Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1849-01-18
From the Ne,D London Aurora.

We live in an age and in country whereit
il would be almost considered proof OF luna
cy, or great iemerity at least 10 say .ha, print
ing is no. The most useful of arts. Tha, The
art Of printing is like sal.i.." i, is The preser
va'ive of all arls"---seems TO be position con.
ceded by all civilized communities where its
benefits have been dffused with either an un.
sparing or stinled hand. That it has facilisa.
ted the march of improvement, spread abroad
and propagated correct principles. hefalded
forth The principles of Christianity, carried civ
IIizalion, the arts and knowledge 10 healhen
lands, and that il has elevated mat,, shown him
what he is and what he ought 10 be; besides
comforting numerous other invaluable advania-
ges, no one who is cognizant to its operations
will for momen. doubt. Bu. the intention in
commencing this ar,ice was not to euIogize
The ar, for The benefactons il has conferred
upon man, bu, for entirely another purpose
Common or letter press printing, such as
books, newspapers, &c, is carried on by a
large number of fonts of types, every one of
which costs money, labor and ingenuity TO fl
for use. A type of long primer size. although
II is but eleven twelfths Of an inch long, one
seventh broad, and one fourteenth thick on an
average, still costs something II is said tha,
there are but two or three men in the United
States who can make the matrices in which
types are cast; so peculiar, complete, proper
unned and uniform must The work be done.--
The letters are principally made Of lead, mixed
with other metals in order TO harden it sufi-
clenlly when cool, while at the same time hose
other ingredients caused The fused composition
10 fill the most ,enuous crevice of the ma,rix
completely. For every sized type. and differ
emily shaped lypes---and there are more than
three hundred shapes and sizes of each letter
In our alphabet in use---new ma,rices have TO
be made, and each with The same exactness,
or the fon, is defective. La Roman, each let
ter has 10 be made three tlmes---large and
small capitals. lower case, saying nothing of
points aud other indispensable characters. To
give some idea of The number of characters
and letters which go for font of types, it may
answer 10 state that there are two cases as the
printer terms them. The lower case, contain.
ing all The common or smaller letters, with the
figures and points for punctuation. double let
ters, quadras---lhis case has commonly 81
boxes, and every one is -cupled. The Up.
per case, containing the large and small capi-
laI-, and numerous marks and characters which
are in common use and but TWO or three of
them are unoccupied. Thus il seems the type
founder, in order 10 supply common fon, of
Roman letters, has to have constructed $50
the italics are moi included here,
which will make over hundred more-.. JUS, to
manufacture letters, &c. of cne size and cor
responding faces. Here, then. there must be
about Two hundred aud fifty characters made,
aud some of hem good many thousand times
oser, just 10 print The plain matter of common
newspaper. To give The uniniriaed an idea
Of the numbers and proportion of types used---
for primers have no secrets that | know Of.
1t may answer 10 state that we use, say for