The Woodstock Sentinel from Woodstock, Illinois • Page 2

Thursday, December '19, 1901. THE WOODSTOCK SENTINEL of the Fitchburg Railroad Massa KING OF TYPEWRITERS The Only Successful Machine That Writes in Sight. A Sketch of the Oliver Typewriter Factory, Located in Woodstock Its Officers, Superintendent and Foremen. Vf 1 Diploma of Cold Medal, or Highest Award GIVEN THE OLIVER TYPEWRITER ATHE PAN-AMERICAISI EXPOSITION. 'r Li I i-i l1'- Extract from report of Superintendent of Awards, which explains the method pursued in awarding the Oliver Typewriter the Highest Award or Diploma of Hold Medal.

Four classes of awards were offered to exhibitors, namely: "Diplomas or (ioi.n Medals." OK SlI.VHK Mkdai.s." "Du i.omas of Bkonzk Mhpai.s." ok honowabi.k mkntion." Notwithstanding the effort which had been made to provide a set of rules once simple and definite, it was evident as soon as the juries had begun their work that a construction of these rules would be necessary. The juries and jurors in determining awards considered only absolute merits of articles judged. A question that arose very early in the sittings of the juries concerned its.df with th? standard of comparison to be adopted. Were the exhibits in a group to tie mipared one with another or were all to be compared with an ideal standard? The discussion of the question resulted in a construction of the rule under which all exhibits were compared with an ideal standard, which was taken to be the highest state of the art in the subject under consideration. Therefore, the award of the gold medal to the Oliver typewriter under this method of comparison with an "ideal standard," is a statement of recognition that the Miver Typewriter represents the "highest state of the art;" and, as the highest state of the art could only be obtained from a use and knowlege of all makes of typewriters, including both those competing and those not competing for awards, the award is a plain statement that the Oliver is the best machine made.

Points ok Examination Incukk ik For correspondence purposes; for commercial billing-; for railway billing; for tabulating; for library and index cards; for manifolding; for telegraphers' use. COMMITTEE ON EXAMINATION: Wm. L. Ai c.h, Patent Office. Hknky M.

Pai Prof, in Naval Academy. Amhkosk Swashy, of the Warner Swasey Manufacturers of Telescopes and Fine Machinery, Cleveland, Ohio. Makci'S Hknjamin, Patent Office. TYPEWRITER COMPANY. medal, and also at the Pan-American the gold medal for the uses mentioned eUewhere.

tiih oiiC.W'.o ol-i lCK. chusetts, and remained with them two years. He then came to Chicago and entered the employ of E. P. Preston department supplies, beginning in a humble capacity, and by his industry, capability and attention to his business, worked his way to the sqyer-intendency of the mercantile department.

He was later superintendent of the Fowler Cycle Co. two years, and in 1898 came to Woodstock as superintendent of the Oliver typewriter works, in which he is also one of the stockholders. Mr. Whitworth is a married man, his wife being formerly Miss Jennie Clark, and they reside in this city. Mr.

Whitworth has had a wide experience iri the management of mechanical enterprises and thoroughly understands his business. Since his connection with the Oliver, a marked has been shown in the efficiency of the manufacturing department, as, while but few more men are employed, a great increase has been made in the number of machines manufactured, and a general improvement made in the perfected Oliver. Mr. Whitworth has the confidence and respect of the employees of the company ami stands high in Woodstock as a reputable citizen. r.KOKC.K JAMKS The assembling department of the Oliver typewriter works is fortunate in having as its expert foreman a man of such signal ability as George James Griffiths, who for the past five years has made himself invaluable in his de partment and has honestly gained the esteem and good-will of the management.

He was born in London, in 1H4, son of James and Charlotte Griffiths, Griffiths, his father, was an able machinist. He came to Canada with his family in 1H(8, sailing from Liverpool to Ouebec when George was but 4 years of age. Georgf' J. Griffiths received part of his education at Guelph, where his father settled, and part in England, whither the family returned when George was but 12 years old. He was between 14 and 15 years of age when he began to learn the machinist's trade in the Royal Small Arms (inn factory at" Enfield, a British government manufactory.

