Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-05-29

ZINCoGRAPHY AN AMERICAN INVENTION
About forty years ago, Mr.. Dixon invented a
process, which is now called zincography He
could take a bank note or a written letter, and
by transferring 1t TO the smooth surface of a
zinc plate, would bite out the lines with acid,
and IN a short time reproduce fac-simile of the
original. The invention attracted considerable
attention at the time, and he invited several
celebrated men of New England to witness it
among them Edward Everett. They came and
IN their presence he illustrated the invention.
Before they left, they indted a letter, signed
with their names, and within an hour Mr. Dix
on gave them several fac-similes of their letter,
produced by his process. Many years after,
when Mr.. Everett was minister to England, the
process was announced there as new; but there
were two claimants to the discovery. The ri
valry for the merit of the invention was carried
before the royal society of arts and sciences, and
much discussion ensued. At one of their meet
lngs while this discovery was under discussion,
Mr. Everett, who was an honorary member,
rose III his seat, and Silenced the English claim
ants by urging it as an American invention
and presenting the proof in the shape of the iden-
teal letter which had been produced, many
years before, in his presence. by Mr.. Dixon
Another anecdote which Mr.. Dixon told of his
early attempts at zincographic printing is worth
relating. He undertook TO counterfeit a bank
note. Forty years ago bank-note was a very
crude affair Printed upon coarse paper, with
common black ink, and engraved with very
poor design, upon copper, it would present no
obstacles to the expert counterteiter of the pres
ent day. Not so then. 1t was probably almost
as difficult to counterfeit, at that time, as the
wonderfully elaborate and artistic greenback is
at the present day. Dixon transferred the en-
craving on to the zinc-plate, and, having select
ed similar quality of paper, produced fac
smile of the bank -note, with the fidelity of
which he was so elated that he thought the bank
officers could not distinguish the original from
the counterfeit. This occurred in Boston.
Starting off to State street, he presented himself
at the bank, and inquired for the president a
noted solid man of his time. Being introduced,
he showed his two pieces of printed paper, and
asked which was the original and which the
counterfeit. The bank officer politely asked
him TO be seated; and enthusiastically Dixon
pointed out the extreme accuracy of his dupli-
cate, and enlarged upon the importance of
his invention. The solid man listened
attentively, but presently excused himself,
and stepped out OF the room for a few seconds.
On his return, he patiently listened to further
explanations of the enthusiastic inventor. Soon
an addition to the company was made, in the
shape of a constable, when the bank officer
whose horror at the sight of q counterfeit of his
bank note entirely obscured his admiration of
the art that had produced it-rising from his
seat, Informed the astonished inventor that the
plate from which this counterfeit had been pro-
duced must be Immediately delivered up; that
c0unterleiting was q state prison offense, and
that he had committed great crime; and, I'M
less ne was prepared 10 comply, the constable
must do his duty. In vain the inventor eX-
planned that he had made the counterfeit to show
him that the present style of printing bank notes
would not be secure, when his invention was
published; that he was not counterfeiter for
the purpose of defraudng. But the man of
genuine notes was memorable; and, to prevent
the misfortune of being sent through the streets
to the common jail Dixon was Obliged TO go
with them TO his house, and deliver up the dis
puted piece of zinc. After a lecture upon the
Sin NE Nat.fnt Nl.r hnniy OH
As-he was leaving, the anger of the irate inven-
tor broke forth in this exclamation: "Gou
d-n fool Do You suppose | can't make an
other ?-0UerLdSld Monthly