Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-05-09
John Walter.
BY JAMES PARTON.

The reader, perhaps, does not know why
the London Times is the first journal OF
Europe. will tell him.
The starting of this great newspaper,
ninety years ago, was mere incident in
the development of another business. AL
most every one who has stood in print
ing-office watching compositors set type
must have sometimes asked himself, why
not have whole words cast together, in
stead of obliging the printer to pick up
each letter separatelys Such words as
and, the, but, If, is, and even larger words,
like although and Notwithstanding, occur
very often in all compositions. How easy
it would be, inexperienced persons think,
to take up long word such as ertraordi-
nary, and place itin position at one stroke.
| confess that had this idea myself, long
before knew that any one else had ever
had it.
In the year 1885 there was printer in
London named John Walter, well estab-
lished in business, who was fully resolved
on giving this system trial. At great
expense and trouble he had all the COM
monest words and phrases cast together.
He would give his type-foundcr an order
like this:
"Send me a hundred weight, made up
in separate pounds, of heat, cold, ,oet, dry,
murder, fire dreadful robbery, dtrocso,As
outrage fearful calamity, and alarming &C.
pt0si0n."
This system he called Geographic print
ing-logographic being combination of
two Greek words signifying word writing.
In order to give publicity to the new
.,k hn hnl1
we'll as to afford it fuller trial, he start
ed newspaper which be called the DAILY
Unicersal Register. The newspaper had
some little success from the beginning
butthe Geographic printing system would
not work. Not only did the compositors
place obstacles in the way, but the system
itself pi esented difficulties which neither
John Walter nor any subsequent expert
menter has been able to surmount.
1.-THE whole English language" said
Walter, in one of his numerous addresses
to the public, clay before me in con-
fused arrangement. 1t consisted of about
ninety thousand words. This multitude
nous mass reduced to about five thou
sand, by separating the parcels and re-
moving the obsolete words, technical
terms, and common Examinations"
After years of labor this most resolute
and tenacious of men was obliged to give
it up 1t was too expensive, too cumber-
some, too difficult; it required vast
amount of space; and, in short, it was a
system which could not, and cannot be
worked to profit. But though the logo
graphic printing proved failure, the
Daily UniUersal Register proved more and
more successful. 1t was a dingy little
sheet, about twice as large as a sheet OF
foolscap, without word of editorial, and
containing small number of well-seiect-
ed paragraphs of news. 1t had also oc-
casionally short notice of the plays of
the night before, and few items of what
we now call society gossip. The adver-
tisements, after the paper had been in ex-
lstence three years, averaged about fifty a
day, most of them very short. Its price
was threcpence English, equal to about
twelve cents of our present currency. The
paper upon which it was printed was
coarse and cheap. In the third year of
its existence, on the first of January, 1888,
the name was changed to "Ths Times"
The editor humorously explained the rea-
son for changing the name:
"'Boy, bring me the Register The waiter
answers, Sir, we have no library but YOU NAV
see it in the New Exchange Coffee House.
Then will see it there answers the disap.
pointed politician, and he goes to the New Ex-
change Coffee House, and calls for the Regis
ter; upon which the waiter tells him he can
not have it, as he is not subscriber; or pre-
sents him with the Court and City Register,
the old Annual Register, or the New Annual
Register"
From this period the newspaper seems
to have gone forward, without any inter
ruption to the present day. In due time