men of invention and industry-第38节

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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　Junius's　Letters

first　appeared　in　the　Public　Advertiser。　　The　comments　on

political　affairs　by　the　Editor　were　meagre　and　brief；　and

confined　to　a　mere　statement　of　supposed　facts。



Mr。　Walter；　very　much　to　the　dismay　of　his　father；　struck　out　an

entirely　new　course。　　He　boldly　stated　his　views　on　public

affairs；　bringing　his　strong　and　original　judgment　to　bear　upon

the　political　and　social　topics　of　the　day。　　He　carefully　watched

and　closely　studied　public　opinion；　and　discussed　general

questions　in　all　their　bearings。　　He　thus　invented　the　modern

Leading　Article。　　The　adoption　of　an　independent　line　of　politics

necessarily　led　him　to　canvass　freely；　and　occasionally　to

condemn；　the　measures　of　the　Government。　　Thus；　he　had　only　been

about　a　year　in　office　as　editor；　when　the　Sidmouth

Administration　was　succeeded　by　that　of　Mr。　Pitt；　under　whom　Lord

Melville　undertook　the　unfortunate　Catamaran　expedition。　　His

Lordship's　malpractices　in　the　Navy　Department　had　also　been

brought　to　light　by　the　Commissioners　of　Naval　Inquiry。　　On　both

these　topics　Mr。　Walter　spoke　out　freely　in　terms　of　reprobation；

and　the　result　was；　that　the　printing　for　the　Customs　and　the

Government　advertisements　were　at　once　removed　from　The　Times

office。



Two　years　later　Mr。　Pitt　died；　and　an　Administration　succeeded

which　contained　a　portion　of　the　political　chiefs　whom　the　editor

had　formerly　supported　on　his　undertaking　the　management　of　the

paper。　　He　was　invited　by　one　of　them　to　state　the　injustice

which　had　been　done　to　him　by　the　loss　of　the　Customs　printing；

and　a　memorial　to　the　Treasury　was　submitted　for　his　signature；

with　a　view　to　its　recovery。　　But　believing　that　the　reparation

of　the　injury　in　this　manner　was　likely　to　be　considered　as　a

favour；　entitling　those　who　granted　it　to　a　certain　degree　of

influence　over　the　politics　of　the　journal；　Walter　refused　to

sign　it；　or　to　have　any　concern　in　pres