The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-05-30
PUBLISHERS let
TER HAS TRAVELLED
Farewell Message to
Linotype Goes All
Over Country
! SECOND LETTER

In April, 1918, a Blackfoot man
wrote a letter to an old linotype and
tackled it on the crate when it was
being shipped, and the letter has
been printed and reprinted, travel
ing the length and breadth of the
United States and is still in print and
profitable for publishers to read
The letter was written on the &C.
casion of the installation of a model
fourteen linotype in the office of the
idaho Republican at Blackfoot, so
that the scope of machine-set type
could be increased one-sixth of an
inch. The used linotype was turned
in on the purchase of the new one,
and went to j. D. Minis, publisher at
Jerome, Idaho. The letter follows:
Blackfoot, Idaho, April II, 1918
Dear Old Linotype:
| am both sorry and glad to lose
you. Sorry because you have been
such good faithful friend to me.
Glad because:
ssYou paid for yourself when | was
too poor to buy you.
You helped to pay your own oper-
ating expenses when the conservative
fellows of the town predicted that
it would break me to operate you.
You helped me to build home
on the installment plan when didn't
see how | could get by with it.
You helped me to keep faith with
my friends and to prove my points,
while at the same time making shin
ing lights of the other fellows so they
could not hide.
sYou helped me build up news
paper that people reach for.
You helped me to get so much
business that l have to buy bigger,
broader linotype to handle it.
Good bye, old linotype! 1t is ten
years and more since we took up our
work together, and you are good for
many years more. Be good to Minis!
HE is good sport. May you help
aim prosper as you have helped me.
BYRD TREGO.
The model fourteen was so sue
cessful in lifting the burdens Of
hand-set type that a year later, the
same man installed Ludlow typo
graph to set the type that was too
large for the linotype to handle, and
when it had been in operation long
to prove it's worth, he wrote another
letter as follows:
Good bye old type cases. You are
good old pals, but you have served
your time. l was proud of you two
years ago, and am proud of you yet.
You helped me make some money,
and the varnish is not off of, you yet,
But l can't afford to store you any
longer on the main floor where type
forms are cast on the slug system and
all the tinkering of adjusting Quads
and spaces is wiped out by the simple
turn of the wrist.
Now a word to your "insides," the
type you are 80 full Of. Some OF
you are badly worn, and some of you
are as good as new, because you have
scarcelv been used. That is the fate
of type in case-sOme of 1t is
worked to quick and untimely
death and the rest never gets enough
service to keep it's. liver active. That
spoils the whole font in short while
and off it goes to the hell-box.
Now come the linotype and the
typograph, and bump you into the
basement while you are still new
and good. After a dynasty of 400
years you are backed off the throne
by little shrimp that stands on less
than a yard square and is simple.
Instead of being complicated, it is
merely comprehensive. Instead of
cling a challenge to mans under
and patience, it jollies him
along in his work.
Well, good bye type. Glad to have
met you. Mighty glad to see
you(r) back, and going some.
Wherever you go, be good, and if
machine follows you up,
you will be lonesome. But cars,
kings are retiring now,
and you can go while the going is
good. So-long.
BYRD TREGO.