History of the Typewriter

market in 1884 by McLoughlin, Bros., toy dealers on Broadway, New York, but has long since been withdrawn from the market. A description, printed at the time, is as follows :—“ It is on a wooden base, is about twelve inches long, six inches wide, and five and a half inches high, weighing four pounds. The printing apparatus is in a carriage sustaining several discs, the lower of which rotates, and around its edge are the characters used, a single alphabet, figures, etc. They are electrotyped from printers’ type. On the upper disc is a card printed to correspond with the signs below. A handle connects with a post running down to the type disc, which turns responsive to action on the handle. The edge of the upper disc, about the dial card, is raised and notched opposite the several characters, and the printing is accomplished by putting the handle in one of the notches and pressing down. The entire carriage falls, being hinged on the front horizontal bar, and held up by a spring which returns it from each impression. When the carriage is pushed down, a ratchet in front acts and moves it along over another space. This ratchet is released, when desired, by the hand, and the carriage put at any point on the line. The paper is inserted over a leather-covered roller at the back, and held by a clip of metal, moving forward a line by a turn on the button at the left end. The ink is supplied by small felt rollers held against the line of type on the under disc. The Miniature. A half-guinea machine, put on the market a. few years back. It consisted of a. circular piece of flexible metal, the edge being cut into tongues, on the underneath sides of which were the types. It was intended as a pocket typewriter, and could easily be got into the coat tail pocket. Need we say more ! The Niagara. This is a pointer machine made by the Blickensderfer Company and put on the market by them. It has the Blickensderfer carriage and typewheel, and the makers claim it will manifold and cut a good stencil. Of course it is slow, but it will give a speed equal to any of the other pointer machines. The Odell. In this machine the types are of metal, cast in one piece, and travelling in a suitable holder across the top of the machine. This holder is attached to a swinging frame, which moves downward when the depression is made. The type travels over the moist ink roller, and, on depression of the index, causes the printing to be effected. At the same time a small lever, at the end of which is a pawl, moves forward the space of a letter, and, on pressure