men of invention and industry-第42章

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expensive；＇7＇　the　latter　commissioned　Koenig　to　send　him　a

Stanhope　printing　pressthe　first　ever　introduced　into　Germany

the　price　of　which　was　95L。　　Koenig　did　this　service　for　his

friend；　for　although　he　stood　by　the　superior　merits　of　his　own

invention；　he　was　sufficiently　liberal　to　recognise　the　merits　of

the　inventions　of　others。　　Now　that　he　was　about　to　settle　in

Germany；　he　was　able　to　supply　his　friends　and　patrons　on　the

spot。



The　question　arose；　where　was　he　to　settle？　　He　made　enquiries

about　sites　along　the　Rhine；　the　Neckar；　and　the　Main。　　At　last

he　was　attracted　by　a　specially　interesting　spot　at　Oberzell　on

the　Main；　near　Wurzburg。　　It　was　an　old　disused　convent　of　the

Praemonstratensian　monks。　　The　place　was　conveniently　situated

for　business；　being　nearly　in　the　centre　of　Germany。　　The

Bavarian　Government；　desirous　of　giving　encouragement　to　so

useful　a　genius；　granted　Koenig　the　use　of　the　secularised

monastery　on　easy　terms；　and　there　accordingly　he　began　his

operations　in　the　course　of　the　following　year。　　Bauer　soon

joined　him；　with　an　order　from　Mr。　Walter　for　an　improved　Times

machine；　and　the　two　men　entered　into　a　partnership　which　lasted

for　life。



The　partners　had　at　first　great　difficulties　to　encounter　in

getting　their　establishment　to　work。　　Oberzell　was　a　rural

village；　containing　only　common　labourers；　from　whom　they　had　to

select　their　workmen。　　Every　person　taken　into　the　concern　had　to

be　trained　and　educated　to　mechanical　work　by　the　partners

themselves。　　With　indescribable　patience　they　taught　these

labourers　the　use　of　the　hammer；　the　file；　the　turning…lathe；　and

other　tools；　which　the　greater　number　of　them　had　never　before

seen；　and　of　whose　uses　they　were　entirely　ignorant。　　The

machinery　of　the　workshop　was　got　together　with　equal　difficulty

piece　by　piece；　some　of　the　parts　from　a　great　distance；the

mechanical　arts　being　then　at　a　very　low　ebb　in　Germany；　which

was　still　suffering　from　the　effects　of　the　long　continental　war。



At　length　the　workshop　was　fitted　up；　the　old　barn　of　the

monastery　being　converted　into　an　iron　foundry。



Orders　for　printing　machines　were　gradually　obtained。　　The　first

came　from　Brockhaus；　of　Leipzig。　　By　the　end　of　the　fourth　year

two　other　single…cylinder　machines　were　completed　and　sent　to

Berlin；　for　use　in　the　State　printing　office。　　By　the　end　of　the

eighth　year　seven　double…cylinder　steam　presses　had　been

manufactured　for　the　largest　newspaper　printers　in　Germany。　　The

recognised　excellence　of　Koenig　and　Bauer's　book…printing

machinestheir　perfect　register；　and　the　quality　of　the　work

they　turned　outsecured　for　them　an　increasing　demand；　and　by

the　year　1829　the　firm　had　manufactured　fifty…one　machines　for

the　leading　book　printers　throughout　Germany。　　The　Oberzell

manufactory　was　now　in　full　work；　and　gave　regular　employment　to

about　120　men。



A　period　of　considerable　depression　followed。　　As　was　the　case　in

England；　the　introduction　of　the　printing　machine　in　Germany

excited　considerable　hostility　among　the　pressmen。　　In　some　of

the　principal　towns　they　entered　into　combinations　to　destroy

them；　and　several　printing　machines　were　broken　by　violence　and

irretrievably　injured。　　But　progress　could　not　be　stopped；　the

printing　machine　had　been　fairly　born；　and　must　eventually　do　its

work　for　mankind。　　These　combinations；　however；　had　an　effect　for

a　time。　　They　deterred　other　printers　from　giving　orders　for　the

machines；　and　Koenig　and　Bauer　were　under　the　necessity　of

suspending　their　manufacture　to　a　considerable　extent。　　To　keep

their　men　employed；　the　partners　proceeded　to　fit　up　a　paper

manufactory；　Mr。　Cotta；　of　Stuttgart；　joining　them　in　the

adventure；　and　a　mill　was　fitted　up；　embodying　all　the　latest

improvements　in　paper…making。



Koenig；　however；　did　not　live　to　enjoy　the　fruits　or　all　his

