Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-07-20
Centennial Letter.

-Machinery Hat da Interesting
Pioce--Rapid Strides Of InOert'on
Tile old end Ne~ Printing
Presses-Tria! Of Nomtny Nohines--
Cost Of Ltving not so Eofrauagaat.
From our Regular Correspondent
Philadelphhio, July II, 1876.
4 still larger attendance at the Elk
position is chroniclcd this week, and
a greater proportion, than heretofore,
of the. visitors are from the more dis
tant States, 1t was not expected that
visitors from the extreme West or South
would begin to arrive until much later
in the season, but already they are
coming in large numbers, and as they
return the vacant places will probably
be more than filled by their friends and
acquaintance, to whom they describe
the wonders and delights they have
seen and enjoyed. l saw yesterday in
Machinery Hall, looking at some Of the
marvellous specimens Of mechanism, a
party of six persons, whom | have met
in different buildings no less than a
dozen times, beginning back about the
the second week after the opening.
This only illustrates the charm the
place has for those whose time and
means admit of a prolonged visit.
In Machinery Hall. the crowds
daily gather arund the wonderful silk
weaving machine by which elegant
silk centennial badges with a portrait
of Washington, aud appropriate in
scriptions interviewer in bright colors
are being constantly run Off 1t is the
neatest piece of work | have seen in
many a day. There are mnay things
in this building that attract the atten-
ton Of those who like to ''see how
things IS done" So much that a few
years ago was s'hand work is now en-
tirely and perfectly performed by ma
chinery, the improvements IL which
have taken such rapid strides, that
the majority Of people look on in
amazement. In no department is this
improvement more marked than in the
printing art, III which all who read
newspapers are interested. Of the
millions Of readers OF daily papers in
thiscountry only very small proportion
know how they are made; the wonder
ful rapidity Of the various processes by
which complete newspaper is given
to the world Next to the steam en-
CINE the printing press is the greatest
invention in machinery
At the end of the United States long
line Of presses stands an old dilapidat-
ed machine, with brass plate which
is no other than the printing press at
which honest old Beniamen Franklin
toiled and sweated 148 years ago.
| Speaking of one of the incidents of
Franklin's London life in 176S, this
brass plate records, The Dir. at this
time visited the printing Office Of Mr.
Watts, Of Wild street, Lincoln.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. It is now
forty years since | worked like you at
this press as a journeyman printer
The DR.. then sent for a gallon Of por-
ter and he drank with them. Success
to Printing > How easily one can
picture the Doctor gently replacing the
pewter pot upon the bench or handing
it to his nearest neighbor, and then,
with a SIGH Of satisfaction, wiping the
foam FROM his lips with his big landau
ma before proceeding to give a series
Of contented rubbings 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 Caxton 5; it is only little
more rude than Stanhope's, which is
to-day reproduced with more or less
elaboration in all the hand-presses
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 posses the tog-
gle joint joint bringing about pres
sure somewhat similar to that Induced
by the sudden Strengthening of the hu-
man knee. 1t is a wooden framework,