men of invention and industry-第40章

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sheet　now　advancing　for　impression；　and　the　whole　of　these

complicated　acts　is　performed　with　such　a　velocity　and

simultaneousness　of　movement；　that　no　less　than　1100　sheets　are

impressed　in　one　hour。



〃That　the　completion　of　an　invention　of　this　kind；　not　the　effect

of　chance；　but　the　result　of　mechanical　combinations　methodically

arranged　in　the　mind　of　the　artist；　should　be　attended　with　many

obstructions　and　much　delay；　may　be　readily　imagined。　　Our　share

in　this　event　has；　indeed；　only　been　the　application　of　the

discovery；　under　an　agreement　with　the　patentees；　to　our　own

particular　business；　yet　few　can　conceiveeven　with　this　limited

interestthe　various　disappointments　and　deep　anxiety　to　which

we　have　for　a　long　course　of　time　been　subjected。



〃Of　the　person　who　made　this　discovery　we　have　but　little　to　add。



Sir　Christopher　Wren's　noblest　monument　is　to　be　found　in　the

building　which　he　erected；　so　is　the　best　tribute　of　praise　which

we　are　capable　of　offering　to　the　inventor　of　the　printing

machine；　comprised　in　the　preceding　description；　which　we　have

feebly　sketched；　of　the　powers　and　utility　of　his　invention。　　It

must　suffice　to　say　further；　that　he　is　a　Saxon　by　birth；　that

his　name　is　Koenig；　and　that　the　invention　has　been　executed

under　the　direction　of　his　friend　and　countryman；　Bauer。〃



The　machine　continued　to　work　steadily　and　satisfactorily；

notwithstanding　the　doubters；　the　unbelievers；　and　the

threateners　of　vengeance。　　The　leading　article　of　The　Times　for

December　3rd；　1814；　contains　the　following　statement：



〃The　machine　of　which　we　announced　the　discovery　and　our　adoption

a　few　days　ago；　has　been　whirling　on　its　course　ever　since；　with

improving　order；　regularity；　and　even　speed。　　The　length　of　the

debates　on　Thursday；　the　day　when　Parliament　was　adjourned；　will

have　been　observed；　on　such　an　occasion　the　operation　of

composing　and　printing　the　last　page　must　commence　among　all　the

journals　at　the　same　moment；　and　starting　from　that　moment；　we；

with　our　infinitely　superior　circulation；　were　enabled　to　throw

off　our　whole　impression　many　hours　before　the　other　respectable

rival　prints。　　The　accuracy　and　clearness　of　the　impression　will

likewise　excite　attention。



〃We　shall　make　no　reflections　upon　those　by　whom　this　wonderful

discovery　has　been　opposed；the　doubters　and　unbelievers；

however　uncharitable　they　may　have　been　to　us；　were　it　not　that

the　efforts　of　genius　are　always　impeded　by　drivellers　of　this

description；　and　that　we　owe　it　to　such　men　as　Mr。　Koenig　and　his

Friend；　and　all　future　promulgators　of　beneficial　inventions；　to

warn　them　that　they　will　have　to　contend　with　everything　that

selfishness　and　conceited　ignorance　can　devise　or　say；　and　if　we

cannot　clear　their　way　before　them；　we　would　at　least　give　them

notice　to　prepare　a　panoply　against　its　dirt　and　filth。



〃There　is　another　class　of　men　from　whom　we　receive　dark　and

anonymous　threats　of　vengeance　if　we　persevere　in　the　use　of　this

machine。　　These　are　the　Pressmen。　　They　well　know；　at　least

should　well　know；　that　such　menace　is　thrown　away　upon　us。　　There

is　nothing　that　we　will　not　do　to　assist　and　serve　those　whom　we

have　discharged。　　They　themselves　can　seethe　greater　rapidity　and

precision　with　which　the　paper　is　printed。　　What　right　have　they

to　make　us　print　it　slower　and　worse　for　their　supposed　benefit？　

A　little　reflection；　indeed；　would　show　them　that　it　is　neither

in　their　power　nor　in　ours　to　stop　a　discovery　now　made；　if　it　is

beneficial　to　mankind；　or　to　force　it　down　if　it　is　useless。　

They　had　better；　therefore；　acquiesce　in　a　result　which　they

cannot　alter；　more　especially　as　there　will　still　be　employment

enough　for　the　old　race　of　pressmen；　before　the　new　method

obtains　general　use；　and　no　new　ones　need　be　brought　up　to　the

business；　but　we　caution　them　seriously　against　involving

