The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-07-06
THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1876.
CENTENNIAL LETTER.
From our Regular correspondent
PHILADELPHIA, July /, 1876.

greater proportion, than heretofore, Of
the visitors are from the more distant
States. 1t was not expected thai visitors
from the extreme West of South would
begin TO arrive until much later III the
season, but already they are coming IN
large numbers, and as they return the
vacant places will probably be more
than filed by their friends and acquain-
tances, to whom they describe the won
ders and delights they have seen and
enjoyed I saw yesterday in Machinery
Hall, looking ct some of the marvellous
specimens of mechanism, party of
six persons, whom [ have met IN differ
ent buildings no less than dozen times
beginning back about the second week
after opening. This only illustrates the
charm the place has for those whose time
and means admit of prolonged visit.
In Machinery Hall, crowds daily ga
Their round the wonderful silk weaving
machine by which elegant silk centen-
NAL bades with a portrait of Washington
and appropriate inscriptions interviewer
in bright colors are being constantly
run off. 1t is the neatest piece OF work
I have seen in many day. There are
many things in this building that attract
the attention of those who like to ''see
how things is done" So much that a
few years ago was "hand work Is now
entirely and perfectly performed by
machinery, the improvements in which
have taken such rapid strides, that the
majority of people look on i'll amaze
ment. In no department is this
improvement more marked than in
the printing art, in which all who
read newspapers are interested. Of the
millions of readers of daily papers in
this country only very small proportion
know how they are made; the wonder
full rapidity of the various processes by
which a complete newspaper is given to
the world. Next to the steam engine
the printing press is the greatest inven-
ton in machinery.
At the end of the United States long
line of presses stands an old dilapidated
machine, with brass plate, which is no
other than the printing press at which
honest old Benjamin Franklin toiled and
sweated 14S years ago. Speaking of one
of the incidents Of Franklin's London
life in 176S, this brass plate records:
'sThe DR.. at this time visited the print
ing Office of Mr.. Watts, of Wild street,
Lincon's Inn Fields, and, going up to
this particular press, thus addressed the
men who were working at it. Come,
my friends we will drink together. tits
now forty years since I worked like you
Mt this press as journeyman printer.
The DIR. then sent for gallon of porter,
and he drank with them, Success to
Printing" How easily one can picture
the Doctor gently replacing the pewter
pot upon the bench OF handing it to his
nearest neighbor, and then, with a sigh
OF satisfaction, wiping the foam from his
lips with his big bandanna before pro-
ceeding to give series Of contentcd rub
bings to his broad forehead. Surely
here is an idea for one Of our best artists.
An unusual combination of history and
nature
Franklin's press is only little less
rude than Caxtons's, it is only a little
more rude than Stan hopes, which is
to-day reproduced with more or less
elaboration in all the la ndpresses known
to that world in itself-the Job printing
trade. This old press of Franklin's is
only behind Stanhope's inasmuch as it
does not possess the toggle joint, joint
bringing about pressure somewhat sim
liar to that induced by the sudden
STRENGTHENING of the human knee. 1t is
n wooden framework, about seven feet
high, with two uprights and two cross
heads, one stationary and the other sill
ding, by means of which the lever wor-
king the screw, forces the platen down.
The table moves backward and forward
the traversing being worked by an or
binary crank handle which runs two
small wheels furnished with reverse
straps. Such is the simple machine by
whose slow and labored means the book
education of the world was carried on
hundred and forty-eight years ago. But
walk to the other end of Printing Press
Row" in Machinery Hall and behold
what a change. We have jumped over
century and half into the presence
of the lightning Hoe, the Bullock, the
Walter and other perfecting presses of
the present day, to which no description
can do justice. They must be seen as
they are here in operation to be under
stood. An edition of the New York
Times is issued on the grounds daily,
printed ona Walter press, the stereotyped
plates being forwarded from New York
by Express on the early morning train.
The Daily Graphic, the Philadelphia
Herald and other leading papers issue
complete or partial editions from one of
the various makes of presses.
voluntary or semi-official trial of
moving machines took plane or Tues
day, iii q large field fourteen miles from
the city. This trial has nothing to do
with the awards to be made by the Cen
tennial authorities, as the judges had
previously decided not to have com
petitive trial, but it was open to all who
desired to show the practical working Of
their machines. Twenty three ma