters of busi-
ness
At intervals for several months
he has had an article containing
in detail the exploits OF type
writing machine in use at the
county clerks Office. The ma
chine has been given as much
notoriety by the Times, as if it
were a visitor from Mars or a
dark horse in training for the
Democratic presidential non,ina-
tion. It has been a continual
source of interest and wonder
ment to the Business Democrat,
and he has taken great delight
in detailing to his readers every
new antic of this machine which
''made it appear to the observer
more like a thing of human in
telligence than mere inanimate
object"
Every reader o. the Times is
familiar with the way the long
arm of that machine crawls back
ward and forward across the page
like thing Of life, and its name
is so familiar that the majority
regard it as personal acquaint-
ance.
The Times, itself, is such an
ad1nirer of that typewriter that
it gives the machine more credit
for the work done in the clerks
office than it does the gentlemen
who operate it. That paper in
its enthusiasm says that the pres
ent clerk is superior to the late
B. w. Wilson and Virgil Wat
tiers, because 'since their time a
typewrlting machine has been
evolved that can he used in max
ing records. ~ By little stretch
Of the imagination the Times
ought 10 be able to conceive a
time when a typewriting machine
will be evolved that will render
it unnecessary to elect a clerk at
all. In tact the time may come
when every officer in the court
house may be replaced by ma
chine and the county saved the
cost of these biennial elections.
We say, the Business Democrat
may regard such condition of
affairs possible, but it is not like
ly that friends of the present
clerk will regard it at all compli-
mentary to that gentleman, when
the Times gives the credit for his
conduct of the Office to a type
writing machine.
There is one characteristic of
the machine, however. that the
Times has thus far neglected to
mention, and that is its tracta-
bility. Deputy Irwin can place
his hands upon it any place,
without meeting with the least
resistance. In fact the machine
offers no objection to being
handled by anyone. Thus it
may be seen that the successor to
the present clerk can purchase
this wonderful typewriter, retain
it>in the Office, and enlist its
assistance during his term.
Let it be understood, however,
that the office can be run with
out the assistance of this machine.
Clerk Walters had no typewriter
like the one under consideration,
and we are informed that he con-
Quoted the office as economically
and efficiently as has the present
incumbent.
The saving provided by the
machine is largely one Of labor
for the clerk. The county profits
very little from the use of it.
For instance, it is claimed that
three times as much matter can
be put upon a page of a record
book with a-typewriter, as can be
written upon it with a pen.
This will necessitate the pur-
chase of one record book where
three were needed before. The
Times speaks of three books upon
which this saving will be made
the probate journal, the circuit