Here he learned the rudiments of the machinist's trade with thoroughness, remaining in this establishment three years. He returned to America at about 19 years age, He spent some time with the Witteu Anns Co, in Germany. He was with the Marlin Arms New Haven, Ames Manufacturing Chicopee, and ten years with the National Sewing Machine of Helvidere, 111. In 18 he came to Woodstock and became the foreman of the assembling department of the Oliver typewriter, and under his efficient management this department is in excellent condition. The Oliver typewriter as a perfect machine is greatly indebted to Mr.

Griffiths for practical improvements. It is true of this beautiful machine, as it stands today, that it is the product of many minds. Mr, Griffiths brought to the company the' thorough and careful training of the English machinists, who are among the most skilled in their profession. He resides in Woodstock, is a man of family and of a strong, hardy personality, and has a record from his employers as an honest and straightforward man. He is a member of he Modern Woodmen.

STKl'HKN HONK. The efficient foreman of the mechanical department of the Oliver typewriter factory, Stephen Horr, has-been connected with the enterprise from almost its inception. He was in the employ of Marshall manufacturers and wholesale dealers in dental supplies, when they manufactured the second typewriter ever made for Mr. Oliver in 1891. Mr.

Horr worked on this machine and assisted Mr. Oliver in its construction. Stephen Horr was born at Hamilton, 111., July 4, 1860, son of John Horr. Wrhen young he received the usual common school ed.ication and began to learn the machinist trade, when he was about IS years of age, at DesMoines, in the Novelty Iron works. He remained with this concern four years and was then with the North-Western Railroad Co.

two years, afterwhich he was employed in the Eagle kirn works four years, so that when he engaged with Marshall of DesMoines, and became interested in the construction of the Oliver typewriter, he was a very skilled machinist and fine workman of wide experience and brought to the aid of Mr. Oliver, who was not a mechanic, the great advantage of a trailed mind and faculties which had been rendered acute by his lonir and successful career as a machinist. In June, 1892, he entered the employ of the Oliver typewriter Co. at Epworth and has since remained with them as one of their most skillful machinists an4 foremen. He came to Woodstock in 195 as foreman of the mechanical department and has made many valuable suggestion looking towards the perfection of the Oliver typewriter.

'Mr. Horr is a man of family and a respected citizen of Woodstock, whet! he resides.1 Fraternally he is a member of a lodge of the I. 0. 0. F.

at DesMoines. He is a fciiii in hit 1 1 1 IT 7 and must soon increase iN output if it hopes to keep up with its orders. A large part of the force has been com- pelled for several months pat to work three or four evenings a week in order to meet the demand of the marki-t. tie macimie has gn-atlv per- fected, and, placed beside crude machines mauuf.u tuii worth, would scarcely In- Practical and skillful uieeli.i labored coot in iiouh to p. tin il 1 1" Ep-nized.

ha ve the Oliver, and it is now the best visible typewriter and will do one-third more work than any other machine on the market. It is the finest manifolding machine in the world, is very simple in construction and easy to learn. It has a standard keyboard and is considerably lighter to the touch than the best standard machines. The' best materials that can. be.

purchased are used in is construction. At. tins Paris exposition it was awarded a gold Chicago's most shrewd and enterprising business men, are: President Lawrence Williams. Vice-President Delavan Smith. Secretary and Treasurer E.

H. Smith. Manager Ricord (Iradwell. Factory Superintendent John Whit-worth, who makes bis home here. The Oliver typewriter manufactory has become an assured and undoubted success and is one of the inonev-mak- ing concerns of the day.

Less than five years since the business was done from a small room on the ninth floor of a Chicago office building, with but one bookkeeper and one stenographer, and now its spacious and well-equipped office occupies .12,000 feet of store space in Chicago alone, at 107-100 Lake street. There are employed in these offices thirty-ix person. The company has branch houses and general agencies in all the larger American WORKS OF THE OLIVER and European cities among them Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Buffalo. Cleveland, Cincin- nati. Toledo, Atlanta.

