Before there were daily deliveries via UPS, FedEx and other local carriers, we depended on the postal service, over the road truckers and railroads. Above is an interesting 1927 event that occurred when Walter W. Prior had an air freight carrier drop a shipment of Royal typewriters via parachute from an airplane over Mercer Airport. In addition to a copy of my original weekly "Hamilton Scrapbook" feature in the Mercer Messenger, I have added the successor to the Walter W. Prior Typewriter Exchange, my friend Tony Nami and his "PRIOR-NAMI BUSINESS SYSTEMS over on Hamilton Avenue adjacent to Camp Olden Park. The computer with its typewriter-type keyboard has largely replaced the now old fashioned typewriter. I was a high speed typist during my Army years with a "manual" typewriter which was known as a "mill" in my ASA (Army Security Agency) M.O.S. (Military Occupation Specialty). I recently tried my hand a typing on one of those relics. I did fine until I reached the end of a sentence and waited for an automatic carriage return!
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Anonymous said... - They mention the parachute drop into Stacy Park. I seem to remember something about the first scheduled air mail was between Trenton and Philadelphia with the pick up by one of those large Sikorsky birds landing at Stacy Park by the RR bridge. Perhaps in about 1953? Mom started out as a typist and they had proficiency exams for speed. When the first of the IBM speed machines came out she would bring one home to practice. My Dad challenged her to a duel. Like an old gunslinger he emerged with an ancient Royal from the attic. He won, beat her hands down on that old thing. Skip
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