The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-06-29
AN EXACT ILLUSTRATION OF THE STARS LINOTYPE

The Stars Linotype machine, now
doing its part in giving Mena, Polk
county and Western Arkansas a
better paper than ever before, was
installed about three months ago,
within few days of the 2ist ami
versary of the invention of the Mer-
genthaler Linotype, probably the
means of making the greatest rev
olution in newspaper publishing of
any since type was first invented.
Since the day of its installation
The Stars Linotype has been "or
the job every day except Sundays.
and has been a source of much graf
ifieation TO the proprietors of the
paper, doing more and better work
than 1t was possible to produce in
The old way, thereby enabling them
TO do more for the people of Mena
and Polk county.
Brief History Of the Linotype.
The Mergenthaler Linotype, that
wonderful machine which put this
article into type for printing, was
Il years Of age April 8, 1911. If
not too busy TO do anything but work
they might have celebrated the
day as a great holiday, with thanks
givings and burnt offerings and Ii
bations; for withou. this machine
the newspaper Of today could not
exist.
The Linotype was not born,
Minerva-like, from any Jovian brow
but as it stands today is the pro-
duct Of the minds of the many mas
ter mechanics who have added inn
|provement after Improvement, I'M
til the projections and perversities
OF the machine make it seem body
|of metal endowed with a human
heart and brain.
The idea upon which the Linotype
was perfected was, however, the
conception Of Ottmar Mergenthaler,
whose name the machine bears, and
whose heirs collect a royalty of
fifty dollars on every machine sold.
This idea took shape in 1888, the
first Mergenthaler machine was
built in 1885, and the second one
later in the same year. Machines
of the type of the second model were
used in many newspaper and job
printing offices, but there was yet
something lacking. In 1890 the
shortcomings of the older machines
were recognized and Mr.. Mergen-
thaler perfected and patented a
machine which embodied all the
essential principles Of the Linotype
of today. That patent was grant
ed on April s. 1890, and therefore
the Linotype is q years old and
old enough to vote.
The difference between the ma
chine of 1886 and the machine OF |
1890 was so radical that the real |
reign of the Mergenthaler may be |
said to date from the introduction of |
the latter type. Since that time il is |
true that thousands of improve
ments have been patented and ap- |
piled to the machine, but none of |
hem has radically interfered with |
The principle of the patent of 1890. |
The real reason why the Linotype |
eaped into universal favor as soon |
rs it was perfected in 1890 was that |
t was the first practical machine
o offer substitute for the slow,
aborious method of setting type by
hand. Scores of inventors had |
,ried for years, with more or less
to construct a typesetting
The reason Mergenthal-
N succeeded where so many others
had failed was that he discarded
he idea OF setting type and substi-
uted for il the idea of casting type,
! line at time.
His first machine was fitted with
! number of vertical, movable bars.
nto winch was cut the dies OF all
he letters of the alphabet. small let
ers and capitals, the figures and
characters and other signs used in
BY touching key on
like typewriter, the bar
'earing the dies or molds CORES
'onding with the letter on the key
oard presented itself exactly be-
ore the oriflce of a mold connect
d with a pot of molten type metal.
When a whole line of letters had
cen assembled in this fashion the
METAL was injected into the mold
nd a line Of type was cast-thus
he name line O. type, linotype. The
econd machine of 1885 was con-
tructed on the theory that the long
lie bars were too cumbersome. II
ad an independent matrix, or die, !
or each letter or figure. These
'ere forced down through upright {
lots into the casting hoy by eur {
ents OF compressed air. The ma
hinc was practicable. but II was |
able to get out OF order and ii did (
OF meet with universal approval.
bout 200 machines Of this kind Fl,
'ere built. II
The machine of 1890 obxiatea !