Chattanooga, Louisville, San Francisco, and besides between 2oi0 and 3m) local agencies, scattered throughout the I'nited States. Among the foreign otlices are Montreal. City of Mexico. Moiiterev, Merida. Yucatan; Honolulu; London.

Paris, France; Havre, Berlin, Frankfort, Oss Baden, Baden: Sid no THE OLIVER TYPEWRITER. Australia, and many other important points. THK WOOKSTOCK MAM KACTOKV. When the company first moved its plant to Woodstock b0 persons were employed. The iHimb'er has since been increased to more than 2M).

The second year the plant produced an average of six and two-fifths machines daily. Iti 1893 thirty machines were manufactured daily. The plant is now-producing about forty machines a day DRILL PRESS DEPARTMENT. The Chicago house employs about twintv retnilar traveling salesmen represent the Oliver typewriter alone, and liv them it is introduced to all parts of the world. In June, 1900, but four railroads in the United States had adopted the Oliver.

Today about hso of the leading roads use it and its excellencies. Among it prominent patrons are the Carnegie American Steel and Wire Co June cc Luuglilin (Limited), Heinz 1'iekle John Hancock Insurance Montgomery Ward i Reed, unlock a nd Schlesinger tS: Mayer, V. Farwell the I'nited States treasury departiiient and other govern lueut (lepartineuts, a number of the leading schools and colleges of the country, and leading concerns and prominent persons the world over. i PERSONNEL OF THE MANUFACTORY. Ntipei liileiident hi Mvort uml 1 Kttre- men Mi-ioiiK leiai'1ini'iilN.

1 he employees of the Oliver typewriter factory in Woodstock are most of them American born and nearly all are iroui the surrounding counties or trotn Woodstock. Most ot them are skilled mechanics, who have devoted JOHN WHITWOKTH. their attention for years to the Oliver, while some of them have learned their business in the employ of the company and have become experts in the manu fact ure of the Oliver. In Woodstock they have enviable reputations, and are noted for their intelligence and good manners and are far superio; to the employees of manufacturing establishments generally, which is a truth that is uttered not to flatter, but be cause it is true. SUPRKIXTKSIlEXT JOHN WHITWOKTH.

The company has a capable and effi cient sujieriiitendeut in the person of John Whitworth, who assumed his present duties in '98. A brief sketch of his life is of interest. Mr. Whitworth was born in England, Jan. 30, 1858.

Walter Whitworth, his father, was a skilled mechanical engi neer and capitalist, who descended from an English family of manu facturers. iit Walter Whitworth introduced the manufacture of cfttton cloth iifc Russia and was one of the owuers and builders of the first cotton mill there, John Whitworth, the superintendent of the Oliver factory,) received an excellent education in select boarding schools and came to America at 19 years of age, His brother, Thomas, had pre ceded him and is now general manager and treasurer of the Piano and Orjan Supply of which is the of the kind iq America. John Whitworth entered the mploy nr ta' i iiiimim in mLm viz: the ty prewritten line appearing plainly on the page as he wrote it, without having to lift a lever to see it. He labored with small means and very crude materials and spent many months in perfecting his first machine, which was' a very crude and imperfect affair, constructed at his home of the simplest materials. Crude as it was, it worked well and contained the principles of the present 'perfect and highly finished Oliver.

This first machine is now on exhibition in a window of the offices of the Oliver Typewriter Co. in Chicago. KIKST St CCKSSKl ISIBI.R WKITKK. The Oliver was the first "visible" or "sight" typewriter which has become a commercial success. After many efforts Mr.

Oliver perfected his machine, secured a patent and a stock company was organized in Iowa, with a capital stock of only $20,000, for the manufacture of this typewriter, the first sales being made to his ministerial friends. These old machines are still in use and doing good work to this day. They were manufactured at Epworth, la. In the fall of 1895 a number of Chicago capitalists became interested in the enterprise, as they saw the value of the new machine. Among them were such men as (iranger Farwell, James Viles, Delavan Smith, William Wallet James S.

