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chimerical。



Such　was　the　condition　of　affairs　when　Koenig　finished　his

improved　printing　machine　in　the　manufactory　in　Whitecross

Street。　　The　partners　in　the　invention　were　now　in　great　hopes。　

When　the　machine　had　been　got　ready　for　work；　the　proprietors　of

several　of　the　leading　London　newspapers　were　invited　to　witness

its　performances。　　Amongst　them　were　Mr。　Perry　of　the　Morning

chronicle；　and　Mr。　Walter　of　The　Times。　　Mr。　Perry　would　have

nothing　to　do　with　the　machine；　he　would　not　even　go　to　see　it；

for　he　regarded　it　as　a　gimcrack。＇5＇　　On　the　contrary；　Mr。

Walter；　though　he　had　five　years　before　declined　to　enter　into

any　arrangement　with　Bensley；　now　that　he　heard　the　machine　was

finished；　and　at　work；　decided　to　go　and　inspect　it。　　It　was

thoroughly　characteristic　of　the　business　spirit　of　the　man。　　He

had　been　very　anxious　to　apply　increased　mechanical　power　to　the

printing　of　his　newspaper。　　He　had　consulted　Isambard　Brunelone

of　the　cleverest　inventors　of　the　dayon　the　subject；　but

Brunel；　after　studying　the　subject；　and　labouring　over　a　variety

of　plans；　finally　gave　it　up。　　He　had　next　tried　Thomas　Martyn；

an　ingenious　young　compositor；　who　had　a　scheme　for　a　self…acting

machine　for　working　the　printing　press。　　But；　although　Mr。　Walter

supplied　him　with　the　necessary　funds；　his　scheme　never　came　to

anything。　　Now；　therefore；　was　the　chance　for　Koenig！



After　carefully　examining　the　machine　at　work；　Mr。　Walter　was　at

once　satisfied　as　to　the　great　value　of　the　invention。　　He　saw　it

turning　out　the　impressions　with　unusual　speed　and　great

regularity。　　This　was　the　very　machine　of　which　he　had　been　in

search。　　But　it　turned　out　the　impressions　printed　on　one　side

only。　　Koenig；　however；　having　briefly　explained　the　more　rapid

action　of　a　double　machine　on　the　same　principle　for　the　printing

of　newspapers；　Mr。　Walter；　after　a　few　minutes'　consideration；

and　before　leaving　the　premises；　ordered　two　double　machines　for

the　printing　of　The　Times　newspaper。　　Here；　at　last；　was　the

opportunity　for　a　triumphant　issue　out　of　Koenig's　difficulties。



The　construction　of　the　first　newspaper　machine　was　still；

however；　a　work　of　great　difficulty　and　labour。　　It　must　be

remembered　that　nothing　of　the　kind　had　yet　been　made　by　any

other　inventor。　　The　single…cylinder　machine；　which　Mr。　Walter

had　seen　at　work；　was　intended　for　bookwork　only。　　Now　Koenig　had

to　construct　a　double…cylinder　machine　for　printing　newspapers；

in　which　many　of　the　arrangements　must　necessarily　be　entirely

new。　　With　the　assistance　of　his　leading　mechanic；　Bauer；　aided

by　the　valuable　suggestions　of　Mr。　Walter　himself；　Koenig　at

length　completed　his　plans；　and　proceeded　with　the　erection　of

the　working　machine。　　The　several　parts　were　prepared　at　the

workshop　in　Whitecross　Street；　and　taken　from　thence；　in　as

secret　a　way　as　possible；　to　the　premises　in　Printing　House

Square；　adjoining　The　Times　office；　where　they　were　fitted

together　and　erected　into　a　working　machine。　　Nearly　two　years

elapsed　before　the　press　was　ready　for　work。　　Great　as　was　the

secrecy　with　which　the　operations　were　conducted；　the　pressmen　of

The　Times　office　obtained　some　inkling　of　what　was　going　on；　and

they　vowed　vengeance　to　the　foreign　inventor　who　threatened　their

craft　with　destruction。　　There　was；　however；　always　this

consolation：　every　attempt　that　had　heretofore　been　made　to　print

newspapers　in　any　other　way　than　by　manual　labour　had　proved　an

utter　failure！



At　length　the　day　arrived　when　the　first　newspaper　steam…press

was　ready　for　use。　　The　pressmen　were　in　a　state　of　great

excitement；　for　they　knew　by　rumour　that　the　machine　of　which

they　had　so　long　been　apprehensive　was　fast　approaching

completion。　　One　night　they　were　told　to　wait　in　the　press…room；

as　important　news　was　expected　from　abroad。　　At　six　o'clock　in

the　morning　of　the　29th　November；　1814；　Mr。　Walter；　who　had　been

watching　the　working　of　the　machine　all　through　the　night；

suddenly　appeared　among　the　pressmen；　and　announced　that　〃The

Times　is　already　printed　by　steam！〃　　Knowing　that　the　pressmen

had　vowed　vengeance　against　the　inventor　and　his　invention；　and

that　they　had　threatened　〃destruction　to　him　and　his　traps；〃　he

informed　them　that　if　they　attempted　violence；　there　was　a　force

ready　to　suppress　it；　but　that　if　they　were　peaceable；　their

wages　should　be　continued　to　every　one　of　them　until　they　could

