New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-06

were taken from the press inc isSe ei"O
hot from the stereotypers and containing most .,
the teegraphic and late city news and the ed'orai
comments on the intelligence of the night. were put
in their place; and the hurry and whirl and
rattle began again. The sheets, printed ON one ~de'
were turned over and fed once moe into the ma
chimes, coming out completed papers. A second SCI
of hands now appeared on the scene. AT the emu Oh
the press-room stood row of twelve foiding ma
chimes, each with a single shelf, like the ieeaihs-
board of the press and these shelves were depos
tied the printed papers rs fast as the boys oo'iu
bring them from the receiving tables. Dewiiuer-
ing apparatus of wheels and tapes, and brass fin
GERS began TO spin around and through the thlcket
of machinery one saw certain long steel folding
knives rise and fall rapidly as the Sheets fed in by
hand. were drawn under them. and carried along
TO a wooden box at the bottom by inc
time they reached that receptacle they were
neatly folded for the mail. Messengers
snatched them by the armful and ran to the mail
ing room. The wrappers with paper anu paste,
stood ready. The mail clerks affixed the stamped
address. Huge canvas bags yawned with open
mouths. Heavy drays were waiting at the door. In
few minutes after the arrival of the last side
plates in the press-room a cart load of TRIBuNEs
was on the way to the early newspaper trains; and
long before the presses had finished their task tho
whole mail edition was in the post Office Carriers
newsboys, and the agents of the great news com
NAMES crowded the vaults as daylight approached;
and during the last h0ur especially, when every
part of the machinery revolving at its greatest
speed and men were running hither and thithe;
under the gas-light with immense piles OF the
printed sheets and customers were oamoring to be
served the spectacle of newspaper press-room
was one that never failed to impress the magma
ton and fix itself upon the memory.
TRANSFORMATIONS.
We say it ,ras a striking spectacle. For though
the work is as warm as ever, that scene or bustle
and noise has suddenly passed away. An extraor-
binary change has taken place III the mechanical
part of the manufacture of newspapers-a change
so rapid and complete that the Old condtlons,
though they were of yesterday, seem already IKE
dream The noise has ceased the crowd has dis
persed the hurry and pressure and eagerness, are
all gone a great husE has fallen upon the press
room; and the tremendous machine that was ~
big as house has shrunk to the dimensions oil a
dlnner-tabc.. Yet the production. lar from
declining has increased and is still increasing.
The mower that was spread over an acre is now
concentrated within the reach Of a mans arms, and
the task that required the steady attention Of fifty
persons is now performed by two 1t is a curious
fact that for $50 years spite of all the ingenuity
brought 70 the improvement Of printing, they
steadily increased in size in complication. and IN
price. Even after Colonel Hoe invented the rotary
press nearly all his developments OF that valuable
machine for the next quarter Of century added 70
ITS cosflness and bulk as well 10 the expense OF
running it. So long il was possible TO use III
printing only one set oftype FORM cylinder was piled
upon cylinder. and still the press grew
bigger and bigger, and the pressmen went OH
clambering higher and higher. one mounting over
apother's head as the " Bedoun brothers" at the
circus build themselves into apyrand All at once
this expansive process came to fun STOP Al one
surprising revolution press-making went back TO
antique simplicity and compactness. THIS how
ever. was not by the abandonmentof any principle
Of construction; il was rather by the steady ad-
hcrence to one prnciple-the substitution OF TO-
tary - for "reciprocating" acticn-whch had been
the foundation OF all the previous improvements:
and when this substitution was complete. and In
yentors succeeded i'll getting the last reciprocatng
movement out of their machines, they found a great
transformation complete. This wonderful change
we shall describe in another article.