The Lake County star., 1876-07-06
UPPER PENINSULA
Centennial Letter.


Increase of Visitors from a Distance
Machiaory Hal an Interesting Pace
Rapid Strides Of Mrention-7hc
Ohia NeW Printing Prcsses-T+ioi
Of MoWing Mdchines-Cost of Liring
not so Ertrurugdm.
[From our Regular Corrcspondcni.l
PHILADELPHIA, July 3, 1876.
A still larger attendance at the
Exposition is chroniclcd this week,
and greater proportion. than here
toforc, of the visitors are from the
more distant States. 1t was not
expected that visitors from the cx-
trcmc West or South would begin
TO arrive until much later in the
season, but already they are coming
in large numbers, and as they re-
turn the vacant places will probably
be more than filed by their friends
and acquaintances, to whom they
describe the wonders and delights
they have seen and enjoyed. | saw
yesterday in Machinery Hall, look
ing at some of the marvellous spec
linens of mechanism, a party of six
persons, whom l have met iii differ
ent buildings no less than dozen
times: beginning back about the
second week after the opening.
This only illustrates the charm the
place has for those whose time and
means admit of Il prolonged visit.
In Machinery Hall, crowds daily
gather round the wonderful silk
weaving machine, by which elegant
silk centennial badges with a por-
t,ait of Washington, and appropri-
ate inscriptions interviewer in bright
colors are being constantly run off.
1t is the neatest piece of work |
have seen in many II day. There
are many things in this building
that attract the attention of those
who like to "sec how things is done.
So much that Il 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 ofpcople look on in amaze
ment. In no department is this i'm
provcmcnt more marked than in the
printing art, in which all who read
newspapers arc Interested. OF the
millions of readers of daily papers
in this country only very small
proportion know how they arc made;
the wonderful rapi'lity Of the va
rious processes by which Il complete
newspaper is given to the world.
Next to the steam engine the print
ing press is the greatest invention
in machinery.
At the end of tho United States
long line of presses stands an old
dilapidated machine, with a brass
plate, which is no other than the
printing press at wlich honest old
Benjamin Franklin toiled and
swcatcd 14S wears ago. Speaking
of one of the incidents of Franklin 5
London life in 1863, this brass plate
records: "The DR.. at this time
visited the printing Office Of Mr..
Watts, of Wild street, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, and, going up to this par
ticular press, thus addressed the
men who were working at it: Come
my friends we will drink together.
1t is forty years since worked like
you at this press as journeymar,
printer Tic DR.. then sent for a
gallon of porter, and he drank with
them, Success to Printing" How
easily one can picture the Doctor
gently replacing the pewter pot up
OH 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 bnndanna
before proceeding to give a series
of contcnted rubbings to his broad
forehead. Surely here is an idea
for one of our best artists. An un-
usual combination of history and
nature!
Franklin's press is only a little
less rude than Caxtons's; it is only
a little more rude than Stanhopc's,
which is to-day reproduced with
more or less elaboration in all the
llandpresses known to that world in
itself--the job printing trade. This
old press of Franklin's is only be-
hind Stanhopc's inasmuch as It does
not possess the togglc joint, joint
bringing about pressure somewhat
similar to that induced by the sud-
den Strengthening of tho human
knee. 1t is a wooden framework,
about seven feet high, with two up
rights and two cross-heads, one sta
tioI ary and the other sliding, by
means of which the lever, working
the screw, forces the platen down.
The table moves backward and for
ward, the traversing being worked
by IN ordinary crank handle, which
80. x,rn sr,oI1 -h~oIs c,.:l 4