obtain　similar　employment。　　This　proved　satisfactory　so　far；　and

he　proceeded　to　distribute　several　copies　of　the　newspaper

amongst　themthe　first　newspaper　printed　by　steam！　That　paper

contained　the　following　memorable　announcement：



〃Our　Journal　of　this　day　presents　to　the　Public　the　practical

result　of　the　greatest　improvement　connected　with　printing　since

the　discovery　of　the　art　itself。　　The　reader　of　this　paragraph

now　holds　in　his　hand　one　of　the　many　thousand　impressions　of　The

Times　newspaper　which　were　taken　off　last　night　by　a　mechanical

apparatus。　　A　system　of　machinery　almost　organic　has　been　devised

and　arranged；　which；　while　it　relieves　the　human　frame　of　its

most　laborious'　efforts　in　printing；　far　exceeds　all　human　powers

in　rapidity　and　dispatch。　　That　the　magnitude　of　the　invention

may　be　justly　appreciated　by　its　effects；　we　shall　inform　the

public；　that　after　the　letters　are　placed　by　the　compositors；　and

enclosed　in　what　is　called　the　forme；　little　more　remains　for　man

to　do　than　to　attend　upon　and　to　watch　this　unconscious　agent　in

its　operations。　　The　machine　is　then　merely　supplied　with　paper：

itself　places　the　forme；　inks　it；　adjusts　the　paper　to　the　forme

newly　inked；　stamps　the　sheet；　and　gives　it　forth　to　the　hands　of

the　attendant；　at　the　same　time　withdrawing　the　forme　for　a　fresh

coat　of　ink；　which　itself　again　distributes；　to　meet　the　ensuing

sheet　now　advancing　for　impression；　and　the　whole　of　these

complicated　acts　is　performed　with　such　a　velocity　and

simultaneousness　of　movement；　that　no　less　than　1100　sheets　are

impressed　in　one　hour。



〃That　the　completion　of　an　invention　of　this　kind；　not　the　effect

of　chance；　but　the　result　of　mechanical　combinations　methodically

arranged　in　the　mind　of　the　artist；　should　be　attended　with　many

obstructions　and　much　delay；　may　be　readily　imagined。　　Our　share

in　this　event　has；　indeed；　only　been　the　application　of　the

discovery；　under　an　agreement　with　the　patentees；　to　our　own

particular　business；　yet　few　can　conceiveeven　with　this　limited

interestthe　various　disappointments　and　deep　anxiety　to　which

we　have　for　a　long　course　of　time　been　subjected。



〃Of　the　person　who　made　this　discovery　we　have　but　little　to　add。



Sir　Christopher　Wren's　noblest　monument　is　to　be　found　in　the

building　which　he　erected；　so　is　the　best　tribute　of　praise　which

we　are　capable　of　offering　to　the　inventor　of　the　printing

machine；　comprised　in　the　preceding　description；　which　we　have

feebly　sketched；　of　the　powers　and　utility　of　his　invention。　　It

must　suffice　to　say　further；　that　he　is　a　Saxon　by　birth；　that

his　name　is　Koenig；　and　that　the　invention　has　been　executed

under　the　direction　of　his　friend　and　countryman；　Bauer。〃



The　machine　continued　to　work　steadily　and　satisfactorily；

notwithstanding　the　doubters；　the　unbelievers；　and　the

threateners　of　vengeance。　　The　leading　article　of　The　Times　for

December　3rd；　1814；　contains　the　following　statement：



〃The　machine　of　which　we　announced　the　discovery　and　our　adoption

a　few　days　ago；　has　been　whirling　on　its　course　ever　since；　with

improving　order；　regularity；　and　even　speed。　　The　length　of　the

debates　on　Thursday；　the　day　when　Parliament　was　adjourned；　will

have　been　observed；　on　such　an　occasion　the　operation　of

composing　and　printing　the　last　page　must　commence　among　all　the

journals　at　the　same　moment；　and　starting　from　that　moment；　we；

with　our　infinitely　superior　circulation；　were　enabled　to　throw

off　our　whole　impression　many　hours　before　the　other　respectable

rival　prints。　　The　accuracy　and　clearness　of　the　impression　will

likewise　excite　attention。



〃We　shall　make　no　reflections　upon　those　by　whom　this　wonderful

discovery　has　been　opposed；the　doubters　and　unbelievers；

however　uncharitable　they　may　have　been　to　us；　were　it　not　that

the　efforts　of　genius　are　always　impeded　by　drivellers　of　this

description；　and　that　we　owe　it　to　such　men　as　Mr。　Koenig　and　his

Friend；　and　all　future　promulgators　of　beneficial　inventions；　to

warn　them　that　they　will　have　to　contend　with　everything　that

selfishness　and　conceited　ignorance　can　devise　or　say；　and　if　we

cannot　clear　their　way　before　them；　we　would　at　least　give　them

notice　to　prepare　a　panoply　against　its　dirt　and　filth。



〃There　is　another　class　of　men　from　whom　we　receive　dark　and

anonymous　threats　of　vengeance　if　we　persevere　in　the　use　of　this

machine。　　These　are　the　Pressmen。　　They　well　know；　at　l