The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-12-31
ALDEE PRINTING PRESS WORKS.
A Successful Establishment Its
Rise and Progress,

In the year 1869 Messrs. Suitterlln,
Claassen & Co. of Chicago, purchased
the letters patent Of newly invented
printing press, which was to print three
colors at one impression; they purchased
these letters from the inventors, who
were practical printers, and after having
gone to an expense Of nearly $4,000 in
procuring drawings, patterns, and con-
tracting for the building Of the first press,
they found that while the principle OF
the machine was correct as TO the matter
of printing various colors at one impress
sion, yet the mechanical construction Of
the press was so far from perfect, that it
was useless for practical purposes. The
first press of the kind ever built by them
is kept in the present Aldine works as a
memento. Suitterlin, laassen 4 Co. pro,
Geeded to purchase shop and necessary
fittings, tools, &C., and engaged a amechan-
ical draughtsman and practical machinist,
and for nine consecutive months, with
thirty men in their employ, labored to
produce satisfactory working press; this
they finally thought .hey had sue
ceeded in producing, aud in the iali ul
1870 at the American Institute in New
York City, this press took the first prize.
gold medal. This was considered a
grand achievement by the manufacture
ers in the interests of their Chromatic "
press, and one of the partners remained
in New York to take orders and intro
duCe the machine to the notice of eastern
printers, and principally owing to the
novelty ofthe invention; with all its faults
this primitive press, on which was to be
done at one impression and with one COM
position. what had always required three
impressions and three courses of type
setting, promised big success; orders
poured in to such an extent that the
works were undinadequate to fill them.
But this subsequently proved to be mere
ly temporary excitement, arising from
the fact that the principle on which
the press was built was something new to
| lllO VI anu bllt
of short time numerous practical tests
demonstrated that the new ChromatiC
press in the imperfect state of its earlier
days, could not compete with Others
which had been on the market for years
tested and improved with time; the very
hasty and short lived demand which met
it on its introduction, tended in its later
years of more perfected construction, Ia
retard the progress of its reputation. In
the meantime two of the original
partners sold their respective interests in
the concern to P. G, Tower and Thomas
F. Renick, and shortly afterward, owing
to the superior inducements held out by
the enterprising citizens of our town, the
firm, then Tower, Claassen 4 Co., were
prevailed upon to remove from Chicago
TO CANTON,
where they erected shops, and found
more spacious and convenient accommo.
datiOns The press passed through many
important changes, each tending to bring
it nearera perfect machines and although
the best mechanical skill was employed
upon it, much time, money and mental
labor was spent, and besides the great ex.
pense of removing, and the well remem.
bered financial panic all came in upon
them, and the press not yet perfected; all
this fully tested the bottom of the firm
About this time Mr.. P. G. Tower sold
his entire interest in the establishment
to the present senior member ofthe firm
Mr.. b. F, Renick, who also, az the execu.
tor of the will of T. +. Renick, who had
died in the meantime, entered into the
present firm of b. F. Renick 4 Co. This
firm, through untiring efforts and atten.
tive industry, have succeeded in making
their business remunerative industry
and to cut away from the detracting rep.
utation Of the former day "Chromatic'
changed the name of the machine; and
the new and perfected production made
by them Is rapidly growing in favor un.
der the new name Of
THE ALDlNE