The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-11-22
From the Charleston Ereniag Ners.
Walker e. James Publishing House.

almost all experiments Ill puuilsill'S "I INC So"
has led many to suppose that an establishment
such us that to which we arc about to introduce
our readers could not be sustained in Charles
ton A visit to the new and spacious edlflce
recently erected for Messrs. Walker & James,
corner of East Bay aud Broad street, will show
that we have among US gentlemen OF sufficient
enterprise and means to encounter the perlls
and supply the best advantages Of publishing.
Messrs. Walker u James were the first to
introduce steam printing in this city. The en-,
gine which they have now i'll use is the work ot
a Charleston mechanic, Mr.. James McLeIsh.
The building in which their extensive opera
tons are carried on is owned by Edward Sc.
bring, Esq, President Of the State Bank, and
quite an architectural ornament to the neIghbor.
hood, credible to the taste Of the proprietor and
his architects. Their arrangements are COM
plete aud comprehensive. caPaclous steam
furnace and boiler occupy portion of the lows
story. On the second floor is the steam ell
gine, setting in motion book, job, and card
presses, of various classes and sizes, on which
every description of fine work is executed to
any extent that may be called for Ascending
still higher, VIC reach the several apartments
dedicated to newspaper and book printing,
where some twenty conpositors are laborlously
employed Here we find forms and proof
sheets of the venerable ''Southern Quarterly"
the " "Charleston Medical Journal, . Southern
Baptist" and Southern Episcopalian," await.
ing the supervision Of their respective editors
and proof readers. Besides the periodical pub
lcations, the mechanical execution Of which
is unsurpassed by any Of their contemporaries
elsewhere in the Union, all the standard works
OF the Southern Baptist Publication Society
are issued from this busy repository. Enter
ing the press rooms, we find large editions OF
books, pamphlets and newspapers, emerging
PEELED by the mighty power of steam. From
hence, the printed sheets are conveyed to Hy-
drosta,ic Press of great power, where they are
subjected to a heavy compression for several
hours The apartment for drying sheets is
simply and conveniently arranged in the fifth
story of the building After getting up sn
linh, the visitor who may feel inclined TO look
down upon the busy world below, can enjoy a
fine panoramic view Of East Bay and Broad
street, and also of the beautiful harbor of
Charleston, and the neighboring islands, spread
out before him like a map. Adjoining the
COMPRISING rooms is Il large and complete
Bindcry, owned by Messrs. Welch and Har
ris in which operatives Of both sexes are en-
poyed-the stitching and folding being execu
ted by females. Here various elegant speci-
mems Of the art are exhibited, affording salts
factory evidence that even in this most expen
sivc department of book publishing, the means
can be furnished for getting out a work COM
petc and bound in the best and most substan.
tial style. We were politely accompanied in
our examination of this interesting department
of the publishing business by Mr.. Harris one
Of the proprictorS, who pleasantly and salts
fctorily explained the different processes Of
binding. The machines used are an cmbossng
press, sewing machine and double action presses
for pressing books,-all set in motion by steam
The process of stamping and gliding is very
beautiful, and well worth the inspection of the
curious and tasteful in such matters. There
is no style of binding of any degree Of finish
and costliness which cannot be furnished by
the aid of this machinery.
The whole building is copiously supplied
with arrangements for procuring water and
lights by means of pipes and machinery, and
thoroly ventilated by proIusion of large win
dows on the street, aided by superb skylight
above, cllectually excluding everything in the
shape Of "tlarknrss visible" from the entire pre-.
misses.
In noticing this admirably conducted estab
lishment, it is but ust to its public spirited
proprctors, to say that it offers, in its manifold
departments of labor as rare, facilities for book
work as can be found in any similar house Of
its class and resources in the United States
Indeed there is nothing that we know of likely
to be needed, in publishing Southern book,
which it cannot abundantly furnish. Mr.. Jo-
scph Walker, the senior partner, is the agent
of the now paper manutactory near Granite
vile, S c., and from his warehouse, on East
Bay, the printing office is kept abundanty sup
piled with paper of every description and quail
ity. The printing is superintended in person by
MIR. Robert James himself practical printer,
born and brought up to the trade in this city,
and qualified by the experience of years for the
duties Of his responsible post.
We would now say to our friends of the
South and West, who have anything to do
with making books or issuing circulars that
they need no longer ga North for cheaper or
better work than they imagine can be procured
below Mason e. Dixon's line Our printers here
are able and willing to work with fidelity and
despatch at barrel renumerating prices, and it
is only the greater demand for labor and wider
circulation of books and newspapers at the
North among more decidedly reading people
than we can boast, which places us in the back
ground of our brethren there in the matter of
cheap literature. The better sort of journey
men in our city would bo ashamed to put their
imprintupon such habominablcs specimens ofbook
work as the shelves OF our book stores arc de-
Iugcd with, in the closely printed clumscy re
gislcrcd, and trashy pamphlet novels Of the
day. Authors disnoscd TO GiYc thcm trial