men of invention and industry-第34部分
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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 'Lloyd's List;' as well as the
printing of the Board of Customs。 He also established himself as
a publisher and bookseller at No。 8; Charing Cross。 But his
principal achievement was in founding The Times newspaper。
The Daily Universal Register was started on the 1st of January;
1785; and was described in the heading as 〃printed
logographically。〃 The type had still to be composed; letter by
letter; each placed alongside of its predecessor by human
fingers。 Mr。 Walter's invention consisted in using stereotyped
words and parts of words instead of separate metal letters; by
which a certain saving of time and labour was effected。 The name
of the 'Register' did not suit; there being many other
publications bearing a similar title。 Accordingly; it was
re…named The Times; and the first number was issued from Printing
House Square on the 1st of January; 1788。
The Times was at first a very meagre publication。 It was not
much bigger than a number of the old 'Penny Magazine;' containing
a single short leader on some current topic; without any
pretensions to excellence; some driblets of news spread out in
large type; half a column of foreign intelligence; with a column
of facetious paragraphs under the heading of 〃The Cuckoo;〃 while
the rest of each number consisted of advertisements。
Notwithstanding the comparative innocence of the contents of the
early numbers of the paper; certain passages which appeared in it
on two occasions subjected the publisher to imprisonment in
Newgate。 The extent of the offence; on one occasion; consisted
in the publication of a short paragraph intimating that their
Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York had 〃so
demeaned themselves as to incur the just disapprobation of his
Majesty!〃 For such slight offences were printers sent to gaol in
those days。
Although the first Mr。 Walter was a man of considerable business
ability; his exertions were probably too much divided amongst a
variety of pursuits to enable him to devote that exclusive
attention to The Times which was necessary to ensure its success。
He possibly regarded it; as other publishers of newspapers then
did; mainly as a means of obtaining a profitable business in
job…printing。 Hence; in the elder Walter's hands; the paper was
not only unprofitable in itself; but its maintenance became a
source of gradually increasing expenditure; and the proprietor
seriously contemplated its discontinuance。
At this juncture; John Walter; junior; who had been taken into
the business as a partner; entreated his father to entrust him
with the sole conduct of the paper; and to give it 〃one more
trial。〃 This was at the beginning of 1803。 The new editor and
conductor was then only twenty…seven years of age。 He had been
trained to the manual work of a printer 〃at case;〃 and passed
through nearly every department in the office; literary and
mechanical。 But in the first place; he had received a very
liberal education; first at Merchant Taylors' School; and
afterwards at Trinity College; Oxford; where he pursued his
classical studies with much success。 He was thus a man of
well…cultured mind; he had been thoroughly disciplined to work;
he was; moreover; a man of tact and energy; full of expedients;
and possessed by a passion for business。 His father; urged by
the young man's entreaties; at length consented; although not
without misgivings; to resign into his hands the entire future
control of The Times。
Young Walter proceeded forthwith to remodel the establishment;
and to introduce improvements into every department; as far as
the scanty capital at his command would admit。 Before he assumed
the direction; The Times did not seek to guide opinion or to
exercise political influence。 It was a scanty newspapernothing
more; Any political matters referred to were usually introduced
in 〃Letters to the Editor;〃 in the form in which J