TYPEWRITERS

REMEMBERING THE TYPEWRITERS - J .K.SIVAN

I look back at those days whch made me grow gradually in my official career.
The first typewriter I saw was when I was studying in the Corporation High School, Nungambakkam, in 1950 when I was about 11 yrs and was admitted to 1st form. In those days sixth standard was known as First Form. R. Mahadevan, a short and stout guy, wearing thick glasses was the Cashier, Asst Headmaster cum Administrator of the school, and was therefore more powerful and much feared by everyone. He pulled the teachers for late attendance, progress report not being submitted monthly on time, and he was closely monitoring the payment of fees by students. The fee was very low. The fee I paid when I left the school on completion of my education in sixth form, was Rs 15/- per month, whereas the parent has to shell out not less than Rs 40000 for a LKG student now.

If any student did not pay the fee and produce the receipt issued by Mahadevan, in support he would be sent out of the class. When he enters the class room with a list in his hand, we were scared as he would announce the names of defaulters who have to walk out of the class room and stand under the margosa tree outside until fees paid.

For 1st form the fee payable by me was Rs 5/- every month and some months there was delayed payment and stood outside under the tree.
Defaulters were not allowed to enter the class room, interact with the teachers but can listen to his teachings from outside the wall of the class room from under the tree. Luckily the class rooms did not have walls or doors and the two and a half high parapet wall separated the classes on both sides while thatched separations identified different classes. There would be a small table and an armless wooden chair for the Teacer and a black board in one corner with students not less than 35-40 would be seated either on the floor or small benches with writing desks.

Mahadevan was a fast typist using an Underwood typewriter with a double cylinder capable of typing double foolscap paper horizintally.
A lot of noise it would make everytime he pulled the hard rubber rotating cylinder from one side to the other to type on the next line. He was a short tempered individual and I have never seen him smiling during my 6 years of life at the T.Nagar High School. His sister was my classmate and he would never talk to her during school hours. He was a typist using only two fingers. As he pressed the metal keys they would rise up and touch the paper on the machine imprinting the character through the inked ribbon. To me Mahadevan was a genius as he could type fast on a machine and produce printed matter quickly. The bell would sound ''ting'' and caution that he had reached the end of the cylinder and then only he will push it to the opposite side.

I wanted to become a Mahadevan. After school final passing I joined the Kodambakkam School of Commerce run by Mr Ranganathan who worked in Madras Govt, Secretariat as a senior stenographer. His institute had about 12 different types of typewriters. Most of them were without cover and looked awkward. They were for learners. Underwood, Smith Corona, woodstock, Olivetti, Remington etc., Remington was new and was permitted to be operated by only advanced students appearing for Higher Grade and the machine was less noisy and moved fast. It had facilities like double shift keys,tabs and auto ribbon reverse gear etc., Mr Narayanaswami the time keeper and supervisor was strict in not allowing use of the machines even a minute beyond one hour time per learner. I became his friend and was lucky to enjoy overtime.

The next wonder for me was Mr Bhupathi of Electricity Dept.. He was like an express train. too fast in typing letters on his Remington and was appreciated by everyone in our Dept., His art of changing carbon sheets and cutting stencil was skilful. He could take 10 copies typing hard on his typewriter while others could only bring out blue stained sheets with unreadable, illegible faint impressions. His help was sought by many other colleagues in changing ribbon spools which was an art as ribbon will not move from one direction to the other unless the spools are properly fixed.

Later I had opportunity in India Cements to use Halda and Godrej typewriters which were new brands and helped me earn the bread for my family. I was known as an able and efficient, fast, stenographer and attached to Legal Department and to the Directors.

I remember one Mr. Ramaswamy Naidu sitting under the tree in High Court compound typing very fast sitting on the floor resting his typewriter on a trunk box which was the container for his typewriter when he closed his office. He used to shout waving a stick looking up driving away the birds on the branches of the tree, as they would drop shit anytime on the legal stamp paper he was using for typing various documents for his clients. What is special about Naidu was he would just ask the relevant details from the customers, and clients, and prepare any legal document in english or Tamil using the relevant terminologies which were by heart to him because of his decades of experience in drafting all types of legal documents. I remember his charging Rs 3 per page and typed in double line to show more pages giving wide margins. His fifteen year old son was his assistant running to Thambuchetty street for taking photo copies and cyclostyle copies for which he charged extra because there was no xerox machine in those days.

In my career I was helped greatly by my typing knowledge and skill which enabled me to supplement my income by undertaking part time jobs assisting lawyers, doctors and businessmen and improved my knowledge of english as well.

I saw IBM electric typewriters much later in the shipping organisations I worked outside India, and then slowly computers replaced the typewriters and my portable Olivetti is somewhere on the shelf unused for years. I fondly recall the many occasions my Olivetti portable typewriter helped me type urgent communication while travelling.

I type this using my table top computer comfortably as I am still able to type fast with decades of exposure and experience.My thoughts get conveyed to you in tamil and english without much strain as I can close my eye and type what I want and think.