All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

184 All About Inventions matically a sufficient distance to receive the next letter. Instead of spacing between words by means of a special space-key, the paper movement for this pur- pose was obtained by partially depressing any one key. The appearance of the Pratt typewriter stimulated the inventive activities of Sholes, Soule, and Glidden, and we have seen how they drew up their plans for the first machine. The trio lost no time in building a machine to their ideas, and by September, 1867, the first typewriter according to their designs was completed. It was extremely crude, and for the most part was designed by Soule. The types were pivoted in a circle, as in the case of preceding models, and included the letter spacer. But it proved a success, and the three men were highly satisfied with their first effort. It printed only capitals, but it worked accurately and with commendable speed. The in- ventors were so delighted with their handiwork that they sent letters to several of their friends as a concrete illustration of what they had done. One of these letters happened to be sent to a retired printer and editor, Mr. James Densmore, who was then living at Meadville, Pennsylvania. His journalistic experience enabled him to realise the importance of the invention, and his receipt of this letter proved to be the turning-point in the fortunes of the invention, because, without seeing the machine, but merely its work, his enthusiasm and imagination were aroused. He offered to purchase an interest in the invention by reimbursing the three men for all the money they had expended upon it up to that time. Densmore was an essentially practical and business-like man, which was well known to the trio,