men of invention and industry-第27章

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tremendous　element　which　occasionally　devastates　their

provinces。〃Economy　of　Manufactures。





CHAPTER　VI。



FREDERICK　KOENIG：　INVENTOR　OF　THE　STEAM…PRINTING　MACHINE。



〃The　honest　projector　is　he　who；　having　by　fair　and　plain　

principles　of　sense；　honesty；　and　ingenuity；　brought　any

contrivance　to　a　suitable　perfection；　makes　out　what　he　pretends

to；　picks　nobody's　pocket；　puts　his　project　in　execution；　and

contents　himself　with　the　real　produce　as　　the　profit　of　his

invention。〃De　Foe。



I　published　an　article　in　'Macmillan's　Magazine'　for　December；

1869；　under　the　above　title。　　The　materials　were　principally

obtained　from　William　and　Frederick　Koenig；　sons　of　the　inventor。



Since　then　an　elaborate　life　has　been　published　at　Stuttgart；

under　the　title　of　〃Friederich　Koenig　und　die　Erfindung　Der

Schnellpresse；　Ein　Biographisches　Denkmal。　　Von　Theodor　Goebel。〃　

The　author；　in　sending　me　a　copy　of　the　volume；　refers　to　the

article　published　in　'Macmillan；'　and　says；　〃I　hope　you　will

please　to　accept　it　as　a　small　acknowledgment　of　the　thanks；

which　every　German；　and　especially　the　sons　of　Koenig；　in　whose

name　I　send　the　book　as　well　as　in　mine；　owe　to　you　for　having

bravely　taken　up　the　cause　of　the　much　wronged　inventor；　their

father　an　action　all　the　more　praiseworthy；　as　you　had　to　write

against　the　prejudices　and　the　interests　of　your　own　countrymen。〃



I　believe　it　is　now　generally　admitted　that　Koenig　was　entitled

to　the　merit　of　being　the　first　person　practically　to　apply　the

power　of　steam　to　indefinitely　multiplying　the　productions　of　the

printing…press；　and　that　no　one　now　attempts　to　deny　him　this

honour。　　It　is　true　others；　who　followed　him；　greatly　improved

upon　his　first　idea；　but　this　was　the　case　with　Watt；　Symington；

Crompton；　Maudslay；　and　many　more。　　The　true　inventor　is　not

merely　the　man　who　registers　an　idea　and　takes　a　patent　for　it；

or　who　compiles　an　invention　by　borrowing　the　idea　of　another；

improving　upon　or　adding　to　his　arrangements；　but　the　man　who

constructs　a　machine　such　as　has　never　before　been　made；　which

executes　satisfactorily　all　the　functions　it　was　intended　to

perform。　　And　this　is　what　Koenig's　invention　did；　as　will　be

observed　from　the　following　brief　summary　of　his　life　and

labours。



Frederick　Koenig　was　born　on　the　17th　of　April；　1774；　at

Eisleben；　in　Saxony；　the　birthplace　also　of　a　still　more　famous

person；　Martin　Luther。　　His　father　was　a　respectable　peasant

proprietor；　described　by　Herr　Goebel　as　Anspanner。　　But　this　word

has　now　gone　out　of　use。　　In　feudal　times　it　described　the　farmer

who　was　obliged　to　keep　draught　cattle　to　perform　service　due　to

the　landlord。　　The　boy　received　a　solid　education　at　the

Gymnasium；　or　public　school　of　the　town。　　At　a　proper　age　he　was

bound　apprentice　for　five　years　to　Breitkopf　and　Hartel；　of

Leipzig；　as　compositor　and　printer；　but　after　serving　for　four

and　a　quarter　years；　he　was　released　from　his　engagement　because

of　his　exceptional　skill；　which　was　an　unusual　occurrence。



During　the　later　years　of　his　apprenticeship；　Koenig　was

permitted　to　attend　the　classes　in　the　University；　more

especially　those　of　Ernst　Platner；　a　physician；　philosopher；　and

anthropologist。　　After　that　he　proceeded　to　the　printing…office

of　his　uncle；　Anton　F。　Rose；　at　Greifswald；　an　old　seaport　town

on　the　Baltic；　where　he　remained　a　few　years。　　He　next　went　to

Halle　as　a　journeyman　printer；　German　workmen　going　about　from

place　to　place；　during　their　wanderschaft；　for　the　purpose　of

