men of invention and industry-第36节

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

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

should　well　know；　that　such　menace　is　thrown　away　upon　us。　　There

is　nothing　that　we　will　not　do　to　assist　and　serve　those　whom　we

have　discharged。　　They　themselves　can　seethe　greater　rapidity　and

precision　with　which　the　paper　is　printed。　　What　right　have　they

to　make　us　print　it　slower　and　worse　for　their　supposed　benefit？　

A　little　reflection；　indeed；　would　show　them　that　it　is　neither

in　their　power　nor　in　ours　to　stop　a　discovery　now　made；　if　it　is

beneficial　to　mankind；　or　to　force　it　down　if　it　is　useless。　

They　had　better；　therefore；　acquiesce　in　a　result　which　they

cannot　alter；　more　especially　as　there　will　still　be　employment

enough　for　the　old　race　of　pressmen；　before　the　new　method

obtains　general　use；　and　no　new　ones　need　be　brought　up　to　the

business；　but　we　caution　them　seriously　against　involving

themselves　and　their　families　in　ruin；　by　becoming　amenable　to

the　laws　of　their　country。　　It　has　always　been　matter　of　great

satisfaction　to　us　to　reflect；　that　we　encountered　and　crushed

one　conspiracy；　and　we　should　be　sorry　to　find　our　work　half

done。



〃It　is　proper　to　undeceive　the　world　in　one　particular；　that　is；

as　to　the　number　of　men　discharged。　　We　in　fact　employ　only　eight

fewer　workmen　than　formerly；　whereas　more　than　three　times　that

number　have　been　employed　for　a　year　and　a　half　in　building　the

machine。〃



On　the　8th　of　December　following；　Mr。　Koenig　addressed　an

advertisement　〃To　the　Public〃　in　the　columns　of　The　Times；　giving

an　account　of　the　origin　and　progress　of　his　invention。　　We　have

already　cited　several　passages　from　the　statement。　　After

referring　to　his　two　last　patents；　he　says：　〃The　machines　now

printing　The　Times　and　Mail　are　upon　the　same　principle；　but　they

have　been　contrived　for　the　particular　purpose　of　a　newspaper　of

extensive　circulation；　where　expedition　is　the　great　object。



〃The　public　are　undoubtedly　aware；　that　never；　perhaps；　was　a　new

invention　put　to　so　severe　a　trial　as　the　present　one；　by　being

used　on　its　first　public　introduction　for　the　printing　of

newspapers；　and　will；　I　trust；　be　indulgent　with　respect　to　the

many　defects　in　the　performance；　though　none　of　them　are　inherent

in　the　principle　of　the　machine；　and　we　hope；　that　in　less　than

two　months；　the　whole　will　be　corrected　by　greater　adroitness　in

the　management　of　it；　so　far　at　least　as　the　hurry　of　newspaper

printing　will　at　all　admit。



〃It　will　appear　from　the　foregoing　narrative；　that　it　was

incorrectly　stated　in　several　newspapers；　that　I　had　sold　my

interest　to　two　other　foreigners；　my　partners　in　this　enterprise

being　at　present　two　Englishmen；　Mr。　Bensley　and　Mr。　Taylor；　and

it　is　gratifying　to　my　feelings　to　avail　myself　of　this

opportunity　to　thank　those　gentlemen　publicly　for　the　confidence

which　they　have　reposed　in　me；　for　the　aid　of　their　practical

skill；　and　for　the　persevering　support　which　they　have　afforded

me　in　long　and　very　expensive　experiments；　thus　risking　their

fortunes　in　the　prosecution　of　my　invention。



〃The　first　introduction　of　the　invention　was　considered　by　some

as　a　difficult　and　even　hazardous　step。　　The　Proprietor　of　The

Times　having　made　that　his　task；　the　public　are　aware　that　it　is

in　good　hands。〃



One　would　think　that　Koenig　would　now　feel　himself　in　smooth

water；　and　receive　a　share　of　the　good　fortune　which　he　had　so

laboriously　prepared　for　others。　　Nothing　of　the　kind！　　His

merits　were　disputed；　his　rights　were　denied；　his　patents　were

infringed；　and　he　never　received　any　solid　advantages　for　his

invention；　until　be　left　the　country　and　took　refuge　in　Germany。　

It　is　true；　he　remained　for　a　few　years　longer；　in　charge　of　the

manufactory　in　Whitecross　Street；　but　they　were　years　to　him　of

trouble　and　sorrow。



In　1816；　Koenig　designed　and　superintended　the　construction　of　a

single　cylinder　registering　machine　for　book…printing。　　This　was

supplied　to　Bensley　and　Son；　and　turned　out　1000　sheets；　printed

on　both　sides；　in　the　hour。　　Blumenbach's　'Physiology'　was　the

first　entire　book　printed　by　steam；　by　this　new　machine。　　It　was

afterwards　employed；　in　l8l8；　in　working　off　the　Literary

Gazette。　　A　machine　of　the　same　kind　was　supplied　to　Mr。　Richard

Taylor　for　the　purpose　of　printing　the　'Philosophical　Magazine；'

