The Osceola times., 1881-01-15
BOOK MAKING.
The Eapidity with Which " Kndymion"
Was Printed.
New York Times.


1t would seem 10 bc almost the widest
insanity to be prophetic as 10 what might
be done in 1850 in regard 10 the printing
of books Something. however, OF thls
kind can be fancied The author Of a
book will improvise his work, and as he
repeats chapter after chapter a telephone
will carry his intonations to machine,
where type, influenced by exact vlbra-
tions, will start from their cases and iall
into appropriate syllables, words, lines
sentences and pages. Now, here Is the
Earl of Beaconsiield's "Endymlon,
which is typical of the great speed with
which a book can be printed and issued
by the thousands. "Endymion" is by no
means. however, to be considered as 4
fast" book. By fast no reference, of
course, ia directed toward Mr.. Disraeli,
for the Messrs. Harpers published "E.n-
dymion" in lcisurely humdrum way,
having had it in hand for two weeks
BIT suppose it had happened that the
steamer which brought the copy had
been belated by adverse winds, why three
days would have been amply sufficient
for the Franklin Square Library to have
added "Endymion" by the tens of thou
sands of copies to their already extensive
catalogue.
"Endymion," as it presents itself for Is
cents, is book OF not quite 81 pages, but
with outside cover and advertisement
has IS pages. According TO the printers
method of counting it consists of 407 AIS
ems. which can be readily set up in 20
hours without interfering with any other
work. CELEBRITY in setting up type arrives
at its apogee in daily newspaper, for in
the Times during the week the usual
number of ems is 100000, all of which
are, of course, set up within the p hours.
From the composing room "Endymlon'
would 20 to the electrotypers, where all
the IS pages would be cast in wax, busted
with plumbago subjected 10 the electro
dynamic machines in the metallic bath,
and the copper plates would be finished
and ready for the press in II hours. 10
the printing machines, after the ADJUST
mont of the plates, little time would
clapsc before the whole work would be
printed. About - hours would suffice
for the printing of the first 10000; after
that "EndymiOn" would be ratified off
much more rapidly. Now would come
the drying, folding, gathering, stitching,
and trimming of the 10000 copies, which
would all be accomplished within six
hours. So, adding together the hours of
work, We would have 20 hours for COM
position, II hours for electrotyping, ID
hours for printing, and hours for bind
ing. All together, then, from the begin
ming to end, TO turn ont 10000 copies of
"Endymion," the time requisite would be
IS hours, so that in days and hours
"Endvmionn could, if it had been neces-
l,,-. l.,t, ,,plligInl aud ,r,t,ll
not have intcriered in the least with the
other business Of the house. A marvel
Of speed in old times was that of a man
who once wore at dinner a coat the
cloth Of which was as wool on the Sleeps
back ~ hours before. When one re-
members the infinite number of hand
lings the tender sheet Of paper goes
through, the wonderful accuracy, deli
cacy and rapidity Of the printing ma
chnery of to-day can be understood.
The actual weight of paper in a cheap
edition of 10000 copies is I SGi pounds.
Public curiosity being awakened, the first
edition of 10000 "Endymions" of the
Franklin Square Library was taken up
on the day of publication, 10000 the day
aiterward, and it looks as if Endymion
Farrars, Myra, Lady Beaumans, Lady
Montfort and the whole Of kings, cmpc-
rors, queens and general mob Of dukes
marquises earls, with Stars and Carriers
will be widely distributed over the
United States within the next ten days
In 100 years to come should q prime
minister of England write a novel, though
we may be fast enough to-day, what will
be done in the future will be so much
more rapid that in the second generation
from this one the present methods of
printing will be considered as slow, as
to-day our machine processes would APP
pear rapid to the publishers of 1850.