men of invention and industry-第48章

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The　first　perfecting　pressthat　is；　printing　simultaneously　the

paper　on　both　sideswas　the　Walter；　the　speed　of　which　has　been

raised　to　12；000；　though；　if　necessary；　it　can　produce　excellent

work　at　the　rate　of　17；000　complete　copies　of　an　eight…page　paper

per　hour。　　Then；　with　the　new　method　of　stereotypingby　means　of

which　the　plates　can　be　infinitely　multiplied　and　by　the　aid　of　

additional　machines；　the　supply　of　additional　impressions　is

absolutely　unlimited。



The　Walter　Press　is　not　a　monopoly。　　It　is　manufactured　at　The

Times　office；　and　is　supplied　to　all　comers。　　Among　the　other

daily　papers　printed　by　its　means　in　this　country　are　the　Daily

News；　the　Scotsmam；　and　the　Birmingham　Daily　Post。　　The　first

Walter　Press　was　sent　to　America　in　1872；　where　it　was　employed

to　print　the　Missouri　Republican　at　St。　　Louis；　the　leading

newspaper　of　the　Mississippi　Valley。　　An　engineer　and　a　skilled

workman　from　The　Times　office　accompanied　the　machinery。　　On

arriving　at　St。　　Louisthe　materials　were　unpacked；　lowered　into

the　machine…room；　where　they　were　erected　and　ready　for　work　in

the　short　space　of　five　days。



The　Walter　Press　was　an　object　of　great　interest　at　the

Centennial　Exhibition　held　at　Philadelphia　in　1876；　where　it　was

shown　printing　the　New　Fork　Times　one　of　the　most　influential

journals　in　America。　　The　press　was　surrounded　with　crowds　of

visitors　intently　watching　its　perfect　and　regular　action；　〃like

a　thing　of　life。〃　　The　New　York　Times　said　of　it：　〃The　Walter

Press　is　the　most　perfect　printing　press　yet　known　to　man；

invented　by　the　most　powerful　journal　of　the　Old　World；　and

adopted　as　the　very　best　press　to　be　had　for　its　purposes　by　the

most　influential　journal　of　the　New　World。。。。　　It　is　an　honour　to

Great　Britain　to　have　such　an　exhibit　in　her　display；　and　a

lasting　benefit　to　the　printing　business；　especially　to

newspapers。。。。　　The　first　printing　press　run　by　steam　was　erected

in　the　year　1814　in　the　office　of　The　Times　by　the　father　of　him

who　is　the　present　proprietor　of　that　world…famous　journal。　　The

machine　of　1814　was　described　in　The　Times　of　the　29th　November

in　that　year；　and　the　account　given　of　it　closed　in　these　words：

'The　whole　of　these　complicated　acts　is　performed　with　such　a

velocity　and　simultaneonsness　of　movement　that　no　less　than　1100

sheets　are　impressed　in　one　hour。'　Mirabile　dictu！　　And　the

Walter　Press　of　to…day　can　run　off　17；000　copies　an　hour　printed

on　both　sides。　　This　is　not　bad　work　for　one　man's　lifetime。〃



It　is　unnecessary　to　say　more　about　this　marvellous　machine。　　Its

completion　forms　the　crown　of　the　industry　which　it　represents；

and　of　the　enterprise　of　the　journal　which　it　prints。





Footnotes　for　Chapter　VII。



＇1＇　Diary；　Reminiscences；　and　Correspondence　of　Henry　Crabb

Robinson；　Barrister…at…Law；　F。S。A。；　i。　231。



＇2＇　After　the　appearance　of　my　article　on　the　Koenig　and　Walter

Presses　in　Macmillan's　Magazine　for　December；　1869；　I　received

the　following　letter　from　Sir　Rowland　Hill：…　



〃Hampstead〃　　January　5th；　1870。



〃My　dear　sir；　



〃In　your　very　interesting　article　in　Macmillan's　Magazine　on　the

subject　of　the　printing　machine；　you　have　unconsciously　done　me

some　injustice。　　To　convince　yourself　of　this；　you　have　only　to

read　the　enclosed　paper。　　The　case；　however；　will　be　strengthened

when　I　tell　you　that　as　far　back　as　the　year　1856；　that　is；　seven

years　after　the　expiry　of　my　patent；　I　pointed　out　to　Mr。　Mowbray

Morris；　the　manager　of　The　Times；　the　fitness　of　my　machine　for

the　printing　of　that　journal；　and　the　fact　that　serious

difficulties　to　its　adoption　had　been　removed。　　I　also；　at　his

request；　furnished　him　with　a　copy　of　the　document　with　which　I

now　trouble　you。　　Feeling　sure　that　you　would　like　to　know　the

truth　on　any　subject　of　which　you　may　treat；　I　should　be　glad　to

explain　the　matter　more　fully；　and　for　this　purpose　will；　with