themselves　and　their　families　in　ruin；　by　becoming　amenable　to

the　laws　of　their　country。　　It　has　always　been　matter　of　great

satisfaction　to　us　to　reflect；　that　we　encountered　and　crushed

one　conspiracy；　and　we　should　be　sorry　to　find　our　work　half

done。



〃It　is　proper　to　undeceive　the　world　in　one　particular；　that　is；

as　to　the　number　of　men　discharged。　　We　in　fact　employ　only　eight

fewer　workmen　than　formerly；　whereas　more　than　three　times　that

number　have　been　employed　for　a　year　and　a　half　in　building　the

machine。〃



On　the　8th　of　December　following；　Mr。　Koenig　addressed　an

advertisement　〃To　the　Public〃　in　the　columns　of　The　Times；　giving

an　account　of　the　origin　and　progress　of　his　invention。　　We　have

already　cited　several　passages　from　the　statement。　　After

referring　to　his　two　last　patents；　he　says：　〃The　machines　now

printing　The　Times　and　Mail　are　upon　the　same　principle；　but　they

have　been　contrived　for　the　particular　purpose　of　a　newspaper　of

extensive　circulation；　where　expedition　is　the　great　object。



〃The　public　are　undoubtedly　aware；　that　never；　perhaps；　was　a　new

invention　put　to　so　severe　a　trial　as　the　present　one；　by　being

used　on　its　first　public　introduction　for　the　printing　of

newspapers；　and　will；　I　trust；　be　indulgent　with　respect　to　the

many　defects　in　the　performance；　though　none　of　them　are　inherent

in　the　principle　of　the　machine；　and　we　hope；　that　in　less　than

two　months；　the　whole　will　be　corrected　by　greater　adroitness　in

the　management　of　it；　so　far　at　least　as　the　hurry　of　newspaper

printing　will　at　all　admit。



〃It　will　appear　from　the　foregoing　narrative；　that　it　was

incorrectly　stated　in　several　newspapers；　that　I　had　sold　my

interest　to　two　other　foreigners；　my　partners　in　this　enterprise

being　at　present　two　Englishmen；　Mr。　Bensley　and　Mr。　Taylor；　and

it　is　gratifying　to　my　feelings　to　avail　myself　of　this

opportunity　to　thank　those　gentlemen　publicly　for　the　confidence

which　they　have　reposed　in　me；　for　the　aid　of　their　practical

skill；　and　for　the　persevering　support　which　they　have　afforded

me　in　long　and　very　expensive　experiments；　thus　risking　their

fortunes　in　the　prosecution　of　my　invention。



〃The　first　introduction　of　the　invention　was　considered　by　some

as　a　difficult　and　even　hazardous　step。　　The　Proprietor　of　The

Times　having　made　that　his　task；　the　public　are　aware　that　it　is

in　good　hands。〃



One　would　think　that　Koenig　would　now　feel　himself　in　smooth

water；　and　receive　a　share　of　the　good　fortune　which　he　had　so

laboriously　prepared　for　others。　　Nothing　of　the　kind！　　His

merits　were　disputed；　his　rights　were　denied；　his　patents　were

infringed；　and　he　never　received　any　solid　advantages　for　his

invention；　until　be　left　the　country　and　took　refuge　in　Germany。　

It　is　true；　he　remained　for　a　few　years　longer；　in　charge　of　the

manufactory　in　Whitecross　Street；　but　they　were　years　to　him　of

trouble　and　sorrow。



In　1816；　Koenig　designed　and　superintended　the　construction　of　a

single　cylinder　registering　machine　for　book…printing。　　This　was

supplied　to　Bensley　and　Son；　and　turned　out　1000　sheets；　printed

on　both　sides；　in　the　hour。　　Blumenbach's　'Physiology'　was　the

first　entire　book　printed　by　steam；　by　this　new　machine。　　It　was

afterwards　employed；　in　l8l8；　in　working　off　the　Literary

Gazette。　　A　machine　of　the　same　kind　was　supplied　to　Mr。　Richard

Taylor　for　the　purpose　of　printing　the　'Philosophical　Magazine；'

and　books　generally。　　This　was　afterwards　altered　to　a　double

machine；　and　employed　for　printing　the　Weekly　Dispatch。



But　what　about　Koenig's　patents？　　They　proved　of　little　use　to

him。　　They　only　proclaimed　his　methods；　and　enabled　other

ingenious　mechanics　to　borrow　his　adaptations。　　Now　that　he　had

succeeded　in　making　machines　that　would　work；　the　way　was　clear

for　everybody　else　to　follow　his　footsteps。　　It　had　taken　him

more　than　six　years　to　invent　and　construct　a　successful　steam

printing　press；　but　any　clever　mechanic；　by　merely　studying　his

specification