Middletown transcript., 1871-04-22
MDDEToWN CASTLE COUNTY,
THE Art or PRINTING.

TIE AAsE =" rNANhSNes
From review in the Literary World,
Of very interesting book called /" Gut
cnburg and the art Of Printing" and pub
lishcd by Naycs, Holmes & Co. We make
the following extracts.
The story introduces to us Gutenberg
at the age Of thirty-six, Gin 1436 lie is
sitting. one evening, in his house. exam
ming playing card. and in answer to his
wife's question as to what he is thinking
about. discourses to her about the manner
in which the card was made The lines,
he finds, were marked on wooden block
the wood was then cut away, leaving the
lines raised; they were smcarcd with ink,
and an impression taken from them. The
conversation then turned upon print Of
st. Christopher. which hung against the
wall, which, Gutenberg said, was made in
the same manner as the card and he told
the touching legend Of the saint-thc
Christ bearer. Then he told about won-
dcrful book he had seen, the .Biblia
Pauperum." whose forty pictures were
printed on blocks. like ST. Christopher
and the wife said Thou nrt 'ngsnious,
and canst thou not make Biblia Paupe-
rum r "a Biblia Pauperum Little
wife thou must be dreaming But the
idea sunk deep into his mind. and in due
season bore fruit One day
/ Gutenberg showed his wife several cards
which he had made, and cutting some rails
cd letters on wooden tablet, he wet
them with ink. and pressing on them
piece Of paper, showed clear aul plain on
It's surface the word ANNA Then he
went 10 work to produce copies Of ST
t CHRISTOPHER. lie chose apple-,rce wood
for his block made such tools ns he need.
eli. drew the portrait Of the saint on the
wood, aud then cut away around IT, lie
took pro 6, but it did not sui, him,
he needed thicker ink, antl This mix
ture of oil gave him Thtn Anna made
the first printers ''iabbcr' of stuffed
.hecp.kin Gutenberg tool; a second
proof. and gazcd at il joyfully, H.
foresaw that people would buy such cheap
and faithful pictures Of til saint This
reproduction Of tie picture e St Christie
pher may he sail to have been iht first
practical rcsu, Of iutenhesgs invention
Bot Gutenberg kept good heart, sold
his pictures to the Wondering populacr
and 10 the monks. and a, las, undertook
10 make copy 4 " Thr History of St
John the Evangelist. . Ihis was a wafh
Il sixty-three pages, anl h. wa3ill b. d.
hliged 10 cut as many blocks eu which h.
hal lirst copied tire text frem the volume
While ipiling ut his task one day. the
1aor suddenly opened eti LIS ntightars
/ pri,zhn aud Hickman eaue in Thy
snullal mystery. and Gutenberg found
himself obliged 10 make them partners in
/ his enterprise. X
one day. Gutenberg, having nenrls
finished block that is, page. by slip
If hi efayer. split the woofl asuulrr. =
y h. ra1ed nrnn the slalel work, an
itlea aarted ntn his mina. h. toak a knife
+ aud llIt the block Into n many pieces a.
ih.re were letters. leaving 4 letter on each
end These strips h. arranged in diar-
eut words. and titus was the USE Of nova
bic type i ,eerel He lost 10 time in
cutting the eitcrs Of the alphabet, cuch
letter ~ the cud of wooden peg anil
with these he spelled out the first words
that were eyer arrnsed with nnscahle typ
-h9nas hema, n good man When thrse
maseahle type were arrayed in words,
] Gutenberg tied them together with twinei
and they Mere ready n be mixed The
iirs, product Of his new type was The
i Lords Prayer, on the first prof uf Which
he gazed with fearful eyes Next he de-.
sisea u frame for keeping the typ in
place and neNt b. eonirived a pres
which one Conrad Saehsraeh made for
him.
At this time iii ! he made the nc
quantanec of Peter SehriI.r, n skilful
penman. Gutenberg resolved 10 returue
10 Meniz Arrived here. he became ae-
qaaniel with John Faust. n rich COLL.
smith. II whom he communicated his
plans Eou.t aatrel 10 furnish money
aud they began business Everything
wfnt on prosreronsly At first Finding
TINT WOODEN types were softenea by the
ink. Gutenberg made some Of lead. hut
these required very careful rress.work
Nnw eame Peter schailer from Paris and
took chnFge Of the work of designing let
tors They decided 10 print the Bible
aul rejnircd in the operation Of their new
press. which, worked constantly. could
turn off 3po impressions per day. .ich"f
fer soou discarded pure lead as n type
metal, and mixed il with regulns of anti.
mony. He .as admitted to the firm
and proved valuable member Blu, We
cannot follow these pioneers any farther
In ll5o they produced the frs, printed
rage Of the Bible. bn, the work was not
complete till five years Inter. Fans, sud.
denly took dislike to Gutenberg. and
consriring with Schmffer, succeeded in
turning him out Of the firm. pennilcss and
almost friendless. Gutenberg started in
business again. bn, he did not accomplish
much, and in l4Ts, he died