We now come to the fateful hour, the appearance on the market of the first commercial typewriter. The actual manufacture of the machine began in September, 1873, and it may be said that in this year and month occurred the birth of the practical writing machine. In the early part of the following year the first machines were completed and ready for sale. The machine was then known simply as "The Type-Writer." Today it is known as the "Model 1 Remington" and it will always be known as the "Ancestor of All Writing Machines." CHAPTER IV. SEEKING A MARKET The general appearance of the first typewriter is well known. A considerable number of these machines are in existence, preserved in museums and other historical collections, and, until recent years, a few of them still remained in active service. The accompanying illustration, however, shows one of these machines which has a special interest all its own. This was the first individual typewriter ever manufactured and offered for sale. This machine was one of the first consignment of typewriters sent to the Western Electric Company, who were the original western selling agents. Later it came into the possession of the late Walter J. Barron, who had been a friend of Sholes, and afterwards became the inventor of a number of important typewriter improvements. Many years later Mr. Barron presented it to the Remington Historical Collection. A single glance at this machine will show what a transformation had been wrought by the skilled Remington mechanics in the crude Sholes and Glidden model of the previous year. A more careful examination will reveal how primitive it still was compared with the efficient writing machines of the present day. The first thing that will strike the most casual observer is the obvious sewing machine influence, in fact it has sewing machine "written all over it." In this we undoubtedly see the hand of Jenne, who, for years before he took up work on the typewriter, had been connected with the sewing-machine branch of the Remington business. This influence appears in the fitting of the machine to a stand, in the familiar grape-vine design of the pedestals, and especially in the curious foot treadle which operated the carriage return. The latter, however, quickly demonstrated its uselessness as a time saver, and was soon displaced by the now familiar hand carriage-return lever. After the disappearance of the foot treadle, the stand itself soon followed into the discard. Another interesting feature is the metal case which completely encloses the machine. This in time gave way to the now familiar open construction, but it is worth noting that in recent years a tendency has set in to return to the enclosed feature of the first typewriter. This original machine had many limitations, but the worst one of all was the fact that it had no shift-key mechanism--it wrote capital letters only.