forty centuries of ink-第34章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



that　its　use　be　required　on　all　public　records；　as　in

England；　it　would　seem　practicable　for　the　secretary

of　the　Commonwealth　to　advertise　for　proposals

for　inks　of　a　certain　standard；　which　the

manufacturers　should　be　bound　to　maintain；　and

that　these　should　be　used　in　all　the　State　offices。

With　a　State　standard　ink　adopted；　its　use　by

recording　officers　would　soon　follow。〃



In　1894　Mr。　Swan's　indefatigable　efforts　were

crowned　with　success；　the　state　of　Massachusetts

adopting　his　recommendations　included　in　the　following

act：



〃SECTION　1。　No　person　having　the　care　or　custody

of　any　book　of　record　or　registry　in　any　of

the　departments　or　offices　of　the　Commonwealth

shall　use　or　allow　to　be　used　upon　such　books　any

ink　excepting　such　as　is　furnished　by　the　secretary

of　the　Commonwealth。



〃SECTION　2。　The　secretary　of　the　Commonwealth

shall　from　time　to　time　advertise　for　proposals

to　furnish　the　several　departments　and　offices

of　the　Commonwealth　in　which　books　of　record　or

registry　are　kept　with　ink　of　a　standard　and　upon

conditions　to　be　established　by　the　secretary　at

such　periods　and　in　such　quantities　as　may　be　required；

and　may　contract　for　the　same。



〃SECTION　3。　The　ink　so　furnished　shall　be　examined

from　time　to　time　by　a　chemist　to　be

designated　by　the　secretary　of　the　Commonwealth；

and　if　at　any　time　said　ink　shall　be　found　to　be

inferior　to　the　established　standard　the　secretary

shall　have　authority　to　cancel　any　contract　made

for　furnishing　said　ink；　and　the　quantity　so　found

inferior　shall　not　be　paid　for。〃



Professor　Markoe；　referred　to　before；　was　appointed

〃chemist〃　by　the　Secretary　of　the　Commonwealth

and　prepared　what　he　considered　the　best　formula；　for

a　standard　ink；　which　was　competed　for　by　a　number

of　ink　manufacturers　after　proper　advertisement；　and

a　contract　awarded。　Mr。　Swan　says　that　this　departure

was　received　with　favor　by　recording　officers。

No　change　was　made　in　the　formula　until　after　the

death　of　Professor　Markoe　in　1900；　when　Dr。　Bennett

F。　Davenport　of　Boston　was　selected　as　his　successor。

He　submitted　a　modified　formula　to　be　employed　in

the　manufacture　of　an　official　or　standard　ink。　It

was　adopted　and　such　an　ink　is　without　exception　now

used　by　all　recording　officers　of　both　Massachusetts

and　Connecticut。



In　1901　the　United　States　treasury　department

adopted　a　similar　ink　except　that　it　permitted　the

introduction　into　it　of　an　unnamed　blue　coloring

material。



Early　in　1894　and　during　the　legislative　session　of

the　state　of　New　York；　after　consultation　with　General

Palmer；　the　then　secretary　of　state；　I　prepared　a

bill　somewhat　on　the　lines　as　laid　down　in　the　Massachusetts

statute。　The　press　all　over　the　state　at　once

took　up　the　matter　and　urged　that　some　such　measure

should　be　enacted　into　law。　A　New　York　City　newspaper

discussed　it　as　follows：



〃A　bill　is　to　be　introduced　in　the　legislature

this　week；　probably　to…morrow　night；　providing　for

an　official　ink　to　be　used　by　every　public　officer

throughout　the　State　of　New　York　in　the　writing

of　public　documents　and　in　making　entries　in　the　records。



〃The　official　ink　is　for　the　purpose　of　making

public　records　permanent　and　to　guard　against

fraud　by　the　alteration　of　the　records。　As　the

law　stands　at　the　present　time　in　the　state　every

official；　whether　municipal；　county　or　state；　is

allowed　to　purchase　and　use　for　the　records　of　his

office　whatever　ink　he　may　choose。　The　consequence

is　that　there　is　no　uniformity　in　public

records　throughout　the　state；　and　entries；　transcripts

and　certificates　are　written　with　hundreds

of　various　kinds　of　inks。



〃The　serious　part　of　the　business；　however；　is

the　evanescent　character　of　some　of　the　kinds　now

used；　especially　of　the　cheaper　grades。　These　are

the　inks　made　from　aniline　and　other　dyes　which

are　held　in　solution　in　water。　Such　inks　are　made

