Norwich bulletin., 1922-07-25

spection. This was G demonStra ration and this determined the inventors ca reer. He returned to the homestead in Windham and erected premises for the new business. Other and better ma chimes were made, patterns of various styles were got up and things generally put in readiness for the enterprise. In the month of March, 1887, he had made such quantities of his new type that he thought it prudent to visit New York in search of a market. So, with box of speciments in hand. he started for Norwich, and, there taking steamboat, the next morning he found himself for the first time in the metropolis of the Union H urrying to the nearest type foundry, he boldly entered and asked if they would look at his samples of new type.
 we do not wish to buy type" was the reply. T do not ask you to buy but to examine the speciments I have" 'No sir we keep type to sell" Surpris- ed and abashed at this reception, he be- gan to fear that he might be bringing coals to Newcastle after all. The type founders would oppose him from self interest. Slightly daunted. however, for he knew he had a superior article, and that it only needed to be shown to be acknowledged. he determined to call on the printers themselves and see what they had to say of it. And here his ex- pectations were realized. They not only willingly examined his type but ex- pressed the most unbounded admiration of it's excellence. Nothing, they declar- ed, had ever been presented in market that could be put in it's comparison.
 Among the printers called upon was George F. Nesbitt MT Nesbitt, who alone was in, received him courteously and entered into many inquiries respect ing the new manufacture. After a some what lengthy interview, MT. Nesbitt sug gested an arrangement by which he would introduce the type to the trade of the country. This was accepted and an agreement entered into by which it should be brought out. as 'Nesbitt's Wood 1 Type" name which it long after 1 wards held. MT. Allen returned to his manufactory. English and French as well as American specimen books were 1 procured and such styles as could be made available were introduced into wood The labor of this was prodigious but it was successfully accomplished and he 1 he had the proud satisfaction of it's ac- |
 Mir. Aliens story is one of the trage- i dies of invention. New and still newer ] type of patterns had to be made for there was no end to the variety that was called for Horse power gave way to that of water; water from fatal drought in summer was superseded by steam Addition to addition became necessary and the various improvements indis- ] coI 4o fta h1Yci h0r heavily on Aliens slender means Loss
 es in trade also came in their turn. Much
 was earned but much was also spent For the rest, the story is told. After
 fifteen years of Harculean labor of, heaf
 and hand, with varying success, ant
 while a thousand offices in the lanC
 were filled and fattened with the pro
 duct of his toll, he broke down in bus
 mess in 1852 ad the enterprise went in
 to the hands of Mir J. c. Cooley. wht
 conducted the Printers Warehouse ir
 New York, city, and who later sold tn,
 business to MT Page of, Norwich, Conn.
 afterwards the Page Wood Type Co.
 We cannot follow further his honor
 able and skillfu labors And, we onl.
 add, since reflections are fashionable"- that the experience. of MT. Allen furnish
 es another evidence that "the path o
 genius is more ofter beset, with thorn !, than crowned with flowers" His life
 however, was not a failure. He left tn world better than he found It. H.
 added largely to it's industrial facilitie
 and his name ought to be held in last ing honor by the friends of our nobI : art.
 l Mr. Henry L. Bullen, librarian of tn Topographic Library and Museum of tn American Typefounders Co. Jersey City . N J., in letter dated Oct. 21, 1921 f said found in my investigation . reference to these earlier wood type cut ting machines to the effect that Allen
 machines were used by George F. Nes bitt & Co, that there were similar {
 those used by William Leavenworth, tn 2 only redicaI change being in the use of raised pattern by Allen, whereas Dariu