Harris, Rex, Demountable pg. 4:  Historical details
I must say, before beginning the historical discussion, that collectors from literally everywhere have aided in this effort.  If there has been such a widespread and simultaneously quick response to any typewriter research project before this, I'm not aware of it.  The contributors are rightly and properly listed at the very top of the first page of this series, and are owed my endless gratitude.

We now have a great deal of perspective, from ads sent by Jim Dax, Peter Weil and Herman Price.  We have Herman's serial number list, which I amended very slightly, and which he and Thomas Furtig had developed.  We have original corporate information from Peter Weil, supplemented by my research into the papers of incorporation for the concerned companies.  Yes, I've come up with the following, after having been provided all of this.  Any errors or mis-judgements are mine, and not those of the contributors.
De Witt C. Harris originally developed the design for this machine in 1908, and apparently worked with Sears-Roebuck to build and sell it.  Early attemtps to have another established concern license-build the machine failed, and in 1911 the Harris Typewriter Company was founded by D. C. Harris and Julius Keller (who developed the tooling to build the machines.)  Harris' brother, B. E. Harris, was also involved, and in mid-1911 bought the old former shoe factory that the company would use to build its typewriters; hand-built prototypes has already been shown to Sears-Roebuck and accepted.  In August, 1911, more funding was needed, and a prospectus issued; shortly, a new Harris Typewriter Manufacturing Company appeared, owning all assets of the former company, but with much more working capital.

D. C. Harris filed numerous patents for the machine during April and May 1912; in June, the plant was completed and immediately began manufacturing the machines (as the No. 4.)
We have evidence that the Harris Visible was sold directly -- this means through mail, and by agents -- as well as by Sears, Roebuck.  One example of the former is given by the leaflet on page 3 of this article.  It appears that Sears had the machines in stock and available at least through 1920, given the date of the Harris Visible manual published by Sears.  Harris had, as a company, long since vanished by then.

The operation would be taken over by the Rex Typewriter Company, whose exact date is not known.  Reference materials give a date of 1914 although the earliest advertising yet found for the Rex Visible is dated 1916.  In any case, there is ample evidence that the American Can Company was integral in the buyout of Harris.  Many Rex Visible machines are labeled as "Sold and Guaranteed by American Can Co. Chicago USA."   We have in hand a corporate letter from the Rex Typewriter Company offices, located in Chicago, dated Jan. 30, 1917, which gives a list of the officers and the directors of the company.  To wit, the officers were B. E. Harris, President; Paul Herbert, Vice President, and H. M. Ballard, Secretary & Treasurer.  This latter gentleman is the same one stated to have been the General Manager of the company in the 1916 advertisement seen on a prior page here.  More interesting are the directors:  The same B. E. Harris is listed as the General Sales Manager, American Can Co., Adding Machine Division.  The others are F. J. Rueping, President of Fred Rueping Leather Co, T. L. Doyle, Attorney and ex-Mayor of Fond du Lac, H. M. Ballard, and Paul Herbert.  The offices were now in Chicago; the original factory was retained.

This letter was from R. M. Polachek, Territorial Sales Manager, to one of his agents, warning him of the price increase effective 1 February, to $62.50 for cash sales and $69.50 on credit.
The Rex Typewriter Company was apparently finished by 1921.  Sources indicate that this company quit at about this time, and that Demountable took over.  We now have information that events were actually more complicated than this.

There was an intermediate, brief existence of the firm as the Rex Typewriter Corporation.  We have here a stock prospectus and a stock certificate from that company.  The picture at left is from the February 1922 prospectus for the Rex Typewriter Corporation and its new machine, the Rex Demountable.  The reproduction here is bad, but in person it is clear that the label on the paper table says "Rex Demountable Typewriter."  This is then the prototypical version of what would eventually become the first Demountable model.

Little information about this time period exists.  However, the President of the Rex Typewriter Corporation appears, by signature, to be W. H. Rueping.  He is very likely associated with the Fred Rueping Leather Company.  It would seem as if this incarnation was as a result of American Can having sold out stock and control of the Rex Typewriter Company.  With new investment, the old company was likely merged into this newly formed Rex Typewriter Corporation, headquartered in Fond du Lac.
Rex Demountable Typewriter. Courtesy Peter Weil.  This machine is new, but is still in appearance very much related to the Harris/Rex machines.
The next piece of actual evidence in hand is a letter from Demountable Typewriter Company, dated October 1923.  On it is the picture at right, of the Demountable General Offices and Factory.  It is exactly the same plant as had been occupied by Rex, which is seen on an earlier page.  Note the corner architecture, and the distinctive circular windows on both sides of all four corners.

