1876.04.19 English

In the upper left corner: A drawing of the Writing Ball

 

 

 

At the centre:           R. MALLING HANSEN’s Writing Ball

 

                                       COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

 

 

                                           APRIL 19, 1876

 

 

 

                                   MY  DEAR   B R O T H E R !

 

 

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO DEAR MOTHER FOR HER KIND GREETING, AND WE WOULD VERY MUCH HAVE WISHED THAT SHE HAD BEEN WELL NEOUGH TO WRITE ON HER OWN; WE ARE IMMENSELY SORRY THAT OUR DEAR MOTHER IS STILL IN A POOR WAY. ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO YOU FOR YOUR LETTER.

 

YOUR HINT[1] ABOUT 10 ÖRE OR 100000 KRONER I CANNOT REALLY CATCH, BUT UNDOUBTEDLY IN MY HURRY SOMETIMES I EXPRESS MYSELF INDISTINCLY.

 

 

FROM BROTHER DENSMORE[2] I HAVN’T YET HEARD ANYTHING, BUT I SUPPOSE HE IS INVESTIGATING MY MACHINE AND DIGESTING MY MANY LETTERS, AND ALSO TRYING TO ASCERTAIN HOW HE, IN THE CHEAPEST POSSIBLE WAY, MAY ASSUME CONTROL OVER IT.

 

 

TWO GENTLEMEN, A MECHANIC IN GERMANY AND AN ENGINEER IN ENGLAND, HAVE EACH IN THEIR COUNTRIES METICULOUSLY EXAMINED THE “AMERICAN”. THEY HAVE ALSO EXAMINED THE DANISH MACHINE HERE AND DECLARED, AS WELL AS STATED THE REASONS FOR, THE CONSIDERABLE SUPERIORITY OF MY MACHINE.

 

 

TOWARDS THE END OF MAY ALMOST ALL STAFF OF OUR INSTITUTE WILL TRAVEL TO ATTEND A SCANDINAVIAN SPECIAL EDUCATION MEETING IN STOCKHOLM[3].

 

 

WARMEST GREETINGS FROM ALL OF US HERE TO ALL OF YOU. WE ARE – THANK GOD – ALL IN GOOD HEALTH. THE SMALLEST TODDLERS HAVE STARTED GETTING OUT INTO THE GARDEN FOR SHORT PERIODS DURING THE DAYS WHEN THE WEATHER WAS FAIR. THE BIG ONES DAILY BRAVE ALL KINDS OF WEATHER. TODAY I STILL HAVE A DAY OFF, BUT TOMORROW WORK STARTS AGAIN.

 

 

                                         YOUR DEEPLY DEVOTED BROTHER

 

 

 

                                                       R.     Malling  Hansen

 

 

 

(Added in the margin in handwriting):

 

 

 

These lines were written with a new machine that I tried for the first time. It’s writing shows one or two flaws that can easily be corrected.

 

 

[1] CB: Inexplicable comment – at least it is to me. Sverre: This may be a hint that RMH is sometimes not very accurate with the financial aspects of his projects. He was a poor financial manager who used to spend much more money that he had at his disposal.

[2] Sverre: It is again worth noting that he calls Densmore “brother”. Obviously he has a very friendly and trusting relationship to him. Among some of RMH’s descendants there is a story going round that Densmore stole ideas from RMH and used them to improve his own machine (from an interview with RMH’s grandchild Gerda Forman Jensen).

[3] Sverre: At this special education meeting in Stockholm, RMH is elected chairman and hence has a central role.