The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-10-14
BENNINGTON, VT, OCT. IA. 1912
TWaIN's TYPEWRITER.
II Made Him Want to cuss, So He
Traded II For a Saddle.

to Boston with DR.. Twitchell, that
Mark Twain saw for the first time
what was then brand new invention;
or II may have been during a subse-
quent visit week or two later. At all
! events, writes Albert Bigelow Paine,
he had the machine and was practicing
on 1t on Dec. o, 1874. for he wrote two
letters on 1t that day, one to Howells
and the other to Orion Clemens. In
the latter he says:
II am trying to get the hang of this
new tangled writing machine, but am
not making a shining success Of 1t.
However. this is the first attempt I
ever have made, and yet ! perceive
that shall soon easily acquire fine
facility in its use. i saw the thing In
Boston the other day and was greatly
taken with It."
He goes on to explain the new Won
der, and q the whole his first attempt
is a very ereditable performance. With
his usual enthusiasm over an innova-
tion he believes 1t Is going to be a
great help to him and proclaims its ad-
vantages.
This Is the letter to Howells:
you needn't answer this. I am only
practicing TO get three-another slipup
there-only practicing to get the hang
of the thing. notice miss fire and
get In good many unnecessary letters
and punctuation marks. I am simply
using you for target to bang at.
Blame my cat, but this thing requires
genius in order to work 1t Just rightl'
In an article written long after he
i tells how he was with Nasty when be
first saw the machine In Boston through
a window and how they went In to see
1t perform. In the same article he
states that he was the first person in
the world to apply the type machine to
literature and that the story Of Tom
Sawyer" was probably the first type
copied manuscript.
The new enthusiasm ran Its course
and died. The typewriter was not per
feet In those days, as II is now, and the
keys did not always respond readily,
He declared II was running his morals
that It made him want TO swear" He
offered II TO Howells because. he said
Howells had no morals anyway. How
| ellis hesitated. so Clemens traded the
machine TO Bliss for sidesaddle. But
perhaps Bliss also became afraid OF the
influence, for In due time he brought
| TIoxra1ia In fapnnfod haQf,
tated and this time was lost. What
eventually became Of the machine ii
not history.
Things Mothers Should Remember.
Children should not have pies, ricf
cakes and buildings given them FOL
dessert Fruits and nuts, cracked
chopped dates. cup cpstard, rice pud
ding, baked apples, tapioca pudding
with fruit and gelatin dishes with fruit
should be substituted for richer des
serts.
| Chlldren's food should never be fried
as nothing is as bad for small tots
indigestion as greasy. fried food
Baked potatoes are very good fol-
most children So are potatoes which
have been boiled In their skins.
Butter, olive oil, cream and milk are
good heat and energy producing foods
and are especially good for delicate
, children
All kinds Of cereals are splendid fol
the little people and should be given
to them twice or three times,a day.
At least one quart OF milk a day
should be drunk by every growing
child, as there is nothing which car
take the place in child's diet Of rich
milk.