New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-05
WONDERS OF THE PRESS.

Translated for he Trsun. fron the French % To~ss
Guile N the GdEsfte de Gsernssey
The power aud inue ce of the Press often spoken
of by persons without comprehendng the force Of these
expressions, and without experimenting properly in
what consists this marvellous force which in degree
clothes man with the attributes OF Divinity in multi
plying his thoughts infinitely, and in inpartiOg them
to millions of individuals at the same time, regardless
Of the distance which separates them. In fact, is
osy in considering the capacities of the Press per-
fected at this time and contrasting them with the
modes which served formerly TO bring TO light tho
creations of the human mind in estimating the i'm
mense circulation Of cotemporaneous literary works,
such Uncle TOMS Goblin or Of Harper's Magazine,
or the excellent journal Of the Messrs. Chambers Of
Edinburgh that an exact idea can be formed of the
subject.
II am not mistaken il is in the interesting roper
tory of literary melapges, The Curiosies Of LHerd
ture, by the elder Dsraeli, that | encountered re-
markable calculation Of the productions Of the Press
from the discovery Of printing to the end of the last
century. Although there is ia this calculation some-
thing to astOnish even those who have kept account
Of the rapid inventions and discoveries OF modern
tmes, it to that could, withou. over.
stepping the bounds Of probability, hazard the
ton that the number of works published in the
of the last fry five years has surpassed, more than
ten times over all that the Press produced dIrng the
three centuries and half precedng-thst to soy,
since the invention of printing up TO the Commence
ment Of this century.
n. Victor Hugo has with great justice named the
Press the formidable locomotive of universal thought
1 believe that the details which l shall now give, on
the printing and circulation of American journal,
demonstrates clearly than any possible comment
sry any other object for illustration the proprey
Of this designation.
This jourpal-THE NLw-YoRK TRIBusE-is now
spread on table before 1t is composed of two
sheets each % by 80 inches; the whole presenting
total surface of 1874 square feet. Composing three
different editions, this journal has circulation Of
THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TvE THOUSAND copies
every week!
Each of these journals presents q surface Of 400
square inches; the $4,000 completely covering, then,
q field Of IS acres.
Placed end to end the $40 900 sheets Of this journal
printed in the Of a week would form covered
way % inches wide, reaching 33s miles. The journals
of nine weeks, similarly united, would stretch from
Liverpool TO New-York, or 3,o42 miles.
One of these papers weighs little more than II
ounces the united weight Ct 900, distributed each
week, equal in weight exceeding sixteen uns seven
hundred pounds English
Surprising that the typographical contents of a35 900
papers placed in q single line band Of paper,
the length of the paper ribbon would be l39 s3 miles,
and thus would be sufficiently long to go six times
round the globe The matter Of the journals of these
two weeks, arranged in the same way, Is more than
sufficient 10 unite the Earth with the Mo,n237 900
miles; end il would require The TRrBusEs of bat ID
years and IA weeks 10 attain to the immense distance
which separates from the SUMS, 29s, 200 miles.
Supposing that person be capable of reading one
of these jouas in four hours, he would require 300
years to peruse The TRIBusEs of week, beng occu-
pied twelve hours day. Otherwise, to accomplish
thi. task in day, there would have to be not less
than Ill 800 persons.
In the French Bible-David Martins version--are
about 900 letters characters. In the $4,000
TRIDUsEs we find about i2s, 6iO, 900, 900. There 10
then the matter of % ia Bibles issued in the form Of
journals from single Office every week.
An octave volume Of 2is pages, similar in form anil
contents Ia the Sermons # Nordin, contains 62sooo
letters 1t seems, then, that The TRIBUsE furnHnesA
a week what would form 207, 4s4 similar volumes. Ia
trO reeks this journal furnishes tine matter OF o'A
of similar volumes in number about equal to the cor
lection of the British Museum; and in mo"'@ 'ie
saIe Journal distributes the matter of library
sac 1886 voluUes-a number about equahng 'na'
the most famous collection Of the world-he Inpehn
Library Of PsIis.
If in place Of the pripting,press, we were ooged
TO have ,ecour,e 70 tbs ancient manner Of wri.rgso
distribute the information which fills these 33oOoo
journals il wonId b. necessary to engage armyof
sa7 ECO persons to accomplish their daily task; aud
one persoI would arrive at the same poih. in sbout
2, "a years. suppcsirg him capable even Of writing
The contents OF one Of these journals IN p diy..
One Of Hoes improved power presses. tended oy