The Shasta courier., 1867-11-16
SHASTA COURIER.
Curiositics of a Printing Office.

One Of the wonders of Paris is the Impe.
rial Printing Office, the curiosifies Of which
are thus noticed in letter of Col. Fornev:
What most interests the stranger are the
alphabets of the different languages, includ
ing the Sanscrit, Tartar, Chinese and Ara.
bian or euneiform characters. There are
types here in fifty six Oriental 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
paper. equlvale lent to 9,266 octave volumes.
can be struck off in single day. The
Oriental books with their coiored margins
and other unique and antique specimens of
typhography mot to be executed anywhere
else in the world, it is claimed) are exceed
lngly interesting to a practical printer. -
Among other curlosities is a complete set of
Greek matrices, the copper mould in which
the face OF the type is cast, which were cut
ly G0ramond, by order of Francis |. and
81 perfect were they in form that the Eng
lish University of Cambridge applied for a
font Of theul in 1922. 1t was at the Imperial
printing Office that the Emperor Louis
NapOieOn's life of Julius Caesar, one of the
most beautiful triumphs of modern art was
set up struck aff, bound, and published. 1t
Is known that the little Prince Imperial has
4; miniature Tress, with cases, and a font of
type OF his own in the palace, where he has
acquired knowledge of the art preservative
ot all arts. Any work of high character,
devoted to science or any of the abstruse
studies, the author of which is not able to
PRINT at his own expense, or the publication
of which would not remunerate private en-
terprise, may. by order Of the Emperor, be
printed at and sent out to the world at this
establishment. When Pope Plus VII
visited the imperial printing office, the LORD s
Prayer was presented to him printed in one
hundred and fifty languages. and before he
returned to his carriage he received copy
of the collection already bound The ace of
clubs, and the kings, queens. and knaves of
all the playing cards used in France are
printed here, the number issued daily being
1900 packs.
This work is a Government monopoly, and
the room in which it is executed is separated
by glass partition from the other depart
ments. Card manufacturers are allowed to
print all the other cards, except those speci
fled. This is done to secure the payment of
the tax on playing cards. There are eighty
eight band presses, each requiring two men,
occupying two long parallel galleries and
meeting transverse one at right angles
Adjoining the hand press is another, with
four photographic presses. Above this is
gallery for draughtsmen. and another with
sixteen additional photographic presses
The sewing. binding. wetting. cutting and
packing of the paper is all done in this es
tahlishment. The forms of types of Govern
meat papers and documents, of which there
are about twenty thousand on hand, are kept
here after they are used. The receipts of
the establishment are about 4, SOC, 900 francs,
or nearly 100000 per annum, but the
yearly expenses are 4, ,5S7 900 francs.
The Imprimerio Imperale," or i'm
perial printing office. was established by
Francis 1. in the Louvre, in 1872 portion
was transferred into the Elysee Bourbon,
and in 1895 the whole was established IN the
51otel dc Toulouse, now the Bank of France
1t Was finally established in it's present
locality. in the / ue Nieille du Temple in
1863. There is some idea of transferring
this establishment to the hospital Of the
Petits Menages, in the Rue de la Chaise.--
At ulis Office all the Government documents
are printed, including the immense number
of blanks used in all the departments
police, military, civil, financial, and even
legal.