and　books　generally。　　This　was　afterwards　altered　to　a　double

machine；　and　employed　for　printing　the　Weekly　Dispatch。



But　what　about　Koenig's　patents？　　They　proved　of　little　use　to

him。　　They　only　proclaimed　his　methods；　and　enabled　other

ingenious　mechanics　to　borrow　his　adaptations。　　Now　that　he　had

succeeded　in　making　machines　that　would　work；　the　way　was　clear

for　everybody　else　to　follow　his　footsteps。　　It　had　taken　him

more　than　six　years　to　invent　and　construct　a　successful　steam

printing　press；　but　any　clever　mechanic；　by　merely　studying　his

specification；　and　examining　his　machine　at　work；　might　arrive　at

the　same　results　in　less　than　a　week。



The　patents　did　not　protect　him。　　New　specifications；　embodying

some　modification　or　alteration　in　detail；　were　lodged　by　other

inventors　and　new　patents　taken　out。　　New　printing　machines　were

constructed　in　defiance　of　his　supposed　legal　rights；　and　he

found　himself　stripped　of　the　reward　that　he　had　been　labouring

for　during　so　many　long　and　toilsome　years。　　He　could　not　go　to

law；　and　increase　his　own　vexation　and　loss。　　He　might　get　into

Chancery　easy　enough；　but　when　would　he　get　out　of　it；　and　in

what　condition？



It　must　also　be　added；　that　Koenig　was　unfortunate　in　his　partner

Bensley。　　While　the　inventor　was　taking　steps　to　push　the　sale　of

his　book…printing　machines　among　the　London　printers；　Bensley；

who　was　himself　a　book…printer；　was　hindering　him　in　every　way　in

his　negotiations。　　Koenig　was　of　opinion　that　Bensley　wished　to

retain　the　exclusive　advantage　which　the　possession　of　his

registering　book　machine　gave　him　over　the　other　printers；　by

enabling　him　to　print　more　quickly　and　correctly　than　they　could；

and　thus　give　him　an　advantage　over　them　in　his　printing

contracts。



When　Koenig；　in　despair　at　his　position；　consulted　counsel　as　to

the　infringement　of　his　patent；　he　was　told　that　he　might

institute　proceedings　with　the　best　prospect　of　success；　but　to

this　end　a　perfect　agreement　by　the　partners　was　essential。　

When；　however；　Koenig　asked　Bensley　to　concur　with　him　in　taking

proceedings　in　defence　of　the　patent　right；　the　latter　positively

refused　to　do　so。　　Indeed；　Koenig　was　under　the　impression　that

his　partner　had　even　entered　into　an　arrangement　with　the

infringers　of　the　patent　to　share　with　them　the　proceeds　of　their

piracy。



Under　these　circumstances；　it　appeared　to　Koenig　that　only　two

alternatives　remained　for　him　to　adopt。　　One　was　to　commence　an

expensive；　and　it　might　be　a　protracted；　suit　in　Chancery；　in

defence　of　his　patent　rights；　with　possibly　his　partner；　Bensley；

against　him；　and　the　other；　to　abandon　his　invention　in　England

without　further　struggle；　and　settle　abroad。　　He　chose　the　latter

alternative；　and　left　England　finally　in　August；　1817。



Mr。　Richard　Taylor；　the　other　partner　in　the　patent；　was　an

honourable　man；　but　he　could　not　control　the　proceedings　of

Bensley。　　In　a　memoir　published　by　him　in　the　'Philosophical

Magazine；'　〃On　the　Invention　and　First　Introduction　of　Mr。

Koenig's　Printing　Machine；〃　in　which　he　honestly　attributes　to

him　the　sole　merit　of　the　invention；　he　says；　〃Mr。　Koenig　left

England；　suddenly；　in　disgust　at　the　treacherous　conduct　of

Bensley；　always　shabby　and　overreaching；　and　whom　he　found　to　be

laying　a　scheme　for　defrauding　his　partners　in　the　patents　of　all

the　advantages　to　arise　from　them。　　Bensley；　however；　while　he

destroyed　the　prospects　of　his　partners；　outwitted　himself；　and

grasping　at　all；　lost　all；　becoming　bankrupt　in　fortune　as　well

as　in　character。〃＇6＇



Koenig　was　badly　used　throughout。　　His　merits　as　an　inventor　were

denied。　　On　the　3rd　of　January；　1818；　after　he　had　left　England；

Bensley　published　a　letter　in　the　Literary　Gazette；　in　which　he

speaks　of　the　printing　machine　as　his　own；　without　mentioning　a

word　of　Koenig。　　The　'British　Encyclopaedia；'　in　describing　the

inventors　of　the　printing　machine；　omitted　the　name　of　Koenig

altogether。　　The　'Mechanics　Magazine；'　for　September；　1847；

attributed　the　invention　to　the　Proprietors　of　The　Times；　though

Mr。　Walter　himself　had　said　that　his　share　in　the　event　had　been

〃only　the　application　of　the　discovery；〃　and　the　late　Mr。　Bennet

Woodcroft；　usually　a　fair　man；　in　his　introductory　chapter　to

'Patents　for　Inventions　in　Printing；'　attributes　the　merit　to

William　Nicholson's　patent　（No。　1748）；　which；　he　said；　〃produced

an　entire　revolution　in　the　mechanism　of　the　art。〃　　In　other

publications；　the