National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-31


army" In disgust, and returned to his dear howld
H'englaud, the land Of good hale and mutton
chops, where no doubt he feels more at home
than he did among the Hamerican sayages.
WHO PRINTED THE FIRST BLBLEf
In the year LAD there was living in the city Of
HARLEM an old gentlemen who kept the keys Of
the cathedral, and who used, after dinner, to
walk In the famous wood that up to this time Il
growing just without the city walls. One day,
while walking there, he found very smooth bit
OF beech bark, on whioh-as he was . handy man
with his knIfe-he cut several letters 30 plainly
and neatly that amer his return homo he stamped
them upon paper, and gave the paper to his boy
rs q "copy." Amer this, seeing that the thing
had been neatly done, the old gentlemsn-whoss
name was Lawrence Coster-fsll to thinking of
what might be done with sach letters cut in wood.
By biackening them with ink, he made black
stamps upon paper; and BY dint Of much thinking
and much working no came, in time, to the stamp
ing of whole broadsides OF lettsrs-Which was
really printing.
But before he succeeded in doing this we'll, he
had found II necessary to try many experiments,
and to take into his employ several apprentices
He did his work very secretly, and enjotnsd upon
his apprentices to say nothing OF the trials he was
making But dishonest one among them, AFTER
0 time ran oif from Holland into Germany, carry
ing with him great many Of the old gentIeman's
wooden blocks, and entire pages Of book which
no was about to print.
Tho Dutch writer's credit this story, and hint
that the runaway apprentice was John Faust, or
John Gutenberg; but the Germans Justly say
there Is proof Of this. II Is certain, however,
that there was . Lawrence (Oustos, Of the cathe.
dral,) who busted himself with stamping letters
and engraving. His statue ID on the market
place In Harlem, and his rough-lpoking books
are, some Of them, now In the estate house" Of
HARLEM. They are dingy, and printed with bad
ink and seem to have been struck from large en-
graved blocks, and not from movable types. They
are without any date, bat autiqusrians assign
them to period somewhat earlier than any book
Of Faust or Of Gutenberg, who are commonly
called the discoverers Of printing.
John Gutenberg, 1t the very time when this
old Dutehman was experimenting with his blocks
In Holland, was also working In his way, very
secretly. In house that was standing net many
years ago in tho ancient city Of Strasburg. He
had two working partners, who were bound by
oath not to reveal the secret Of the arts he was
engaged upon. But one Of these partners died;
and upon this his heirs claimed right to know
the secrets Of Gutenberg. Gutenberg refused,
and there was trial Of the case, some account Of
which WINS discovered more than three hundred
years afterward In an old tower Of StrasburK.
This trial took place In the year llse. Guten-
berg not forced TO bstray his secret but It did
appear, from the testimony Of the witnesses, that
he was occupied with some way Of making books
Tor manusoripts) cheaper than they had ever
But Gutenberg was getting On % poorly ct
Strasburg, and lost % much money in his expert
msnts, thst he went away 70 Naysncs, which 10 Q
German city, farther down the Rhine. He there
formed partnership with . silvsrsmith named
John Faust, who took an oath OF sscrssy, and
supplied him with money On condition that amer
. certain time It should be repaid to him.
Then Gutenberg sst to work IN earnest. Some
accounts say he had . brother who assisted him,
and the Dutch writers think this brother may
have been the robbsr Of poor Lawrence Costsr.
But there 10 no proof OF IT. and Il u too late to
hnd any proof now. There was certainly Peter
Sehoner, scribe or designer, who worked for
Gutenberg, and who finished up his nrst books
BY drawing lines around the pages and making
ornamental initial letters and nlling up gaps in
the printing. This Seho6er was shrsWd fellow,
and watched Gutenberg very closely. He used
to talk over what he saw and what hs thought
with Faust.
He told Faust that he could eontrivs better
types than Gutenberg was using, and, acting on
his hints, Faust, who was . skillful worker In
metals, run types In . mould. This promised %
we'll that Faust determined to get rid Of Gutsn.
berg, and to carry on the business with Sohosfer
to whom he gave his only daughter Christine for
. wife.
Faust called o. Gutenberg for his loan, which
Gutenberg couldn't pay, and In consequence he
had to give up 70 Faust al his tools, his presses
and his unfinished work, among which was Q
Bible, nearly two-thirds completed. This Faust
ind Schoner hurried through, and sold - man
uscript.
There are two copies IN the National Library Ct
Paris; one copy ct the Royal Library ct Munich,
and one ct Vienna. It % not what 70 eommonly
known - the Maysncs Bible, but q Of earlier
date than that
It'll without name d printer or publlshsr, and
without date. II d In two grsst volumes folio Of
about 600 pages volume.
It was certainly the afst Bible printed from nov
able types; but poor Gutenberg got no money
from It, though he had doqp most Of the work upon
It. But he did mot grow dishssstsasd. He toilsd
on, though be vas without the help Of sehoass
and Of Faust. md n Ssw years aftsrward sle.
cseded In making books which wsrs e good -
those Of his rivals. Before he died his name vas
attached to books printed ~ clearly and sharply
- books arc printed to-dsy.-. NteAsIss for lpr1.
COLLEGE OF BEccARY IKPARIS.
This Is . curious report % the London Ttnss Of
March 5: The list Of secret trader vhich swarm
In Paris will never b. exhausted. There. are
speculators who have . regularly oeraaised sys-
tenn Of beggafs Of both ssxss The boys srs
A.