El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-04-08
ANNIVE RSARY
Of 4 GREAT
MACHINE
The Mergenthaler Linotype
Was Completed Twenty
One Years Ago.
HAS REVOLUTIONIZED
THE PRINTING TRADE

ing is p years old today. If newspe-
per men and printers were not teo
busy to DO anything but work, they
might have celebrated the day as
great holiday with thanksgivings and
burnt offerings and libations; for with
out this machine the newspaper of to-
day could not exist.
The linotype was not born Minerva
like, from any Jovian brow. but as it
stands today is the product Of sthe
minds of many master mechanics who
have added improvement after improve
ment, until the PROJECTIONS and the
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 con-
ception Of Ottmar Mergenthaler. whose
name the machine bears, and whose
heirs collect q royalty Of $50 upon
every machine sold. This idea took
shape in 1888. the first Mergenthaler
machine was built in 1885, and the sec
one one later in the same year Ma
chimes Of the type of the second model
were used In many newspaper and job
printing offices, but there was yet
something lacking IN 1880 the short
comings OF the older machines were
recognized and Mr.. Mergenthaler per-
footed and patented a machine which
embodied all the essential principles Of
the linotype of today. That patent
was granted on April s, 1890 and
therefore the linotype is 81 years old
today-old enough to vote.
The difference between the machines
of 1885 and the machine of 1890 was SO
radical that the real reign of the Mer-
genthaler may be said to date from
Tr7fr Of hn- 1of
Since that time it is true that thou
sands of improvements have been pat
ented and applied to the machine, but
none Of them has radically interfered
with the principle of the patent of
1890. Perhaps other improvements will
yet be made-certainly some inventive
genius ought to devise system Of ball
ancing the casting lever so that every
operator would not hang a tin bucket
of type metal pigs" on the lever Of
even the newest machine in the shop.
But that IS a bit of technique.
Reason For Its Popularity.
The real reason why the linotype
leaped into universal favor as soon as
It was perfected in 1899 was that it
was the first practical machine to offer
q substitute for the slow and laboriOus
process of setting type by hand. Scores
of inventors had tried for years with
more or less success, to construct a
machine. The reason Mer-
genthaler succeeded where. so many
had failed was that he discarded the
idea of setting type and substituted
for 1t the idea Of casting type, a line
at time.
His first machine was fitted with a
number Of vertical movable bars, into
each of which was cut the dies of all
1o44 Of h. 1-lo
tiers and capitals, the figures, charac-
ters and other signs used in printing
By touching a KEY or . keyboard, like
that of a typewriter, the bars would
fall until the die corresponding with
the letter on the keyboard presented
itself exactly before the orifice Of
mould connected with a pot Of molten
type metal. When whole line Of let
ters had been assembled in this fash
ION the metal was injected into the
mould and a line Of type was cast
thus the name line o'type, linotype. The
second machine of 1885 was construct
ed on the theory that the long die
bars we're too cumbersome. It had an
matrix. or die, for each
letter or figure These were forced
down through upright slots into the
casting box by currents Of compressed
air The machine was practicable but
Il was liable TO get out of order and It
did not meet with universal approval
About 200 machines OF this kind were
built
Early Defect Obvfated.
The machine Of 1890 obviated these
defects by permitting the matrices to
fall by force Of gravity from an in
clined magazine. Mr.. Mergenthaler also
materially improved the mechanism of
49,
after the casting of line of type. The
product of the invention Of 1890 in
corporated, as has been said, every es-
sential feature of the machine as built
today.
After the first machine of 1885 was
a company was formed to
make and sell the linotypes This
company was bought out for $500. 900
By a syndicate Of newspaper publish
ers composed Of Whitelaw Reid of the
New York Tribune; Walter N Halle
man, OF the Louisville Courier-Journal: |
Victor Lawson and N. E. Stone, of the |
Chicago News; Harry Smith, Of the
Chicago InteT-Ocean; w. H Rand. of +,
the Rand Mentally company, and Still |
son Hutchins, OF the Washington Post |
The first machine to be used COM
nercially was set up in the office of /
the New York Tribune In 1888 Mr. /
Mergenthaler and the company sus- 1
pended relations, and the factory OF /
the company was moved to Brooklyn, /
Mr. Mergenthaler remaining in Balti- |
more. The wedge-shaped justif1er, a /
device introduced in the second Mer- l
yenthaler machine to Justify" the t
lines or matrices Chat is to make +
them ill the line by spreading the
spaces between the words) became the |
subject Of litigation and for years
here was quarrel in the courts about (
/ thousand and one details now hap /
ply forgotten In the end all the dis
Outes were. settled by purchase, and
when the perfected machine of 1890 /
sanle out arrangements were made by
which the company and the inventor
shared in the profits.
The profits were soon to be very
arge, for when the practical machine
vas produced almost every newspaper
wanted it at once. For several years
he factories were behind on orders
md the linotypes were to be had only
or cash f. o. b. While the litigation