History of the Typewriter

— 50 - larger proportion of it on the fingers. If half the number of keys on the Remington keyboard could be dispensed with by the addition of another mechanical stroke occasion- ally, the mind would push the fingers to greater speed than any yet attained. But a change which burdens the mind to relieve the fingers is a change towards slowness and not toward speed. . In changing over to the single shift arrangement in the No 4 model, the Williams people treated this matter very cavalierly. They stated: “It is useless to discuss the merits of the various kinds of key-boards and shift-keys. It is sufficient that the universal key-board with one shift for capitals is approved by the great army of typewriter operators. The Williams No. 4 meets and satisfies the popular demand in its keyboard as in all other respects. It would seem that given an average all round class of general work, the use of the shift key machines is to be preferred : but where figures and capitals follow in frequent succession, as in accounts and tabular work generally, then very much is to be said in favour of the double keyboard arrangement. The manner in which the types are brought to the papei is a question which concerns the mechanic more than the operator, but a little consideration given to this subject will often prove very useful. Fig. 34 To render the matter as clear and simple as possible, we have here the sectional view of a Remington Typewriter. It will be seen that the letters K K K K denote the keys, each of which is connected, in the manner shown,