your　permission；　call　upon　you　at　any　time　you　may　do　me　the

favour　to　appoint。　　

〃Faithfully　yours；　



〃Rowland　Hill。〃



On　further　enquiry　I　obtained　the　Patent　No。　6762；　but　found　that

nothing　practical　had　ever　come　of　it。　　The　pamphlet　enclosed　by

Sir　Rowland　Hill　in　the　above　letter　is　entitled　'The　Rotary

Printing　Machine。'　It　is　very　clever　and　ingenious；　like

everything　he　did。　　But　it　was　still　left　for　some　one　else　to

work　out　the　invention　into　a　practical　working　printing…press。　

The　subject　is　fully　referred　to　in　the　'Life　of　Sir　Rowland

Hill'　（i。　224；525）。　　In　his　final　word　on　the　subject；　Sir

Rowland　〃gladly　admits　the　enormous　difficulty　of　bringing　a

complex　machine　into　practical　use；〃　a　difficulty；　he　says；　which

〃has　been　most　successfully　overcome　by　the　patentees　of　the

Walter　Press。〃





CHAPTER　VIII。



WILLIAM　CLOWES：　INTRODUCER　OF　BOOK…PRINTING　BY　STEAM。



〃The　Images　of　men's　wits　and　knowledges　remain　in　Books；

exempted　from　the　wrong　of　time；　and　capable　of　perpetual

renovation。　　Neither　are　they　fitly　to　be　called　Images；　because

they　generate　still；　and　cast　their　seeds　in　the　minds　of　others；

provoking　and　causing　infinite　actions　and　opinions　in　succeeding

ages；　so　that；　if　the　invention　of　the　Ship　was　thought　so　noble；

which　carrieth　riches　and　commodities　from　place　to　place；　and

consociateth　the　most　remote　Regions　in　participation　of　their

Fruits；　how　much　more　are　letters　to　be　magnified；　which；　as

Ships；　pass　through　the　vast　Seas　of　time；　and　make　ages　so

distant　to　participate　of　the　wisdom；　illuminations；　and　

inventions；　the　one　of　the　other？〃Bacon；　On　the　Proficience　and

Advancement　of　Learning。



Steam　has　proved　as　useful　and　potent　in　the　printing　of　books　as

in　the　printing　of　newspapers。　　Down　to　the　end　of　last　century；

〃the　divine　art；〃　as　printing　was　called；　had　made　comparatively

little　progress。　　That　is　to　say；　although　books　could　be

beautifully　printed　by　hand　labour；　they　could　not　be　turned　out

in　any　large　numbers。



The　early　printing　press　was　rude。　　It　consisted　of　a　table；

along　which　the　forme　of　type；　furnished　with　a　tympan　and

frisket；　was　pushed　by　hand。　　The　platen　worked　vertically

between　standards；　and　was　brought　down　for　the　impression；　and

raised　after　it；　by　a　common　screw；　worked　by　a　bar　handle。　　The

inking　was　performed　by　balls　covered　with　skin　pelts；　they　were

blacked　with　ink；　and　beaten　down　on　the　type　by　the　pressman。　

The　inking　was　consequently　irregular。



In　1798；　Earl　Stanhope　perfected　the　press　that　bears　his　name。　

He　did　not　patent　it；　but　made　his　invention　over　to　the　public。　

In　1818；　Mr。　Cowper　greatly　improved　the　inking　of　formes　used　in

the　Stanhope　and　other　presses；　by　the　use　of　a　hand　roller

covered　with　a　composition　of　glue　and　treacle；　in　combination

with　a　distributing　table。　　The　ink　was　thus　applied　in　a　more

even　manner；　and　with　a　considerable　decrease　of　labour。　　With

the　Stanhope　Press；　printing　was　as　far　advanced　as　it　could

possibly　be　by　means　of　hand　labour。　　About　250　impressions　could

be　taken　off；　on　one　side；　in　an　hour。



But　this；　after　all；　was　a　very　small　result。　　When　books　could

be　produced　so　slowly；　there　could　be　no　popular　literature。　

Books　were　still　articles　for　the　few；　instead　of　for　the　many。　

Steam　power；　however；　completely　altered　the　state　of　affairs。　

When　Koenig　invented　his　steam　press；　he　showed　by　the　printing

of　Clarkson's　'Life　of　Penn'　the　first　sheets　ever　printed　with

a　cylindrical　pressthat　books　might　be　printed　neatly；　as　well

as　cheaply；　by　the　new　machine。　　Mr。　Bensley　continued　the

process；　after　Koenig　left　England；　and　in　1824；　according　to

Johnson　in　his　'Typographia；'　his　son　was　〃driving　an　extensive

business。〃



In　the　following　year；　1825；　Archibald　Constable；　of　Edinburgh；

propounded　his　plan　for　revolutionising　the　art　of　bookselling。　

Instead　of　books　being　articles　of　luxury；　he　proposed　to　bring

them　into　gen