Before ball point pens there were fountain pens that held a liquid supply of refillable ink and before that people used a straight pen with a replaceable nib. This nib was dipped in a bottle of ink gathering up a small amount of ink, enough to write a few words. The ink took a few minutes to dry, so it was blotted to prevent smearing or smudging. Otherwise people could be seen waving a piece of paper back and forth or blowing on it to dry a signature. So necessary were these blotters that they became a good form of inexpensive give away advertising. Household items or election campaigning were common purposes to be promoted. So too did the railways take advantage of these ink blotters.

Collection of William Weber

Old Time Trains Archives