Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-10-05
He WHO wrote IT
The Man Who Penned the Dec
laration OF independence.
WORK OF TIMOTHY MATLACK.
He Was a Clerk In the Continental
Congress When That Immortal Docu-
ment Was Adopted and Was Also the
Finest Writer In the Country.


pendencef Thomas jefferson. OF course;
every one knows that But who held
the pen ana formed the letters on the
great piece Of parchment hat the
members of the Continental congress
signed; II is one Of the largest official
papers ia existence one skin OF parch-
ment nearly three feet long ana more
than two feet wide Tho writing IS
nearly twice the normal size and is
unusually handsome and clear
The secretary who was ordered to
promulgate the work was Charles
Thomson, man Of high character
who had been the principal OF a school
nj New Castle. Del. and an active pa
triot The first congress chose him as
secretary in 1714. and ne held The Of
flee Wtil the Continental congress
passed our of existence on March >
1889 During an those fifteen years it
was only OH rare occasions that any
other hand than his wrote im the Jour
nal
one of tire clerks i'm Thomson's office
IN 1910 and 1916 was Timothy Matlack,
who died at llolmcsburg, Pa, in 1920.
when ne was ninety-ninc years of age.
70 carry ont the order of the con
gress that the Declaration be pro-
claimed. Thomson needed more than
score of copies. for he had 10 send It
10 every ONE Of the states aud to tile
attempt 10 have any copies written off
with the pen. but sent the original
draft, which the congress had passed.
to the official printer. John Dunlap.
The following morning the printed
copies We're IN Thom@on's hands They
were printed on one side Of the paper
on large sheets eighteen inches long
and fourteen and half inches wide In
the form known as hroadSides.
II was from one of those copies that
Philadelphia first beard the Declare
ton read. ana IL was one OF them that
became the otiicial copy. for Thomson
had not copied the Declaration even
into the journal Of the congress before
he gave It 10 the printer. but when he
wrote the journal for July 1 he left
Il blank space for the Declaration. and
the next day, with two waters OF red
wax. he Fastened I'm the printed broad
side.
have said that sometimes an entry
was made fin the Journal OF the con
gress lay another hand than Thomsons
The first OF those occasions was on
June II, 1715. when Timothy Matlack
recorded a resolution 20 set aside
day for fasting ana prayer to avert the
de.olarln- "-4aHiitIcs that seemed to be
impending. Matlack na1 ecu appoint
ed clerk I'm Thomson's Office on Slay
IL. and five days later. on May 20, he
wrote ont the most important docu-
ment that the congress had issued up
to that time-the commission 10 George
Washington To be commander I'm Chief
Of the American army. The identlhca-
ton of the penmanshp Of the commits
sion with that Of the entry in the
Journal ami Of both with an autograph
letter of Matlack's that is among the
papers Of the Continental congress is
certain
Probably there was not at that time
: r." Y - s."s |. Xsl va 4ss-
ia-- -. as penman. fortuh-
ately Matlack was still "A clerk In
Thomson's office when the peclara-
ton Of Independence was ordered to
he engrossed for final signature ord
the task 81 copying Il was designed 10
him. He copied from the printed
hroadsidc. That Is clearly shown 10y
the heading OF the broadside. "ln Con
gresS. July 1, lTT6." which Is repro
duccd IN the written Declaration ~ the
same form of lettering.
\ few wears ago some OF the officials
in the library of congress who knew
that Matlacl. was tie best pcnman en-
ployed uy Thomson. made Il comparl-
son OF General Washington's commits
sion. which was known 10 Lave been
written by him. with the Declaration.
The first peculiar letter IN the com
mission Is the capital "N' Ia New
Hampshire. and we find its counter
part in Natures" In the second line OF
the body Of tho Declaration. The
graceful flourish at the top OF the "T''
in tho word "To" In the commission Is
repeated I'm the second OF the sentences
beginning "rhat" ia the Declaration.
lii the wor,l Offer I'M the commission
there Is marked popularity In the
double a. The first "f'' il made like
the old fashioned long IS" 1t appears
I'm the word effect" in the Declaration,
then In suffer" and "sufferable." That
is the most noteworthy popularity In
Matlack's writing. The capital "D'' In
the commission and In the last line or
the Declaration. Tie capital "B' In the
commission and I'M the word British"
I'm the Declaration. the whole word
Congress" In both documents-th those
and other details established beyond a
doubt that the writer Of the great Dec
laration was Timothy MatlNk.
In 1924, when John quincy Adams
was secretary Of state, skilled en-
graver William !. Stone, made cop
perpate fac-simile OF the Declaration.
| That is the only one that has ever been
made. IL was distributed 10y order OF
congress and - familiar 10 us all. lt Is
a perfect reproduction I'm every partic-
uiar OF the original document and Is n
| fine specimen OF the engraver's art. II
GaiTh nj Hunt In Youths Companion.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS