MR. R. H. HUTTON AND THE TYPEWRITER [To the Editor
of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,—Will you permit one to whom the Spectator has been a weekly delight for forty-five years, to offer you sincere con- gratulations on your splendid Centenary number ? To me it is like a visit to the haunts of my youth, in which I have found communion with old and valued friends !
It may interest you to learn of an amusing incident in the life of Mr. Hutton—I observe that in two of the articles notice is taken of the illegibility of his handwriting :
Many years ago—when the typewriting machine was a novelty—an old friend of mine was engaged in pushing the sale of these machines, and went to London with that object in view. He called at the offices of the Spectator and asked to see Mr. Hutton. He sent in his card—a private card with no indication of his business—and was ushered into the editorial sanctum carrying in his hand a case containing his sample machine. Mr. Hutton looked up in surprise and was greeted thus by my friend : "I have just parted from a friend of yours, and he tells me that you are the worst writer in London ; I want to show you something that will remedy that."
After a momentary astonishment, Mr. Hutton leaned back in his chair and roared with laughter. Meanwhile my friend had got out his machine and proceeded to demonstrate its usefulness. Mr. Hutton was much interested, but said that the Spectator couldn't afford such luxuries. He was kindness itself, however, and gave my friend the names of several people who might be possible purchasers.
The typewriter has long ago come into its own, but I always remember this incident as a kind of personal link with the man whose writing meant much to me in those earlier days. —
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