What a dinosaur! It took a lot of energy to type, on this antique device...that had been 'demoted' by my mother, after she bought a new, electric IBM Selectric, in 1962.......I could see why so many Writers 'turned to drink and smoke'......I still have that fan, the ashtray, glass and cigarette lighter, decades later.......ever tried 'drawing' with an old typewriter? One had to press the 'capital' key, that lifted the entire carriage .....which took a lot of effort...and was slow.....I took a 'typing speed' test, in 1958, on the Royal....clocking in at 62wpm....winning a typing contest in Jr. High School.....when I got the 'Selectric', later.....after college, alas.....I 'clocked in' at 190wpm....three times faster....and, now, with the self-correcting 'tape'....spent far less time rolling the paper up and erasing, then retyping......NOW, everyone's a 'writer' ....on their computers....which even correct the writer's spelling......Since I, deliberately, misspell words for 'effect'.....I do not use that 'feature'....In the late 1980's I cleaned my 'new' Selectric II, and left it on the porch to air out and dry....but, forgot to bring it in before a torrential rain.....which took it out of commission....It was tossed onto the garbage can for Monday pickup, and someone, probably an Emory student, stopped and loaded it into his vehicle.....Perhaps, "Into The WIld" was typed on it after it was taken from the estate of Christopher McCandless....That would be a good story, itself.......like the story of The Red Shoes..... Or O'Henry's Full House tale of the hair and the combs......
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