men of invention and industry-第41节

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impression　of　the　paper　had　been　published；　and　the　editors　and

compositors　had　left　the　office。　　It　was　important　that　the

speech　should　be　published　at　once；　and　Mr。　Walter　immediately

set　to　work　upon　it。　　He　first　translated　the　document；　then；

assisted　by　one　compositor；　he　took　his　place　at　the　type…case；

and　set　it　up。　　To　the　amazement　of　one　of　the　staff；　who　dropped

in　about　noon；　he　〃found　Mr。　Walter；　M。P。　for　Berks；　working　in

his　shirt…sleeves！〃　　The　speech　was　set　and　printed；　and　the

second　edition　was　in　the　City　by　one　o'clock。　　Had　he　not

〃turned　to〃　as　he　did；　the　whole　expense　of　the　express　service

would　have　been　lost。　　And　it　is　probable　that　there　was　not

another　man　in　the　whole　establishment　who　could　have　performed

the　double　workintellectual　and　physicalwhich　he　that　day

executed　with　his　own　head　and　hands。



Such　an　incident　curiously　illustrates　his　eminent　success　in

life。　　It　was　simply　the　result　of　persevering　diligence；　which

shrank　from　no　effort　and　neglected　no　detail；　as　well　as　of

prudence　allied　to　boldness；　but　certainly　not　〃of　chance；〃　and；

above　all；　of　highminded　integrity　and　unimpeachable　honesty。　　It

is　perhaps　unnecessary　to　add　more　as　to　the　merits　of　Mr。　Walter

as　a　man　of　enterprise　in　business；　or　as　a　public　man　and　a

Member　of　Parliament。　　The　great　work　of　his　life　was　the

development　of　his　journal；　the　history　of　which　forms　the　best

monument　to　his　merits　and　his　powers。



The　progressive　improvement　of　steam　printing　machinery　was　not

affected　by　Mr。　Walter's　death；　which　occurred　in　1847。　　He　had

given　it　an　impulse　which　it　never　lost。　　In　1846　Mr。　Applegath

patented　certain　important　improvements　in　the　steam　press。　　The

general　disposition　of　his　new　machine　was　that　of　a　vertical

cylinder　200　inches　in　circumference；　holding　on　it　the　type　and

distributing　surfaces；　and　surrounded　alternately　by　inking

rollers　and　pressing　cylinders。　　Mr。　Applegath　estimated　in　his

specification　that　in　his　new　vertical　system　the　machine；　with

eight　cylinders；　would　print　about　10；000　sheets　per　hour。　　The

new　printing　press　came　into　use　in　1848；　and　completely

justified　the　anticipations　of　its　projector。



Applegath's　machine；　though　successfully　employed　at　The　Times

office；　did　not　come　into　general　use。　　It　was；　to　a　large

extent；　superseded　by　the　invention　of　Richard　M。　Hoe；　of　New

York。　　Hoe's　process　consisted　in　placing　the　types　upon　a

horizontal　cylinder；　against　which　the　sheets　were　pressed　by

exterior　and　smaller　cylinders。　　The　types　were　arranged　in

segments　of　a　circle；　each　segment　forming　a　frame　that　could　be

fixed　on　the　cylinder。　　These　printing　machines　were　made　with

from　two　to　ten　subsidiary　cylinders。　　The　first　presses　sent　by

Messrs。　Hoe　&　Co。　to　this　country　were　for　Lloyd's　Weekly

Newspaper；　and　were　of　the　six…cylinder　size。　　These　were

followed　by　two　ten…cylinder　machines；　ordered　by　the　present　Mr。

Walter；　for　The　Times。　　Other　English　newspaper　proprietorsboth

in　London　and　the　provinceswere　supplied　with　the　machines；　as

many　as　thirty…five　having　been　imported　from　America　between

1856　and　1862。　　It　may　be　mentioned　that　the　two　ten…cylinder

Hoes　made　for　The　Times　were　driven　at　the　rate　of　thirty…two

revolutions　per　minute；　which　gives　a　printing　rate　of　19；200　per

hour；　or　about　16；000　including　stoppages。



Much　of　the　ingenuity　exercised　both　in　the　Applegath　and　Hoe

Machines　was　directed　to　the　〃chase；〃　which　had　to　hold　securely

upon　its　curved　face　the　mass　of　movable　type　required　to　form　a

page。　　And　now　the　enterprise　of　the　proprietor　of　The　Times

again　came　to　the　front。　　The　change　effected　in　the　art　of

newspaper…printing；　by　the　process　of　stereotypes；　is　scarcely

inferior　to　that　by　which　the　late　Mr。　Walter　applied　steam…power

to　the　printing　press；　and　certainly　equal　to　that　by　which　the

rotary　press　superseded　the　reciprocatory　action　of　the　flat

machine。



Stereotyping　has　a　curious　history。　　Many　attempts　were　made　to

obtain　solid　printing…surfaces　by　transfer　from　similar　surfaces；

composed；　in　the　first　place；　of　movable　types。　　The　first　who

really　succeeded　was　one　Ged；　an　Edinburgh　goldsmith；　who；　after

a　series　of　difficult　experiments；　arrived　at　a　knowledge　of　the

art　of　stereotyping。　　The　first　method　employed　was　to　pour

liquid　stucco；　of　the　consistency　of　cream；　over　the　types；　and