Much more interesting is another Peter Weil furnished letter, from Demountable president Wm Mauthe to a stockholder of the Rex Typewriter Corporation, which letter is dated October 9, 1924.  In it, Mauthe tells the stockholder that it is not possible to judge the value of his Common Stock, but that it is his personal opinion that it is worthless.  Mauthe says that he "first came here on or about January 1923."  This may have been the beginning of actual operation of the Demountable Typewriter Company.  Mauthe notes that the Rex Typewriter Corporation had huge outstanding debt, and that $306,600 of bonds were still outstanding.  He notes that if the company succeeds, the Common Stock might have some value.
Five years later, Wm. Mauthe sent another letter to the same man.  This time, the letterhead is that of the Demountable Typewriter Company Incorporated.  The letterhead says "Manufacturers since 1911."  What exactly went on here is unknown, but by 1929, the Rex Typewriter Corporation had been dissolved, and the operation was no longer in the hands of the Demountable Typewriter Company, but in the hands of the Demountable Typewriter Company Inc.  (You may recall that on an earlier page, I mentioned that these two latter firms had separate papers of incorporation in Wisconsin.)  Note that both Demountable firms were headquartered in Fond du Lac, at the factory/office building pictured.

Mauthe tells Mr. L. H. Corey in this November 1929 letter:  'The Rex Typewriter Corporation Non-Par Value Common stock had no value when the company was dissolved.  The conditions were just exactly as stated in my letter to you of October 9th, 1924."  He notes that the stock in question was issued to a Mr. Bell and then transferred, and that Mr. Bell would have received much correspondence over the years, and corporate statements.  "All of those papers will clearly indicate that the old Rex Corporation was practically bankrupt way back in 1922, that it owed a great deal more than it had, and that even the creditors would not receive the full amount they were entitled to."

He continues:  "The present Demountable Typewriter Company is a new corporation with new capital, and bought the property at Sheriff sale a few years ago, so I am sorry to tell you that the Certificate of stock has no value at all and I therefore think it best for you to save at least the value of the stamps." 
In summation of the above, it would appear that neither the Harris, nor the Rex ventures were what would be described as highly successful.  In each case, the companies survived for a short time through or with outside support -- Harris, by way of the Sears contract, and Rex, by way of American Can and its desire to get fully into the office machine business.  When the firm tried to make it on its own, after sellout by American Can, and conversion into the Rex Typewriter Corporation, it tried to develop a modern, fully viable and competitive product in the four-bank single-shift Rex Demountable.  Perhaps this killed the company.   Demountable Typewriter Company apparently took over the remains of the Rex Typewriter Corporation, but as we know from the letter, the Demountable Typewriter Company Incorporated followed and was considered a new corporation, with no responsibility to the Rex stockholders.   Incredibly, as Mauthe states, the Demountable Typewriter Co. Inc. bought the remains of the Rex Typewriter Corporation at a sheriff's sale, no doubt following foreclosure.
The Demountable Typewriter Company, Inc. had worldwide sales representatives, and lasted for a longer period.  How many machines it actually built is not known.  Serial number records end in 1934, while other sources say that production ended in 1936.  The same source as I used for the very first founding information for the Harris Typewriter Company notes that the final dissolution date was 1939.  It may be that this was when the final liquidation of assets occurred, or the final payment to stockholders or creditors. 
The origin of the other known names for the three-bank machine, namely "Autocrat" and "Reporter's Special," is unknown.  But here's one that's both surprising and interesting, sent by Peter Weil.

Here we have the Smith Visible No. 6, sold by none other than Harry A. Smith.  This is from an advertisement sent by Smith to R. P. Speicher, an agent for the Chicago & North Western Railway in Swedeburg Nebraska.  Much to our chagrin, the envelope bears a postal cancellation with NO DATE WHATSOEVER. 

One wonders what this is.  It is either a leftover from the Harris Typewriter Manufacturing Company, or else it is a machine bought from backstock owned by Sears, Roebuck - as it shows no ribbon selector.  Or, perhaps, it isn't built new, but used!
Demountable Factory and Offices.
The name "Harry A. Smith" is familiar to typewriter collectors, as this man bought production of numerous machines from bankrupt manufacturers and sold the machines under his own name.  Perhaps he even sold rebuilt ones, too; in my research about this man, all I turned up was the following very interesting reference, in a 1918 Federal Trade Commission report.

"Complaint Number 36, February 1, 1918.  Federal Trade Commission vs. Harry A Smith.  Causes:  Stifling and suppressing competition in the sale of typewriters by publishing and causing to be published false and misleading advertisements designed and calculated to cause customers and prospective customers to believe that the repaired and rebuilt typewriters of standard makes offered for sale at a price of less than one half of that charged by the makers of such machines are new typewriters in alleged violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act."  He wasn't alone here, either --  complaint number 34 against the Dearborn Typewriter Company, and # 35 against the Metro Typewriter Company, were filed along with this one.  The same complaint would be filed against "Block & Emporium" ten days later.  Perhaps Smith was really in the business of selling rebuilt typewriters for the most part, and only bought up the remaining machines of dead manufacturers when they became available.  Perhaps these Smith No 6 machines were actually used -- note that Sears claimed owning 800 Harris units in 1914.
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Very many people have helped me to construct these pages.  Without them, I couldn't have done this.  Thanks to all of you who have helped, and who continue to search and contribute.
                              -Will Davis   October 2004
Click here to see a 1917 advertisement for Harry A. Smith's SMITH VISIBLE No. 6.