The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-01
TODAY IN HISTORY
Inc Elrst Typewriter.
THURSDAY. DECEMBER

|
| December. like the three preceding
| months, derives its name from the place
which it held In the old Roman calendar.
where the year was divided nominaly
only Into ten months. with the insertion
| of supplementary days. 10 complete the
| period required for revolution OF the
Garth around the sun.
In allusion 10 tho practice of lghtins
warmth, and the consequent incon-
vcn.ncc which resulted. Martial apples
| TO II the cpithot ~ fumoSus. or
smoky lie also charactcrizcs IT as
which then ovcrsproad the country. By
tho ancient SaSons December Was styled
winter morat." or winter month.
term which after thcir conversion 20
Christianity was changed 10 'HehEh-
monat. or holy month" from the an-
niversary which occurs I'm u OF The birth
of Christ, Among tho modern Germans.
December is stil. from this circumstance.
distinguished by the epiihet OF CHRIST
monat."
ON December l. 1922. the hrst Anneri-
can typewriter. called a typographer was
patented although records show thnt a
pateu, was secured on a typewriter I'm
England as early as lIl+. The nrst ma
chimes were very crude affairs ana pnt
httle attention was given TO Them. r.
Beach was the first OF the American
Inventors to set the type bars IN vHrti-
cal position around a horizontal brass
wheel and Inventor s. w. Francis added
the pianoforte action
Christopher Latham Sholes must ne
credited with being the father Of the
typewriter as we know II. II was while
he was collector OF customs IN NH
wsukeo in 1866 that he became inter
csted with an old friend Souln. in max
ing n machine for consecutive number
ina. especially on bank notes and on the
pages of blank books, when his atten-
lion was directed 10 an article IN an
English journal regarding writing by
mechanism and devised by John Pratt
With quick intuition he saw tho pos
sihilities Of q revolution In the handling
Of the pen From that moment he de-
voted his whole time and thought 10 the
iden which has given to the world the
modern typewriter.
In 1867 his first crude instrument was
made and from that he worked
steadily IN its perfection until 1879. and
lived 20 sec the work OF his genius ac-
cepted throughout the world. and to
hear the pleasing compliment rendered
him that he was the father OF the
type writer He died In Milwaukee in
1890 Mr.. sholes was born In Columbia
county. Pennsylvanla, and his grand
mother was a lncal descendant OF John
Allen.
The rapid growth Of the use Of the
typewriter Is noteworthy. In the early
eighties tie use became general in all
departments of the government except
used for instructions 10 diplomatic and
consular officers In 1895. The official
communications OF the department TO
diplomatic officers OF foreign countries
wer" first executed upon the typewriter
in 1897. Ceremonial lcttcrs addressed to
sovcrcigns arc stu hand written.
December I 1866. the stamp act was
by the British: 1888 the euillo-
tine was first used in Paris: iTT7 Baron
Stcuhcn arrived at Portland from Ger
many and rendered his services to the
United States: the hahcas CORPUS act WAS
restored in the United States in 1865.
and in 1876 the great nro occurred in
New Orleans. Today is the birthday OF
Albert Barnes, clergyman and author
tI9Sl; Francis Granger postmaster gem
eral under Jefferson I792D: Queen Alex
hndra OF England GSip. and William r.
Holmes, celebrated cthnologist GS46) n
is the dat OF the death Of Henry J. Of
England 1135), Pope Leo Y U5sD; |
Alexander l.. emperor OF Russia uS25), !
and Ebenezer Elliott, English poet QSi9). |
GOOD PRINTING PAYS.
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