Evening star., 1928-06-16
H|RSH PROVESGOOD
CONVENTION AIDE
Confidant of Gompers Dem.
onstrated First Linotype
Machine Invented.
By a stan cors.Donden- of The star.


CONVENTION HALL. KANSAS
CITY, June l6-Edward Hirsh, widely
known in Washington and Baltimore,
particularly in labor circles. as a close
associate and confidant Of the late Sam
uel Gompers for many years. has helped
as much as any one man to make the
Kansas City convention success. He
was right-hand man to Conrad Fl.
Mann, official host Of the convention.
and at the service of the Washington
correspondents for "a hours day.
Mr. Hirsh operated the first linotype
machine, having worked with Ottmar
Mergenthaler on the invention. which
Mr. Hirsh demonstrated at the Chicago
World Fair
For Ia years he was president Of the
Baltimore Federation of Labor and is
now publicity agent Of the order Of
Eagles, and chief OF entertainment
forces. He Is known as Eddie Eagle"
Thirty-one years ago Eddie was type
setter on the Baltimore Sun in the DAYS
when type was set by hand. There he
met Mr.. Mergenthaler, an elderly man
suffering from tuberculosis, who vas
racing death in an effort TO perfect
his mechanical type-setting machine
which eventually revoIutionized the me-
chanical end Of making newspaper.
Aided Inventor.
Hirsh became interested In this in
tricate mechanical machine, which was
designed TO do with mechanical pre-
ctsion and accuracy the same WORK that
Eddie had been doing with skill, but
nerVe-racking intensity, so long He
spent much time with the inventor and
vas Of estimable value to him because
Of his skill in typesetting and devotion
to the progress Of his craft. Thus.
when only 81 years Of age, ne became
the first practical linotype operator in
the country. and was selected to take
the machine to Chicago and demon
stTate it there.
He had become fascinated with the
idea OF simply sitting down 10 a key
board and by lightly touching a few
keys turn out a solid line Of type, tre-
mendously speeding up the process Of
getting out newspaper and doing away
with the job of distributing the tyne,
which was the nightmare Of old-tinne
| printers. H1rSh caught the idea that
he was helping in a tremendous step
| In human progress.
His enthusiasm and skill were such
that he sold" the idea 10 the world az
the Chicago Exposition II was his
zeal that gave the linotype machine
prompt recognition
Today Hirsh's fingers no longer fiy
over the keyboard. He has been out OF
| the printing business for a quarter of a
century. He has devoted himself %
labor organization work, and as a con-
vention promoter came TO the atten-
tion Of Col Mann. general Organizer OF
the Fraternal Order Of Eagles, who per-
suaded him to take charge Of the GEN
eral publicity and convention promo
ton work for the order.
Has Three Sisters Here.
They labored together night and day
for the last four months to get the
Republican national committee 70
bring the convention to Kansas CITY
and to make the gathering here a suc-
cess
Mr.. Hirsh has three sisters who are
prominent in Washington business life
one Of them. Mrs. Jennie Rafka. has
| for years operated the department store
| which bears her name at Tenth and
+ streets; another sister, Mrs. Bertha
Cheatley, operates the 'Billy's" at I777
Columbia road; the third Is Mrs. Lilly
Brashears. wife Of Washington con-
tractor