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Summer Session Kansan
Friday, July 17, 1959
'Simplex' Typesetter Gets New Home at KU
By Thomas C. Ryther
Assistant Professor of Journalism (From the Topeka Daily Capital)
Many a hot linotype sugar nas cooled in the stick since the Simplex one-man typesetting machine was announced in the June, 1899, Inland Printer as the successor to the Thorne typesetter and as the solution to all small-plant typesetting needs.
It actually set foundry type, was less complicated, and generally more satisfactory and more economical than competing machines, meaning the linotype.
One of the few remaining Simplex typesetting machines to have successfully eluded scrap-iron drives and museum collectors for nearly 60 years finally fell prey to the latter recently and wound up in the William Allen White School of Journalism and Public Information.
NEW HOME FOR TYPESETTER—This is the Simplex typesetter, one of which has been obtained by the School of Journalism, where it may be seen in the typographic laboratory.
Having been freed from a 23-year accumulation of dust, dirt, plaster, corroded oil and other ingredients foreign to its nature, it now occupies a prominent spot in 212 Flint. It is as shiny and new-appearing and its moving parts are well lubricated and free as the day it proudly set its first type.
After all these years of being neglected while a linotype not six feet away did its work, old Simplex No. 1499 is once again the center of attraction in its new surroundings, receiving particular attention from visiting editors and printers of its own age group, who have had personal contact with one of its brothers or cousins, way back when.
The transformation of old 1499 from its corroded state to one of gleaming free-wheeling-didn't happen over night. Employes of the University of Kansas Press took over the task as a gratis project and spent many hours dismantling, buffing, polishing, oiling and reassembling, during the course of which a good linotype machinist became a Simplex machinist, and about everyone in the plant became at least an assistant machinist.
So well was the job done that the machine is once again ready to set type but for the setting of a motor and rounding up shaft, pulleys and a couple of belts.
The machine was obtained from Cecil G. McDaniel, publisher of the Cainsville, Mo., News. It was in operation in McDaniel's plant up to December, 1926, after having served a prior stint in the plant of the now defunct New Hampton, Mo., Tribune—and perhaps in other similar plants.
McDaniel learned of the school's desire to obtain a Simplex through a classified ad in the nationally circulated Publishers' Auxiliary. His was the only answer, indicating that probably not many of the machines remain outside of museums. McDaniel came up with a machine in perfect mechanical condition, in that there were no broken or missing parts.
The school is interested in hearing from anyone anywhere who has had experience operating a "Simplex"
Over a period of approximately 70 years many persons labored diligently to perfect a machine that would set type. More than 100 machines and devices were patented and approximately one-third that many were actually built.
It would be interesting, but impossible, to estimate the amount of money that was invested and lost in the various unsuccessful machines. Mark Twain is known to have lost a small fortune in the Paige.
sure-fire success; it could do anything a printer could except drink and swear. Apparently this was a more serious handicap than might at first be supposed, since the machine was never marketed commercially.
He enthusiastically reported on one occasion that the Paige was a
Even so, the Paige was a most remarkable machine and well it should have been, since James W. Paige of Rochester, N.Y., spent 15 years perfecting it, and its backers put into it $1,300,000—a heap of money in 1887.
It worked,but was so complicated that machinists could not be trained to keep it in operation.
Of all the typesetting machines and devices which were tried before the line-casting principle was perfected and forced them all out of business, only the Simplex (its earlier model being called the Thorne, and a later one the Unitytype) was produced in quantity and was actually used for typesetting.
It is estimated that well over a thousand of these machines were put into use between the late 80's and 1910 when the Wood and Nathan Co. of New York City made a last
valiant effort to market the new and improved Unitytype.
The Simplex takes its place in the William Allen White School of Journalism alongside several other pieces of printing equipment of like, or even earlier, vintage. Perhaps the oldest—something over 100 years—is a large George Washington hand press, donated from the State Printing Plant in 1552 by Ferd Voiland, who was then state printer.
Then there's the once familiar Prouty or "grasshopper" cylinder press which came to the school from Flovd Ecord of the Burlington Republican shortly after he had purchased the Leroy Reporter from Glick Fockele in 1952. It was manufactured in 1881 and was used in Excelsior Springs, Mo., until 1904, when it was purchased by Fockele.
Another press of yesteryear soon to take its place in the William Allen White School is a "clamshell" platen, obtained several years ago from the Randolph Enterprise plant by the late Joseph W. Murray, former managing editor of the Lawrence Daily Journal-World, and designated by him for presentation to the school.
FROM DRIVE-INS TO DINING ROOMS, THESE RESTAURANTS OFFER THE TOPS IN FOOD IN LAWRENCE
Old Mission Inn
"The Best Hamburgers in town"
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1904 Mass. VI 3-9737
The
Castle Tea Room
1307 Mass. VI 3-1151
Air Conditioned
Maloney Is Guest at Riley
Dr. J. O. Maloney, chairman of the department of mechanical engineering, went to Ft. Riley Wednesday, representing the University on a one-day tour of the ROTC camp at the fort, where several KU cadets are midway in their six weeks of intensive field training.
Dr. Maloney's itinerary began with breakfast at Carr Hall, followed by a welcome from Maj. Gen. Harvey H. Fischer, commanding general of Ft. Riley and the 1st Infantry Division, and a briefing on cadet training by Col. Max V. Kirkbride, deputy commander of the ROTC camp.
Along with other educators from 34 colleges and universities, Dr. Maloney was escorted to the training area to observe a demonstration on crew served and individually fired infantry weapons. He also saw rifle and hand grenade firing and heard a discussion on technique of fire.
The visit included the 3.5-inch rocket launcher and 106-mm recoilless rifles, lunch in the field, observation of cadets in artillery firing, and an engineer demonstration. The corps also marched in review before the visitors and camp officials.
A dinner at the Ft. Riley Officers Club concluded the day.
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