from　a　fine；　cheap　powder；　of　which　nigrosine　is

used　in　making　black　inks；　eosine　for　red；　and

methylene　for　blue　ink；　and　they　cost　only　a　few

dimes　a　gallon　to　manufacture。　The　writing　made

with　such　inks　quickly　dries　by　the　evaporation　of

the　water；　when　it　merely　requires　the　application

of　a　little　soap　and　water　to　wash　them　out；　leaving

the　paper　absolutely　clean；　besides　being　fugitive。



〃It　is　said　that　as　a　result　of　the　present　lack

of　system　in　this　matter　there　are　now　public　records

of　the　city　of　New　York　in　which　the　ink　has

entirely　faded。　These　records　have　been　made

within　the　past　forty　years；　and　are　now　worthless

because　of　the　character　of　the　inks　originally　used。



〃In　the　Police　department　of　this　city　a　blue

ink　is　often　used　which　is　made　from　prussian

blue。　A　large　portion　of　the　entries　in　the　books

of　the　Police　department　are　made　with　ink　of　this

kind；　and　the　warrants　and　other　public　documents

with　which　the　police　have　to　do　are　similarly　written。



〃A　little　soap　and　water　will　wipe　out　this　writing；

so　that　the　record　can　be　easily　altered　at　any

time。　The　use　of　this　ink　in　the　Police　department

is　said　to　date　from　the　time　of　Tweed；　which

is　significant　of　the　original　purpose　for　which　it。

was　adopted。



〃A　permanent　writing　fluid　such　as　it　is　now

proposed　to　adopt　throughout　the　state　would　not

only　secure　uniformity　in　the　character　of　the　inks

used；　but　it　would　also　throw　many　obstacles　in

the　way　of　altering　the　records。



〃The　present　Secretary　of　State　is　heartily　in

accord　with　the　proposed　legislation。　He　was

seen　last　week　by　Mr。　David　N。　Carvalho；　who

has　made　a　life　study　of　the　subject　and　who　drew

the　bill　and　is　pushing　the　reform。



〃Mr。　Carvalho　said　yesterday：　'This　ink；　whose

use　it　is　intended　to　secure　in　the　making　of　public

records　in　this　state；　is　more　costly　than　those

made　from　aniline　and　other　dyes；　which　fade　and

wash。　In　it　the　black　particles　are　suspended　in

water　by　the　addition　of　gum。　This　kind　of　ink

has　an　affinity　for　oxygen；　and　hence　it　oxidizes

and　turns　black。　When　unadulterated　it　only　becomes

blacker　with　the　passage　of　time；　and　cannot

be　washed　from　the　paper　by　the　use　of　water。'



〃　'I　could　show　you；'　continued　Mr。　Carvalho；

'public　records　of　this　city　made　within　forty

years　which　are　entirely　illegible　and　consequently

worthless；　because　cheap　inks　were　used　in　the

writing。　These　include　not　only　records　of　wills

in　the　Surrogate's　office；　but　entries　and　transfers

of　real　estate　which　are　likely　to　come　up　in　the

course　of　litigation　at　any　time；　thereby　affecting

the　rights　of　many　citizens。



〃　'I　can　tell　you　at　once　upon　seeing　an　old

document　the　character　of　the　ink　that　was　used　in

the　writing；　and　I　have　seen　many　old　papers　over

a　hundred　years　of　age　in　which　the　writing　was

as　clear　as　the　day　it　was　made；　simply　because　a

good　writing　ink　was　used。　On　the　other　hand

writing　made　with　cheap　aniline　ink　may　under

certain　circumstances　fade　out　within　a　year；　and

in　a　book　which　is　much　handled　is　almost　certain

to　be　rubbed　out　in　time。



〃　'It　has　frequently　happened　that　in　the　course

of　litigation；　especially　over　real　estate；　that　old

records　made　with　poor　inks　have　been　produced

which　the　court　refused　to　accept　as　evidence；

thereby　depriving　some　citizen　of　his　rights。　At

the　present　time　many　officials　in　this　state；　in

fact；　the　majority　of　them；　are　using　these　cheap

and　worthless　inks　and　the　records　they　are　making

will　be　of　little　or　no　value　in　a　few　years。



〃　'It　is　to　put　a　stop　to　this　abuse　that　the　present

bill　has　been　drawn　up；　and　there　is　no　argument

which　can　be　raised　against　it。'　〃



It　appears　that　there　was　one；　however；　as　the　bill

failed　to　pass　for　the　stated　reason　that　it　came　under

the　head　of　〃class〃　legislation。　The　great　state　and

city　of　New　York　with　costly　and　magnificent　depositorie