study；　labour；　toil；　and　anxiety；　for；　while　this　enterprise　was

still　in　progress；　and　before　the　machine　trade　had　revived；　he

was　taken　ill；　and　confined　to　bed。　　He　became　sleepless；　his

nerves　were　unstrung；　and　no　wonder。　　Brain　disease　carried　him

off　on　the　17th　of　January；　1833；　and　this　good；　ingenious；　and

admirable　inventor　was　removed　from　all　further　care　and　trouble。



He　died　at　the　early　age　of　fifty…eight；　respected　and　beloved　by

all　who　knew　him。



His　partner　Bauer　survived　to　continue　the　business　for　twenty

years　longer。　　It　was　during　this　later　period　that　the　Oberzell

manufactory　enjoyed　its　greatest　prosperity。　　The　prejudices　of

the　workmen　gradually　subsided　when　they　found　that　machine

printing；　instead　of　abridging　employment；　as　they　feared　it

would　do；　enormously　increased　it；　and　orders　accordingly　flowed

in　from　Berlin；　Vienna；　and　all　the　leading　towns　and　cities　of

Germany；　Austria；　Denmark；　Russia；　and　Sweden。　　The　six　hundredth

machine；　turned　out　in　1847；　was　capable　of　printing　6000

impressions　in　the　hour。　　In　March；　1865；　the　thousandth　machine

was　completed　at　Oberzell；　on　the　occasion　of　the　celebration　of

the　fifty　years'　jubilee　of　the　invention　of　the　steam　press　by

Koenig。



The　sons　of　Koenig　carried　on　the　business；　and　in　the　biography

by　Goebel；　it　is　stated　that　the　manufactory　of　Oberzell　has　now

turned　out　no　fewer　than　3000　printing　machines。　　The　greater

number　have　been　supplied　to　Germany；　but　660　were　sent　to

Russia；　61　to　Asia；　12　to　England；　and　11　to　America。　　The　rest

were　despatched　to　Italy；　Switzerland；　Sweden；　Spain；　Holland；

and　other　countries。



It　remains　to　be　said　that　Koenig　and　Bauer；　united　in　life；　were

not　divided　by　death。　　Bauer　died　on　February　27；　1860；　and　the

remains　of　the　partners　now　lie　side　by　side　in　the　little

cemetery　at　Oberzell；　close　to　the　scene　of　their　labours　and　the

valuable　establishment　which　they　founded。





Footnotes　for　Chapter　VI。



＇1＇　Koenig's　letter　in　The　Times；　8th　December；　1814



＇2＇　Koenig's　letter　in　The　Times；　8th　December；　1814。



＇3＇　Date　of　Patent；　29th　April；　1790；　No。　1748；



＇4＇　Koenig's　letter　in　The　Times；　8th　December；　1814。



＇5＇　Mr。　Richard　Taylor；　one　of　the　partners　in　the　patent；　says；

〃Mr。　Perry　declined；　alleging　that　he　did　not　consider　a

newspaper　worth　so　many　years'　purchase　as　would　equal　the　cost

of　the　machine。〃



＇6＇　Mr。　Richard　Taylor；　F。S。A。；　memoir　in　'Philosophical

Magazine'　for　October　1847；　p。　300。



＇7＇　The　price　of　a　single　cylinder　non…registering　machine　was

advertised　at　900L。；　of　a　double　ditto；　1400L。；　and　of　a　cylinder

registering　machine；　2000L。；　added　to　which　was　250L。；　350L。；　and

500L。　per　annum　for　each　of　these　machines　so　long　as　the　patent

lasted；　or　an　agreed　sum　to　be　paid　down　at　once。





CHAPTER　VII。



THE　WALTERS　OF　THE　TIMES：　INVENTION　OF　THE　WALTER　PRESS。



〃Intellect　and　industry　are　never　incompatible。　　There　is　　more

wisdom；　and　will　be　more　benefit；　in　combining　them　than　scholars

like　to　believe；　or　than　the　common　world　imagine。　　Life　has　time

enough　for　both；　and　its　happiness　will　be　increased　by　the

union。〃　SHARON　TURNER。



〃I　have　beheld　with　most　respect　the　man　　

Who　knew　himself；　and　knew　the　ways　before　him；　　

And　from　among　them　chose　considerately；　　

With　a　clear　foresight；　not　a　blindfold　courage；　　

And；　having　chosen；　with　a　steadfast　mind　　

Pursued　his　purpose。〃　　

HENRY　TAYLORPhilip　van　Artevelde。



The　late　John　Walter；　who　adopted　Koenig's　steam　printing　press

in　printing　The　Times；　was　virtually　the　inventor　of　the　modern

newspaper。　　The　first　John　Walter；　his　father；　learnt　the　art　of

printing　in　the　office　of　Dodsley；　the　proprietor　of　the　'Annual

Register。'　He　afterwards　pursued　the　profession　of　an

underwriter；　but　his　fortunes　were　literally　shipwrecked　by　the

capture　of　a　fleet　of　merchantmen　by　a　French　squadron。　

Compelled　by　this　loss　to　return　to　his　trade；　he　succeeded　in

obtaining　the　publication　of　'L