men of invention and industry-第37节

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

publications；　the　claims　of　Bacon　and　Donkin　were　put　forward；

while　those　of　the　real　inventor　were　ignored。　　The　memoir　of

Koenig　by　Mr。　Richard　Taylor；　in　the　'Philosophical　Magazine；'

was　honest　and　satisfactory；　and　should　have　set　the　question　at

rest。



It　may　further　be　mentioned　that　William　Nicholson；who　was　a

patent　agent；　and　a　great　taker　out　of　patents；　both　in　his　own

name　and　in　the　names　of　others；was　the　person　employed　by

Koenig　as　his　agent　to　take　the　requisite　steps　for　registering

his　invention。　　When　Koenig　consulted　him　on　the　subject；

Nicholson　observed　that　〃seventeen　years　before　he　had　taken　out

a　patent　for　machine　printing；　but　he　had　abandoned　it；　thinking

that　it　wouldn't　do；　and　had　never　taken　it　up　again。〃　　Indeed；

the　two　machines　were　on　different　principles。　　Nor　did　Nicholson

himself　ever　make　any　claim　to　priority　of　invention；　when　the

success　of　Koenig's　machine　was　publicly　proclaimed　by　Mr。　Walter

of　The　Times　some　seven　years　later。



When　Koenig；　now　settled　abroad；　heard　of　the　attempts　made　in

England　to　deny　his　merits　as　an　inventor；　he　merely　observed　to

his　friend　Bauer；　〃It　is　really　too　bad　that　these　people；　who

have　already　robbed　me　of　my　invention；　should　now　try　to　rob　me

of　my　reputation。〃　　Had　he　made　any　reply　to　the　charges　against

him；　it　might　have　been　comprised　in　a　very　few　words：　　〃When　I

arrived　in　England；　no　steam　printing　machine　had　ever　before

been　seen；　when　I　left　it；　the　only　printing　machines　in　actual

work　were　those　which　I　had　constructed。〃　　But　Koenig　never　took

the　trouble　to　defend　the　originality　of　his　invention　in

England；　now　that　he　had　finally　abandoned　the　field　to　others。



There　can　be　no　question　as　to　the　great　improvements　introduced

in　the　printing　machine　by　Mr。　Applegath　and　Mr。　Cowper；　by

Messrs。　Hoe　and　Sons；　of　New　York；　and　still　later　by　the　present

Mr。　Walter　of　The　Times；　which　have　brought　the　art　of　machine

printing　to　an　extraordinary　degree　of　perfection　and　speed。　　But

the　original　merits　of　an　invention　are　not　to　be　determined　by　a

comparison　of　the　first　machine　of　the　kind　ever　made　with　the

last；　after　some　sixty　years'　experience　and　skill　have　been

applied　in　bringing　it　to　perfection。　　Were　the　first　condensing

engine　made　at　Sohonow　to　be　seen　at　the　Museum　in　South

Kensingtonin　like　manner　to　be　compared　with　the　last　improved

pumping…engine　made　yesterday；　even　the　great　James　Watt　might　be

made　out　to　have　been　a　very　poor　contriver。　　It　would　be　much

fairer　to　compare　Koenig's　steam…printing　machine　with　the

hand…press　newspaper　printing　machine　which　it　superseded。　

Though　there　were　steam　engines　before　Watt；　and　steamboats

before　Fulton；　and　steam　locomotives　before　Stephenson；　there

were　no　steam　printing　presses　before　Koenig　with　which　to

compare　them；　Koenig's　was　undoubtedly　the　first；　and　stood

unequalled　and　alone。



The　rest　of　Koenig's　life；　after　he　retired　to　Germany；　was　spent

in　industry；　if　not　in　peace　and　quietness。　　He　could　not　fail　to

be　cast　down　by　the　utter　failure　of　his　English　partnership；　and

the　loss　of　the　fruits　of　his　ingenious　labours。　　But　instead　of

brooding　over　his　troubles；　he　determined　to　break　away　from

them；　and　begin　the　world　anew。　　He　was　only　forty…three　when　he

left　England；　and　he　might　yet　be　able　to　establish　himself

prosperously　in　life。　　He　had　his　own　head　and　hands　to　help　him。



Though　England　was　virtually　closed　against　him；　the　whole

continent　of　Europe　was　open　to　him；　and　presented　a　wide　field

for　the　sale　of　his　printing　machines。



While　residing　in　England；　Koenig　had　received　many

communications　from　influential　printers　in　Germany。　　Johann

Spencer　and　George　Decker　wrote　to　him　in　1815；　asking　for

particulars　about　his　invention；　but　finding　his　machine　too

expensive；＇7＇　the　latter　commissioned　Koenig　to　send　him　a

Stanhope　printing　pressthe　first　ever　introduced　into　Germany

the　price　of　which　was　95L。　　Koenig　did　this　service　for　his

friend；　for　although　he　stood　by　the　superior　merits　of　his　own

invention；　he　was　sufficiently　liberal　to　recognise　the　merits　of

the　inventions　of　others。　　Now　that　he　was　about　to　settle　in

Germany；　he　was　able　to　supply　his　friends　and　patrons　on　the

spot。



The　question　arose；　where　was　he　to　settle？　　He　made　enquiries

about　sites　along　the　Rhine；　the　Neckar；　and　the　Main。　　At　last

he　was　attracted　by　a　specially　interesting　spot　at　Oberzell　on

the　Main；　near　Wurzburg。　　It　was　an　old　disused　convent　of　the

Praemonstratensian　monks。　　The　place　was　conveniently　situated

for　business；　being　nearly　in　the　centre　of　Germany。　　The

Bavarian　Government；　desirous　of　giving　encouragement　to　so

useful　a　genius；　granted　Koenig　the　use　of　the　secularised

monastery　on　easy　terms；　and　there　accordingly　he　began　his

operations　in　the　course　of　the　following　year。　　Bauer　soon

joined　him；　with　an　order　from　Mr。　Walter　for　an　improved　Times

machine；　and　the　two　men　entered　into　a　partnership　which　lasted

for　life。



The　partners　had　at　first　great　difficulties　to　encounter　in

getting　their　establishment　to　work。　　Oberzell　was　a　rural

village；　containing　only　common　labourers；　from　whom　they　had　to

select　their　workmen。　　Every　person　taken　into　the　concern　had　to

be　trained　and　educated　to　mechanical　work　by　the　partners

themselves。　　With　indescribable　patience　they　taught　these

labourers　the　use　of　the　hammer；　the　file；　the　turning…lathe；　and

other　tools；　which　the　greater　number　of　them　had　never　before

seen；　and　of　whose　uses　they　were　entirely　ignorant。　　The

machinery　of　the　workshop　was　got　together　with　equal　difficulty

piece　by　piece；　some　of　the　parts　from　a　great　distance；the

mechanical　arts　being　then　at　a　very　low　ebb　in　Germany；　which

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　compl