The typing in this letter is interesting because it shows capital letters only, to which all the Sholes models were restricted. But even more interesting is the contents of the letter itself, for in it we find Sholes in one of his not infrequent fits of deep despondency.
“We shall be in a position,” he says, “to furnish good machines provided any person is in a position to want them after they are furnished. You know that my apprehension is that the thing may take for a while, and for a while there may be an active demand for them, but that, like any other novelty, it will have its brief day and be thrown aside. Of course I earnestly hope that such will not prove to be the case, and Densmore laughs at the idea when I suggest it, but I should like to be sure that it would be otherwise.”
Think of it! The typewriter a mere passing novelty! And think of such an idea entering the head of the inventor of the machine! How much better he was building than he knew! As we look back on this period of typewriter history we hardly know which to admire more, Sholes’s inventive genius or Densmore’s sustaining faith.
Of equal interest is a photograph from the same historical collection, dating from the same year, 1872. It shows the daughter of Sholes operating another one of his experimental models. What motive, we wonder, ever induced Miss Sholes to take such an interest in the machine, to learn to operate it, and to have her photograph taken seated before it? Probably it was only a daughter’s natural interest in her father’s invention. It is difficult to believe that Miss Sholes foresaw the wonderful future of the machine in connection with woman’s work. Yet, as an accidental prophecy, this photograph of the first woman who ever operated a typewriter should be of interest to every one of the vast army of women who today owe their living to the writing machine.
MILWAUKEE, WIS. JUNE 9, 1872.
FRIEND BARRON,—
WHILE GLIDDEN AND DENSMORE ARE PLAYING A
GAME OF CHESS ON THIS BLESSED SABBATH, I WILL IMPROVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DROP YOU A LINE ON THE MACHINE, WHICH DENSMORE
HAS IN THE HOTEL AT HIS ROOM.
AT THE SAME TIME, I KNOW OF NOTHING NEW TO
SAY. WE ARE GETTING THE VARIOUS PIECES TOGETHER AND GETTING
READY FOR SYSTEMATIC WORK. THE PIECES WHICH ARE OF
BRASS IN THE MACHINE AT NEW YORK, WE ARE NOW GETTING MADE
OF MALLEABLE IRON. WE SHALL BE IN A POSITION TO FURNISH
GOOD MACHINES: PROVIDED ANY PERSON IS IN A POSITION TO WANT
THEM AFTER THEY ARE FURNISHED. YOU KNOW THAT MY APPREHENSION
IS, THAT THE THING MAY TAKE FOR A WHILE, AND FOR
A WHILE, THERE MAY BE AN ACTIVE DEMAND FOR THEM, BUT THAT
LIKE ANY OTHER NOVELTY, IT WILL HAVE ITS BRIEF DAY AND
BE THROWN ASIDE. OF COURSE, I EARNESTLY HOPE THAT SUCH
WILL NOT PROVE TO BE THE CASE, AND DENSMORE LAUGHS AT
THE IDEA WHEN I SUGGEST IT, BUT I SHOULD LIKE TO BE SURE
THAT IT WOULD BE OTHERWISE. BOB I HAVE BEEN WORKING THE
MACHINE WITH THE BRASS RING OFF FROM OVER THE TRUNNIONS,
AND I SEE THE HYPHEN HAS RESTED ON TOP OF THE U AND HAS
BEEN PRINTED GENERALLY, WHEN THE U SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRINTED.
I HAVE REPLACED THE RING AND NOW ALL IS RIGHT. TIS
LOOSE STRINGING, THE MORE I USE IT, THE MORE I THINK
IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP OF PROGRESS. THE PRINT IS
BETTER WITH IT. I THINK IT WILL CORRECT THE WABBLING, AND
IT SEEMS BETTER IN ALL RESPECTS. I ALSO TESTED THE MANIFOLDING
BUSINESS WITH IT, AND TOOK EIGHT COPIES HANDSOMELY.
BY REFLECTING ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF IT, YOU WILL
APPRECIATE ALL OF ITS BENEFITS. I WISH YOU WOULD TRY ONE
OF THE WORST TYPES FOR WABBLING, ON THE EMMETT MACHINE
AND SEE, IF THE LOOSE STRINGING WILL CORRECT THE TENDENCY.
IF IT WILL IN THAT CASE IT IS OF COURSE, CONCLUSIVE
OF ITS MERITS.
YOURS,