learning　their　business。　　After　that；　he　returned　to　Breitkopf

and　Hartel；　at　Leipzig；　where　he　had　first　learnt　his　trade。　

During　this　time；　having　saved　a　little　money；　he　enrolled

himself　for　a　year　as　a　regular　student　at　the　University　of

Leipzig。



According　to　Koenig's　own　account；　he　first　began　to　devise　ways

and　means　for　improving　the　art　of　printing　in　the　year　1802；

when　he　was　twenty…eight　years　old。　　Printing　large　sheets　of

paper　by　hand　was　a　very　slow　as　well　as　a　very　laborious

process。　　One　of　the　things　that　most　occupied　the　young

printer's　mind　was　how　to　get　rid　of　this　〃horse…work；〃　for　such

it　was；　in　the　business　of　printing。　　He　was　not；　however；

over…burdened　with　means；　though　he　devised　a　machine　with　this

object。　　But　to　make　a　little　money；　he　made　translations　for　the

publishers。　　In　1803　Koenig　returned　to　his　native　town　of

Eisleben；　where　he　entered　into　an　arrangement　with　Frederick

Riedel；　who　furnished　the　necessary　capital　for　carrying　on　the

business　of　a　printer　and　bookseller。　　Koenig　alleges　that　his

reason　for　adopting　this　step　was　to　raise　sufficient　money　to

enable　him　to　carry　out　his　plans　for　the　improvement　of

printing。



The　business；　however；　did　not　succeed；　as　we　find　him　in　the

following　year　carrying　on　a　printing　trade　at　Mayence。　　Having

sold　this　business；　he　removed　to　Suhl　in　Thuringia。　　Here　he　was

occupied　with　a　stereotyping　process；　suggested　by　what　he　had

read　about　the　art　as　perfected　in　England　by　Earl　Stanhope。　　He

also　contrived　an　improved　press；　provided　with　a　moveable

carriage；　on　which　the　types　were　placed；　with　inking　rollers；

and　a　new　mechanical　method　of　taking　off　the　impression　by　flat

pressure。



Koenig　brought　his　new　machine　under　the　notice　of　the　leading

printers　in　Germany；　but　they　would　not　undertake　to　use　it。　　The

plan　seemed　to　them　too　complicated　and　costly。　　He　tried　to

enlist　men　of　capital　in　his　scheme；　but　they　all　turned　a　deaf

ear　to　him。　　He　went　from　town　to　town；　but　could　obtain　no

encouragement　whatever。　　Besides；　industrial　enterprise　in

Germany　was　then　in　a　measure　paralysed　by　the　impending　war　with

France；　and　men　of　capital　were　naturally　averse　to　risk　their

money　on　what　seemed　a　merely　speculative　undertaking。



Finding　no　sympathisers　or　helpers　at　home；　Koenig　next　turned

his　attention　abroad。　　England　was　then；　as　now；　the　refuge　of

inventors　who　could　not　find　the　means　of　bringing　out　their

schemes　elsewhere；　and　to　England　he　wistfully　turned　his　eyes。　

In　the　meantime；　however；　his　inventive　ability　having　become

known；　an　offer　was　made　to　him　by　the　Russian　Government　to

proceed　to　St。　Petersburg　and　organise　the　State　printing…office

there。　　The　invitation　was　accepted；　and　Koenig　proceeded　to　St。

Petersburg　in　the　spring　of　1806。　　But　the　official　difficulties

thrown　in　his　way　were　very　great；　and　so　disgusted　him；　that　he

decided　to　throw　up　his　appointment；　and　try　his　fortune　in

England。　　He　accordingly　took　ship　for　London；　and　arrived　there

in　the　following　November；　poor　in　means；　but　rich　in　his　great

idea；　then　his　only　property。



As　Koenig　himself　said；　when　giving　an　account　of　his

invention：　〃There　is　on　the　Continent　no　sort　of　encouragement

for　an　enterprise　of　this　description。



The　system　of　patents；　as　it　exists　in　England；　being　either

unknown；　or　not　adopted　in　the　Continental　States；　there　is　no

inducement　for　industrial　enterprise；　and　projectors　are　commonly

obliged　to　offer　their　discoveries　to　some　Government；　and　to　so

licit　their　encouragement。　　I　need　hardly　add　that　scarcely　ever

is　an　invention　brought　to　maturity　under　such　circumstances。　

