History of the Typewriter

— 56 —■ CHAPTER III. Group I.—Machines with Single Shift. THE Sholes-Glidden typewriter (there is no “ c ” in the first name, as is commonly supposed) was not a commercial success. In theory, the No. I Remington, by which it was supplanted, did not differ very extensively from it, but where differences did occur, the advantage of them was all on the side of the newcomer. Not that the older machine was without its own special features. The carriage was not thrown back by means of a handle, as is the Remington of to-day, but by means of a long lever handle, or handtreadle, at the right of the machine. The No. i Remington rectified this defect by supplying a suitable handle, but, as we shall see, the awkwardness of raising the hand was felt, or imagined, and therefore, in an intermediate model, illustrated later, a ball and cord was provided for this purpose. At the left side of the machine, just under- neath the top plate, was a copyholder. This, in an amended form, was repeated in the No. i, and on reference to the illustration, the hinge joint of the appendage can be seen. Steps were taken to secure alignment, by attaching to the yoke a V-shaped continuation, so that the bar, when rising, was individually guided to the printing point, where, when it reached the apex, it was locked. Strangely enough, as has been already pointed out, a modification of this alignment device was the principal feature of a much later machine—the Hartford. Once, in a spirit of investigation, we took one of these old Sholes-Gliddens to pieces. The operation, as may be imagined, was a most interesting one. The instrument seemed to have been built, “ not for a day nor an age, but for all time.” The machine was, following the then pre- valent idea shown on all American metal work, highly ornamented with marvellous flowers, cupids, and birds of