The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-10-24
Curiosities Ofa Printing Office

One of the wond/rs of Paris is the
Imperial Printing Office, the curiosities
of which are thus noticed in n letter OF
Col. Forncy,
What most interests the stranger arc
the alphabcts Of different languages,
including the Sanscrit Tartar, Chinese,
and Assyrian or cuneiform characters
There are types here in fifty.six Orien'
tai languages, and in Sixteen European
ones, which do not employ the Roman
characters. while the latter exist in
forty.siX different forms and Sizes
Five hundred and fifty six reams OF pa
per, equivalent to G,266 octave volumes,
can be struck off in u single day, mar
gins and other unique and antique spec
linens Of Typography (not to be execu.
ted any where else in the world, it is
claimed are exceedingly interesting to
a practical printer, Among other Gu
rositics is complete set ofGrcck mat
rices, the copper mould in which the
face of the type is cast, which were cut
by Garamond, by order of Francis /,
and 50 perfect were they in form that
the English University Of Cambridge
applied for font of them in 1892 1t
was at the imperial printing office that
the EN-, error Louis Napolcoa's life OF
Julius Caesar, one o. the most beautiful
triumphs of modern art, was set up,
struck off, bound, and published. 1t is
known that the little Prince Imperial
has miniature press, with cases, and q
font Of type Of bis own in the palace
where he has acquired d knowledge OF
the art presevatiyc of all arts. ANY
work Of high character, devoted tG
science or any Of the abstrusc studies,
the author ol which is not able to print
at his own expense, or the publication
Of which would not remunerate private
enterprise, may, By order Of the Empe-
ror, be printed at and sent out to the
world at this establishment. When
Pope Plus VII, visited the Imperial
printing office, the Lords Prayer was
presented to him printed in one hun
dred and fifty languages, and before he
returned to his carriage he received Il
copy of the collection already bound.
The ace ofcuJs, and the kings, queens,
and knavcs Of all the playing cards used
in France are printed here, the number
issued daily being $4,000 packs.
This work is q Government mono.
poly, and the in which it is executed
is separated by glass partition from
the other departments Card manu-.
facturers are allowed to print all the
other cards, except those specified, -
This is done to secure The payment OF
the tax on playing cards. There are
eighty eight hand presses, each requir
ing two men, occupying two long paral-
lei galleries and meeting q transverse
one at right angles. Adjoining the
handprcss is another, with four litho-
graphic presses, The sewing, binding
wetting, cutting, and packing of the
paper is ali done in this establishment
Forms of types Of Government papers
and documents, Of which therearc abou
twenty thousand on hand, are kept here
after they are used. The receipts o
the cstablihment are about $500, ,00(
francs, or nearly 100000 per annum
but the yearly expenses are 4,5S7,0Qt
! francs.
"The Imprimcrio Impcriale,' or I'M
pcrial printing office, was established
by Francis I, in tie Louvre. In 1892
a portion was traslerred into the Elysee
Bourborn, and in 1895 the whole was
established in the Hotel de Toulouse
now the Bank of France twas finally
established in its present locality, in the
/ Rue Vieile du Temple in 1909. There
is some idea of transferring this estab
!ishment to the hospital of the Potts
Menages, in the Rue de Ia Chaise. Al
this office, all the Government docu
ments are printed, including the i'm
mensc number of blanks used in all thu
deparmcnts--police, military, civil, fl
nanCial, and even legal.
The Bulletin de Loi, or Law Register
is issued regularly from this office, to
gcthcr with an immense number Of orr
entail publications. Nine hundred an(
fifty persons, including over three hun
drcd women and forty boys, are con
stantly employed. They work tt
hours day, and the compositors an
pressmcn receive six francs (about
dollar and twenty cents per diem. Al
ter thirty years service these mechar
les receive al annual pension Of fou
hundred francs, (about eighty dollars
a small portion of their wages being dc
Quoted for sick fund. The bookbind
ers receive three and Il halfand the wo
men two francs per day.