The　well…known　fact；　that　almost　every　invention　seeks；　as　it

were；　refuge　in　England；　and　is　there　brought　to　perfection；

though　the　Government　does　not　afford　any　other　protection　to

inventors　beyond　what　is　derived　from　the　wisdom　of　the　laws；

seems　to　indicate　that　the　Continent　has　yet　to　learn　from　her

the　best　manner　of　encouraging　the　mechanical　arts。　　I　had　my

full　share　in　the　ordinary　disappointments　of　Continental

projectors；　and　after　having　lost　in　Germany　and　Russia　upwards

of　two　years　in　fruitless　applications；　I　at　last　resorted　to

England。〃＇1＇



After　arriving　in　London；　Koenig　maintained　himself　with

difficulty　by　working　at　his　trade；　for　his　comparative　ignorance

of　the　English　language　stood　in　his　way。　　But　to　work　manually

at　the　printer's　〃case；〃　was　not　Koenig's　object　in　coming　to

England。　　His　idea　of　a　printing　machine　was　always　uppermost　in

his　mind；　and　he　lost　no　opportunity　of　bringing　the　subject

under　the　notice　of　master　printers　likely　to　take　it　up。　　He

worked　for　a　time　in　the　printing　office　of　Richard　Taylor；　Shoe

Lane；　Fleet　Street；　and　mentioned　the　matter　to　him。　　Taylor

would　not　undertake　the　invention　himself；　but　he　furnished

Koenig　with　an　introduction　to　Thomas　Bensley；　the　well…known

printer　of　Bolt　Court；　Fleet　Street。　　On　the　11th　of　March；　1807；

Bensley　invited　Koenig　to　meet　him　on　the　subject　of　their　recent

conversation　about　〃the　discovery；〃　and　on　the　31st　of　the　same

month；　the　following　agreement　was　entered　into　between　Koenig

and　Bensley：…



〃Mr。　Koenig；　having　discovered　an　entire　new　Method　of　Printing

by　Machinery；　agrees　to　communicate　the　same　to　Mr。　Bensley　under

the　following　conditions：　



that；　if　Mr。　Bensley　shall　be　satisfied　the　Invention　will　answer

all　the　purposes　Mr。　Koenig　has　stated　in　the　Particulars　he　has

delivered　to　Mr。　Bensley；　signed　with　his　name；　he　shall　enter

into　a　legal　Engagement　to　purchase　the　Secret　from　Mr。　Koenig；

or　enter　into　such　other　agreement　as　may　be　deemed　mutually

beneficial　to　both　parties；　or；　should　Mr。　Bensley　wish　to

decline　having　any　concern　with　the　said　Invention；　then　he

engages　not　to　make　any　use　of　the　Machinery；　or　to　communicate

the　Secret　to　any　person　whatsoever；　until　it　is　proved　that　the

Invention　is　made　use　of　by　any　one　without　restriction　of

Patent；　or　other　particular　agreement　on　the　part　of　Mr。　Koenig；

under　the　penalty　of　Six　Thousand　Pounds。



〃（Signed）　T。　Bensley；

〃Friederich　Konig。

〃WitnessJ。　Hunneman。〃



Koenig　now　proceeded　to　put　his　idea　in　execution。　　He　prepared

his　plans　of　the　new　printing　machine。　　It　seems；　however；　that

the　progress　made　by　him　was　very　slow。　　Indeed；　three　years

passed　before　a　working　model　could　be　got　ready；　to　show　his

idea　in　actual　practice。　　In　the　meantime；　Mr。　Walter　of　The

Times　had　been　seen　by　Bensley；　and　consulted　on　the　subject　of

the　invention。　　On　the　9th　of　August；　1809；　more　than　two　years

after　the　date　of　the　above　agreement；　Bensley　writes　to　Koenig：

〃I　made　a　point　of　calling　upon　Mr。　Walter　yesterday；　who；　I　am

sorry　to　say；　declines　our　proposition　altogether；　having　（as　he

says）　so　many　engagements　as　to　prevent　him　entering　into　more。〃



It　may　be　mentioned　that　Koenig's　original　plan　was　confined　to

an　improved　press；　in　which　the　operation　of　laying　the　ink　on

the　types　was　to　be　performed　by　an　apparatus　connected　with　the

motions　of　the　coffin；　in　such　a　manner　as　that　one　hand　could　be

saved。　　As　little　could　be　gained　in　expedition　by　this　plan；　the

idea　soon　suggested　itself　of　moving　the　press　by　machinery；　or

to　reduce　the　s