this；　when　solid；　gave　a　perfect　mould。　　Into　this　the　molten

metal　was　poured；　and　a　plate　was　produced；　accurately　resembling

the　page　of　type。　　As　long　ago　as　1730；　Ged　obtained　a　privilege

from　the　University　of　Cambridge　for　printing　Bibles　and

Prayer…books　after　this　method。　　But　the　workmen　were　dead

against　it；　as　they　thought　it　would　destroy　their　trade。　　The

compositors　and　the　pressmen　purposely　battered　the　letters　in

the　absence　of　their　employers。　　In　consequence　of　this

interference　Ged　was　ruined；　and　died　in　poverty。



The　art　had；　however；　been　born；　and　could　not　be　kept　down。　　It

was　revived　in　France；　in　Germany；　and　in　America。　　Fifty　years

after　the　discovery　of　Ged；　Tilloch　and　Foulis；　of　Glasgow；

patented　a　similar　invention；　without　knowing　anything　of　what

Ged　had　done；　and　after　great　labour　and　many　experiments；　they

produced　plates；　the　impressions　from　which　could　　not　be

distinguished　from　those　taken　from　the　types　from　which　they

were　cast。　　Some　years　afterwards；　Lord　Stanhope；　to　whom　the　art

of　printing　is　much　indebted；　greatly　improved　the　art　of

stereotyping；　though　it　was　still　quite　inapplicable　to　newspaper

printing。　　The　merit　of　this　latter　invention　is　due　to　the

enterprise　of　the　present　proprietor　of　The　Times。



Mr。　Walter　began　his　experiments；　aided　by　an　ingenious　Italian

founder　named　Dellagana；　early　in　1856。　　It　was　ascertained　that

when　papier…mache　matrices　were　rapidly　dried　and　placed　in　a

mould；　separate　columns　might　be　cast　in　them　with　stereotype

metal；　type　high；　planed　flat；　and　finished　with　sufficient　speed

to　get　up　the　duplicate　of　a　forme　of　four　pages　fitted　for

printing。　　Steps　were　taken　to　adapt　these　type…high　columns　to

the　Applegath　Presses；　then　worked　with　polygonal　chases。　　When

the　Hoe　machines　were　introduced；　instead　of　dealing　with　the

separate　columns；　the　papier…mache　matrix　was　taken　from　the

whole　page　at　one　operation；　by　roller…presses　constructed　for

the　purpose。　　The　impression　taken　off　in　this　manner　is　as

perfect　as　if　it　had　been　made　in　the　finest　wax。　　The　matrix　is

rapidly　dried　on　heating　surfaces；　and　then　accurately　adjusted

in　a　casting　machine　curved　to　the　exact　circumference　of　the

main　drum　of　the　printing　press；　and　fitted　with　a　terra…cotta

top　to　secure　a　casting　of　uniform　thickness。　　On　pouring

stereotype　metal　into　this　mould；　a　curved　plate　was　obtained；

which；　after　undergoing　a　certain　amount　of　trimming　at　two

machines；　could　be　taken　to　press　and　set　to　work　within

twenty…five　minutes　from　the　time　at　which　the　process　began。



Besides　the　great　advantages　obtained　from　uniform　sets　of　the

plates；　which　might　be　printed　on　different　machines　at　the　rate

of　50；000　impressions　an　hour；　or　such　additional　number　as　might

be　required；　there　is　this　other　great　advantage；　that　there　is

no　wear　and　tear　of　type　in　the　curved　chases　by　obstructive

friction；　and　that　the　fount；　instead　of　wearing　out　in　two

years；　might　last　for　twenty；　for　the　plates；　after　doing　their

work　for　one　day；　are　melted　down　into　a　new　impression　for　the

next　day's　printing。　　At　the　same　time；　the　original　type…page；

safe　from　injury；　can　be　made　to　yield　any　number　of　copies　that

may　be　required　by　the　exigencies　of　the　circulation。　　It　will　be

sufficiently　obvious　that　by　the　multiplication　of　stereotype

plates　and　printing　machines；　there　is　practically　no　limit　to

the　number　of　copies　of　a　newspaper　that　may　be　printed　within

the　time　which　the　process　now　usually　occupies。



This　new　method　of　newspaper　stereotyping　was　originally　employed

on　the　cylinders　of　the　Applegath　and　Hoe　Presses。　　But　it　is

equally　applicable　to　those　of　the　Walter　Press；　a　brief

description　of　which　we　now　subjoin。　　As　the　construction　of　the

first　steam　newspaper　machine　was　due　to　the　enterprise　of　the

late　Mr。　Walter；　so　the　construction　of　this　last　and　most

improved　machine　is　due　in　like　manner　to　the　enterprise　of　his

son。　　The　new　Walter　Press　is　not；　like　Applegath　and　Cowper's；

and　Hoe's；　the　improvement　of　an　existing　arrangement；　but　an

almost　entirely　original　invention。



In　the　Reports　of　the　Jurors　on　the　〃Plate；　Letterpress；　and

other　modes　of　Printing；〃　at　the　International　Exhibition　of

1862；　the　following　passage　occurs：　〃It　is　incumbent　on　the

reporters　to　point　out　that；　excellent　and　surprising　as　are　the

results　achieved　by　the　Hoe　and　Applegath　Machines；　they　cannot

be　considered　satisfactory　whil