Harlan, Douglas Smith, R. S. Peale, Ilennett H. Botsworth and Lawrence Williams. These were among the first to enlist their capital and confidence in this enterprise, and the success of the Oliver typewriter and the rapid progress of this industry is very largely due to them, as they stood by the enterprise in its small beginnings and when it needed friends.

In 1S9.S a new stock company was organized, with a capital stock of having an office in Chicago. The same year the manufacturing plant was moved to Woodstock, where a suitable brick building, 200x80 feet, was donated by the city, which is well adapted for the manufacture of the machine, although the rapid growth of the enterprise and the immense sale of the machine have crowded the building with employees and machinery, so that it appears be only a question of a short time before a substantial-addition will have to be made to the plant in order to meet the orders that are coming in. Only a short time ago the capital stock of the corporation was increased to $350,000, and much of this stock is held by local citizens who could see that in this institution we have a manufactory with a growing future, which is bound in time to pay handsome dividends to its stockholders. Up to this time the larger part of the earnings of the establishment have been put into new equipment, the establishment of agencies and the efficient advertisement of the machine, which now finds a. market wherever the typewriter' has been adopted as a means of quick communication.

Granger Farwell was president of the company from 1896 to 1898, and James Viles, in 1899. The present officers of the company, who are among That the public may see that the Oliver typewriter factory, of which we speak in this article, is worthy of the space given it, we herewith quote an extract from the report of the superintendent of awards of the Pan-American exposition, in which it is shown why the Oliver is considered the finest typewriter machine manufactured. Inl beginning this article we must first express our thanks to- A. L. Coburn, editor of the McHenry County Record, for many of the facts presented and acknowledge to him the debt we owe him for the many fine historical and biographical sketches that have appeared in these columns from his versatile pen, and also our gratitude to Superintendent John Whit-worth for many courtesies extended.

GENESIS OK THK OLIYHH MACHINH. The invention and manufacture of the modern typewriting machine has grown out of the strenuous life of the American people, who are more anxious to accomplish much in a little time than any other nationality of people on earth. It was further needed to keep abreast of the rapid advance ment that has been made in all lines of endeavor. On the principle that is money," the inventors of this rage have wrought improvements that substantially annihilate time. The business man of today, unlike hisprede- iCis-jor of twenty-five years ago, could tot begin to keep up with his corres pondence without the aid of thisgreat- st labor-saving invention of the age, tld the result, were he deprived of its se, would be great loss and incoii- enience.

I lie use oi the typewriter an absolute necessity in these busy tries, and among all the great ma- pines manufactured the Oliver easily kes the lead, not only because of its mplici'y and durability, but because the fact hat it "writes in sight." The Oliver typewriter is an inven- from which mankind is reaping a biefit, there being no mor useful jof-saving device in this age than writing machine which enables having a large amount of writ- to do to greatly lessen the labor multiply the product. In fact, we have remarked before, such is great increase of business and J' of nil kinds that, were it not for nvention of the typewriter, it I be almost impossible to trau-jbe by hand the vast amount of Jtten matter that it is necessary to duce. helOliver, now at the head and I' it of alt of the successful ty peer of the day, in an invention of of the Rev. Thomas Oliver jle. a the Methodist I church at Epworth, Ja.

Mr. lerhad a great desire to have his 'otis typewritten, and, possessing jventive turn of mind, he began jimcMting With the. idea of fnak-j machine for his own use He uaw the great advantage of hair- typewritten line appear on the at be wrote it, and labored with in A he progressed he I he was developing an invention -portance, and by degrees he an entirely new device for the Hon of "visible typewriting," Srr- lTkt i -f, Oo 1 '1)1 1 it 'c'--w- it (Jr -1 "it le" i.vr:ri ii i it l- y-' iVUii I'M fl i ijm- 1. I..