The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-07-30
BEN PRANRtug pRrNTIYe HoUsE,


From the long standing and magnitude Of
shi' extensively and favotably known printing
establishment We have thought proper to give
q brief history Of its commencement, its ad-
vaneement, and its present flourishing eondi-
ton.
IN the winter Of 1886, Mr.. -. Donogh (now
Df DonOgh,l succeeded in collecting few
fonts Of type, with one super royal press, "a
secondhand One) and very meagre supply
ot office furniture for a iye Jrash, was used
common backing brush; for pair Of bel
lows he brought into mechanical exercise, his
lungs, taking great care to close his opticals
while using the substitute. He had procured
room in the third story Of building located
at No. LOG Main street, near Third. After
sir, D. had arranged bis few materials in the
little room to suit his taste, he surveyed them
With all the pride Of nabob, and, like Selkirk,
proudly exclaimed:
" am monarch Of all survey"
ior he felt he was sole proprietor Of qrite a
JOB Printing Office.
With folded arms, he walked the room,
looked at the past, and tried hard to look into
the future, and appeared satisfied he was in a
fair way to do something. But his office had
no name, and what name to give it, he hardly
knew Other job offices were named after the
neAspapeSs to which they were attached but
alasF he owned no newspaper, This threw
him into another thoughtful mood, aud again
pacing the floor with folded arms, he seemed
determined to walk his office into a name
Suddenly an idea crossed his mind, and in
stantly casting glance upon his little pile Of
materials, he eBergetically exclaimed 81 Il call
it the Ben FRANKLIN PRINTING HorsE and
sink or swim, live or die, it shall be known by
that name"
In this manner, did this now great estab-
lishment obtain its name The name then hon
ored it it now honors the name.
Mr.. DoNoGH soon succeeded in getting a
small supply Of work sithough at that time,
regular job work was taken almost altogether
to newspaper offices as a matter Of necessity.
He performed his work in such an elegantmau-
ner, that he gave the Ben excellent name,
and succeeded in getting quite run of Gus
tom. He managed the office for some eigh-
teen months, when he sold it to his brothers,
RoBRRT P. and JAMES b. DoNoGH. both OF
whom we're practical printers. Although
young, they we're energetic and enterprising,
and soon made additions to their office of an
other super royal press, and several fonts Of
type, &c. They made decided advancements
in the neatness and elegant execution Of their
work. Taking pride in their jobs, they soon
Justly obtained for themselves the name of be-
ing the greatest job printers in the western
country. For several years they continued to
add to their materials, and improving in the
style and quality of their work, till in lS47
they deemed it necessary to purchase very
largely Of various kinds Of materials Having
but little capital, they borrowed several thou
sand dollars for the purpose Of purchasing the
new materials, and making the Ben Franklin
Printing House rank among the best Of th'
! pnited States. Having procured the means
Mr.. r. 2. Donogh proceeded 70 the East. aht
alter examining all che latest improvements il
tie printing offices there made his purchases
He purchased of Mr.. Hoe, in New York, 8
IcylindeF job press, which was the first ever
brought West Of the Mountains They also
purchased fonts Of all the new aud beautiful
kinds Of job type then in the Eastern aud
Western foundries With these additions the
Ben Franklin became an object Of curiosity
even to printers. The cylinder press attracted
much attention, and so rapidly and neatly did
it perform all kinds Of job work, that it gave
the proprietors decided advantage over all
other job printers.
The Messrs. DoNoGH continued in the old
stand until February, lS49, when they came to
the (perhaps unwise) conclusion, to enlarge the
various departments of their office, and to en-
large their already mammoth concern. They
engaged and removed their office into cOmmo-
dious rooms, on the southwest corner of Pearl
and Walnut streets. Here they attempted to
introduce steam, to run their presses, which
had been heretofore propelled by hand but
for some cause they did not succeed. They
pf6hstu lOTNtCu, HON6NbT5 VIII htdlOus uC-
termination, in the language Of one of them,
ITO build up the best printing office III the
West, Or fail in the attempt" We refer tC
the failure of the Messrs DoNoGH, with re.
gretful feelings, but we know they deserved {
better fate. They were industrious and perso
vering, but, like many others, they lacked tina
all-impOrtant qualification to business man
discretion They made an assignment Of al
!. their property, in May, 1913. The creditor
/, met, and appointed Horace WELLS, assignee
and CALLER CLARK, ageut, to take charge c
F the Ben Franklin aud conduct it for Oh
month, and at the end OF which time, il
purchaser could not be found, il was TO
: closed out in small lots to suit purchasers
} For a time it was thought that the old Be
Franklin Printing Office would become o.
tinct. It had always been classed the be
eonducted Book and Job Office in the Yves
Bnt fortunately for the pride Of the art In Il
West, and through the interest manifested |
Is patrons and friends, it fell into the han,
Of practical and enterprizing individuals.
vas purchased entire, by G. CLARK & C,
These gentlemen took hold of the concern vii
energy, and BY close application to busines
and iRdOmitable perseverance,, have not on
carried the sold Benz through its crisis, b