Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-07-10

mr. Pass When God first dropped
H.. H.. mantle of genius upon the shoulders
- - Fsust, and unfolded to his conception
ne beauty and utility of typical impress
Ems. -. the Old World gazed with admit
.o,;on upon the result and honored the
= ment of its timely consummation.
NJ all the many brilliant inventions,
,b;cb 90 to make up the enlightenment
~ this nineteenth century, the discovery
n Printing is among the foremost, if not
"a FIRST He who as if with more than
rnortal hand, harnessed the fierce light
n;Ug and guided it along the why track,
or he who gave the iron steed his pant
;nr breath. can claim no partnership In
fame's award, with him who called into
life the immortal types, and placed the
first printed page before the eyes OF an
astonished and admiring world.
The immortal Christopher Columbus
disclosed to astonished Europe the exls-
tnnce Of a new world, and the path
across the broad ocean to sunder the two
r,roat continents of earth but this dis
Sovery sinks into nothingness compared
NTH the discovery of that almost magic
art bv means of which dawned upon the
whole world broader and brighter civil
;zs,;on. While other inventions in their
fullest perfection, act only upon the ma
teriaI and the mortal, the art of Printing
exercises its control over the intellectual
and immortal being.
It's perhaps useless to speak of the
mower of the Press. Its influence is
,neasureless. The vindication of truth
and Justice, the administering of deser-
we'd Criticism, the correction of prevail
inc errors-the Inauguration and prose
cution of grand political, moral and reli-
gious reforms-the development and con-
trolling Of social tendencies-the direc-
ton and enlightenment of public opin-
ion, all these are among its principal
functions. 1t is the faithful sentinel p
on the watch-tower of society, exposing
errors, warning of dangers, summon
ing to battle, squirting to peace, enlisting
to freedom, melting to duty, and cheer
mo on to success" The Press is the great
leading power in this country. It's mis-
sion is a mighty and holy one ; and it
will be gloliousIy accomplished, if it but
be controlled by independent, earnest
men, who can vie with the greatness of
thought, and thus make undying the
perishable columns of paper and parch-
ment.
The origin and time of discovery of
the " Art Preservative" not being gener-
allv known, l will very briefly allude to
it. The origin of the invention of Prin-
ting is involved in considerable obscurity.
The Chinese are said to have taken inl-
pressions from raised wooden letters,
or figures, from a very early age. Chi
nese chronology puts its discovery at
about fifty years before the Christian
Era. The Chinese mode of printing, or
Of taking impressions, is still in vogue in
some parts of the world.
There are several candidates for the
honor Of inventiug printing types it is
claimed for Jansz, Guttenburg, and
Faust. 1t is related that Jansz, walking
in wood by his native city, amused
himself by cutting letters upon the bark
Of trees, from which he took an impress
sion on paper with the fiat of bis hand.
1t is otherwise told that having cut some
letters upon a branch and desiring to car
~ it to his grand children, he cut them
of and carried them home wrapped in 4
piece of paper before he reached home
however, he fell asleep, and ia that state,
became exposed to slight shower; up
On reaching home, the paper moistened
oy Ilte Ioirs ho1 taLnn ;r.,rrassion of
the letters. The idea was pursued from
this germ, until he succeeded in printing
book from wooden types. This was in
1890, but it is doubtful as to the correct
ness of the account. Previous to this
time there was printing from engraved
blocks. Printing was carried on secretly
for long time before it was made pub
lie, from fear of being prosecuted by the
supersttious rabble of these DAYS. who
regarded it as the work of the Devil
However, about 144O, Gutenberg, of
Mentz, Germany, commenced the print
ing of books. Ia 1443 Gutenberg and
Faust formed copartnership, and estab-
lshed a printing Office from which was
issued Latin Bible, the first printed
book Of which we have any knowledge.
Previous to the invention Of this gIori.
Gus art, books were of an incredible price
and confined to very few. The Church
Possessed almost exclusively the written
knowledge of the world. Many of the
bishops and kings were unable to sign
their names and manuscript works were
of great value 1t is related that a Saxon
king gave eight hundred acres oil yalua-
bic land for. single volume. When
newspapers were first established, thew
were of tho most limited dimensions, and
as they were nearly destitute of adver-
yertisements,, they were frequently issued
with blank page. After awhile q new
method was adopted to fill up the space
not required for the current news, by pub
fishing extracts from the Bible, and many
an old newspaper is now extant with a
whole page copied from the Scriptures.
Chapters from the New Testament were
placed at the head of the column, and
the space below was filled out with a
psalm of the required length.
Its hardly necessary to call your at
!enllon to the great improvements made
mpnnting, and to the immense amount