men of invention and industry-第35章

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remaining　four　pages。　　It　next　reaches　one　of　the　most　ingenious

contrivances　of　the　inventionthe　cutting　machinery；　by　means　of

which　the　paper　is　divided　by　a　quick　knife　into　the　5500　sheets

of　which　the　entire　web　consists。　　The　tapes　hurry　the　now

completely　printed　newspaper　up　an　inclined　plane；　from　which　the

divided　sheets　are　showered　down　in　a　continuous　stream　by　an

oscillating　frame；　where　they　are　met　by　two　boys；　who　adjust　the

sheets　as　they　fall。　　The　reel　of　four　miles　long　is　printed　and

divided　into　newspapers　complete　in　about　twenty…five　minutes。



The　machine　is　almost　entirely　self…acting；　from　the　pumping…up

of　the　ink　into　the　ink…box　out　of　the　cistern　below　stairs；　to

the　registering　of　the　numbers　as　they　are　printed　in　the

manager's　room　above。　　It　is　always　difficult　to　describe　a

machine　in　words。　　Nothing　but　a　series　of　sections　and　diagrams

could　give　the　reader　an　idea　of　the　construction　of　this

unrivalled　instrument。　　The　time　to　see　it　and　wonder　at　it　is

when　the　press　is　in　full　work。　　And　even　then　you　can　see　but

little　of　its　construction；　for　the　cylinders　are　wheeling　round

with　immense　velocity。　　The　rapidity　with　which　the　machine　works

may　be　inferred　from　the　fact　that　the　printing　cylinders　（round

which　the　stereotyped　plates　are　fixed）；　while　making　their

impressions　on　the　paper；　travel　at　the　surprising　speed　of　200

revolutions　a　minute；　or　at　the　rate　of　about　nine　miles　an　hour！



Contrast　this　speed　with　the　former　slowness。　　Go　back　to　the

beginning　of　the　century。　　Before　the　year　1814　the　turn…out　of

newspapers　was　only　about　300　single　impressions　in　an　hourthat

is；　impressions　printed　on　only　one　side　of　the　paper。　　Koenig　by

his　invention　increased　the　issue　to　1100　impressions。　　Applegath

and　Cowper　by　their　four…cylinder　machine　increased　the　issue　to

4000；　and　by　the　eight…cylinder　machine　to　10；000　an　hour。　　But

these　were　only　impressions　printed　on　one　side　of　the　paper。　

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　general　consumption。　　He　would　sell　them；　not　by

thousands；　but　by　hundreds　of　thousands；　〃ay；　by　millions；〃　and

he　would　accomplish　this　by　the　new　methods　of　multiplicationby

machine　printing　and　by　steam　power。　　Mr。　Constable　accordingly

issued　a　library　of　excellent　books；　and；　although　he　was

ruinednot　by　this　enterprise；　but　the　other　speculations　into

which　he　enteredhe　set　the　example　which　other　enterprising

minds　were　ready　to　follow。　　Amongst　these　was　Charles　Knight；

who　set　the　steam　presses　of　William　Clowes　to　work；　for　the

purposes　of　the　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Knowledge。



William　Clowes　was　the　founder　of　the　vast　printing　establishment

from　which　these　sheets　are　issued；　and　his　career　furnishes

another　striking　illustration　of　the　force　of　industry　and

character。　　He　was　born　on　the　1st　of　January；　1779。　　His　father

was　educated　at　Oxford；　and　kept　a　large　school　at　Chichester；

but　dying　when　William　was　but　an