This picture was taken in 1910, and shows J. B. Hammond, pictured with one of his famous typewriters. The Hammond was one of the most popular typewriters of the early 1900's, and Hammond became a very wealthy and successful man. Unlike most of the factory owners of the day, Mr. Hammond had a habit of being very generous with his employees. He would give them a quarterly dividend, based on the profitability of the company. He would give them a turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas. He would also give them reasonable vacation time. These things were unheard of at the time, and his family accused him of being "insane" and squandering the families' (actually His) fortune. They brought their concerns to the authorities in 1907, and had him committed to an insane asylum. He was locked up for almost a year, and then finally when his case was investigated, it was determined that he was perfectly sane, and he was released. When he returned to his factory, the employees held a huge celebration.
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