History of the Typewriter

— 105 — is quite automatic, and the touch of the machine, whilst probably as light and responsive as any on the market, differs considerably from all others. The greatest care has been and is exercised in’’the selection of the manufacturing staff; almost every part of the country has supplied its finest mechanics, which, combined with the most up-to-date machinery, enables each section of the machine to be constructed with the thoroughness and exactness so essential to a typewriter, and which is only to be obtained by the utilization of skilled workmanship. The keyboard is of the standard type, having twenty- eight keys, which give, with two shift-keys, eighty-four characters, including upper and lower case letters, figures, punctuation marks, commercial signs, and if required, special accents to enable the operator to write in French, German, Spanish, Swedish and many other languages. Ball bearings, which give such rapidity of movement to all travelling parts, and such durability where there is any likelihood of friction, are introduced into the carriage- track. The escapement, the most vital part of a machine, is marvellously sensitive and active, the speed of the machine being only limited by the capabilities of the operator. The type-bars, which, of course, receive the shock of rapid manipulation, are made of the finest steel, and are of the girder pattern, which has been found to give the most satisfactory results. One of the most important parts of the Salter is its mani- folding and stencil cutting capabilities, which must commend it to all who desire to utilize such powers, and it is claimed that no typewriter on the English market to-day can supersede it in this class of work. The English. This typewriter was, we believe, the first type-bar machine of English invention that was placed on the market. It was the joint invention, of Messrs. Hearne & Donne, the former being the original patentee and inventor, the latter gentleman being the manufacturing manager and experimentalist-in-chief to the company which was formed to place the machine on the market. As will be seen from the illustration, it bore a certain resemblance to the “ Bar- Lock,” and also by its curves and circular keyboard to the Ideal “ Hammond,” but it differed from both most widely in detail. The keyboard is the first important point to notice. Twenty-nine keys were arranged in two