History of the Typewriter

—178— Fig. 134. as the characters all occupy the same degree of spacing, there can be no overcrowding or letter written in undue proximity. The combination of the dots and dashes will permit of no less than sixty-three groups or forms, and, after the letters of the alphabet have been provided with suitable signs, numerous digraphs and trigraphs are accommodated, so that, by the mere depression of the respective keys, quite an abbreviated method of writing is at hand, without the introduction of word signs or other 'contractions. But the Stenotypic alphabet permits of a vast amount of com- pression. There being no risk of misreading through thin strokes being made thick, or this half length being made too long, or that sign off the line when it should be on, it follows that whatever is written is absolute. Hence, it is claimed far greater freedom can be taken with the powers assigned to each group of dots or dashes than is, or ever will be, possible in pencilled shorthand. At least two business concerns have been interested in the propagation of the Stenotyper in this country, but for some reason neither lias had any prolonged business career. The Stenophile. This is another effort to produce a shorthand typewriter, but it appears to suffer from the defects common to most of its predecessors, since the writing is effected on a narrow paper tape. It is the in- vention of a Mr. Bi vort, and some operators are said to have operated it to the extent of 320 words per minute. As