Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-09-07
OLD SERIES vOL.aIO, NO. 10.
FROM the N. O. Presbyterian.
i'AohhNS JANsHooN ROSTER. THE REAL
INVENTOR OF Printing.

ines, which may prove not undressing TO
the friends of science and historical truth
Under the head of "Discoyeries and inven-
tons" read in the Family Christian AL
manac, Tor 1850, page Sc, as an historical
fact. "Printng Invented by Faust, 1441;
made public by Goitenburg, 1853; brought
TO England by VIM. Caxton, 1471." This
Is not correct, the invention of printing dating
as far back as the year 1923.
In Holland, Tor more correctly the Neither
Iands,) called HARLEM. A beautiful forest or
park, bordered with country seats, is, as it
were, the common garden of all the citizens Of
Harlem, and seems, in the warm season, 10
invite one to walk underline shady foliage of
oak trees, the age of which must be count
ed by centuries.
On beautiful afternoon, in the summer of
the year ll43, a citizen of HARLEM, named
Laurens Janszoon on koser, man little over
fifty years old, accompanied by two or three
Of his grand children, went TO the above men
toned park. Having come TO certain
| spot which is TO this day "the eight point"
| bccanse il is the central point of eight lawns
which cross the park in all directions-grand,
father Roster took possession of one of the
benches planted on this beautiful spot. The
pass the time, he cut with his penknife from
a piece OF green wood, the first three or four
letters Of the alphabet, for the use of his
grand-ChildrGn, as the first elements of read-~
ing. These letters were so well finished that
he thought it worth while 10 preserve them,
by wrapping them carefully in peace Of pa
per and then putting them in his pocket. In
the evening, while sitting in the midst of the
family circle, Roster had entirely forgotten
his wood engraYngs, nor did he dream Of
he consequences of his sitting upon them.
But going 10 bed and undressing himself, he
TOOL, the little package out of his pocket, and
oh, how great was his astouishment when
upon opening it he behed his letters plainly
printed on the paper wherein he had wrap
ped them up.
This simple event created in Rosters inge-
nious mind that sublime idea. through which
the art Of printing originated, and since light
and blessing have spread over the whole
earth
Laurcns Roster, practising the matter over
and over again, made such improvements
that. aflef some time, he was able to print
with wooden types and ink on paper, Not
resting, and wiser by experience every day,
he brought it in a few years so far that he
could print a book with movepble metallic
types, The first one printed by him was
school book, under the title of Spiegel onser
Bchoudcnis-Mirror OF our Salvation.
Roster, not capable of doing all this work
alone, got some hands to assist him, and one
Of them left his house on certain night and
set oil for Nentz, taking with hin grea,
many of The instruments, types, &C., and
brought, by this dishonest act, The art of prin-
ting over 10 Germany; where Faust and Gut
tenburg made so many further improvements,
that every one who beholds the blessed re-
suits Of the art Of printing, in difusing know
ledge and wisdom over all the earth, will
honor their memory with praise and gratitude,
unconscious that the honor of the invention
is not theirs but belongs to Laurens Janszoon
Roster,
Roster was born in the year 1870, and died
in the year 1880. Ii is said that he was the
Roster Ii, e. Sexton) of the Cathedral of Haar-
lem his name being Laurens, the son of John,
(aansZoon) adding TO this the name of his en-
! poymeut, which was very customary thing
in that century. His house was standing
near the Cathedral, and on an open plain OF
market place, Just between the church and
his hoase, his grateful fellow citizens erected
some time after his death, his statue, which
, is standing there till this day
1 Bat now some say, "This is all fine
= story, but where is the proof of lis truth o.
Please read few lines more.
5 More than two centuries passed away, ant
not single soul in HARLEM or in the whole
t country doubted that l.. Jz. Roster was The
= inventor of printing. But in following tme
= Germany, aided by the French, attempted II
>. undermine the foundation on which the inven
), tion, as only belonging to Roster was ground
% ed. Holland saw this, and anxious TO bring
the truth to light, the HARLEM Society 0
Y Science, in 1903, offered premium of dou
n bic golden medal (worh about five hundred
! euilders). for the best written dissertation OIL
the question, "Whether there was any grounC
= to deny HARLEM the invention of printing
- with movable types, by Laurens JanszooI
Roster, before the year l440W
Three answers were received, but none
is them were considered TO merit the Offered
Y pl2e and three years after the same ques
J. tion was again published for competition.
l. A very modest man, who for more thar
d twenty years bad gathered and searched TO
N these matters, sent his answer Ia volume
is about two inches ihekl in 1914, 10 the Haar
D. lem Society of Science. His work underwen
d a most critical examination but ''praise anc
rs gloryp was the uterance of the said Society
u in 1916, 10 the author whose name proved Il
e be Jacobus Koming. He was the man whC
had gloriously defended the honor of Haar