Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-08-19

O0Su ~ ID 19N0K - -.
William T. Morgans died of pueu.
monia at Middlet0wn. n. Y, on
April IA. He was a Sullivan County
boy. born in Bethel only 80 years
ago. When he Was a youngster Of
10, ne made himself press, supplied
with worn-out type from the office of
the Ponticcllo Watchman, now ex.
Congressman Beeb's paper. An old
Frenchma1 Of the neigbborhood. who
had worked st setting the Greek type
ct Worcestes's Dictionary. gave him
lessons Ia type setting.
But, g far q the observations Of
Mofgans, ST., went, country editors
were not mAkfng a0y money. He re.
cogniz-d the boys ingenuity. and
sent him to Henry Deutoh. at New
Paltz, to learn Matchmaking. Thea
the war broke out. The boy waited
till he was 10, and then enlisted in
the 143d New York For three years
be wore the blue. never lost Q days
service, and came home Lieutenant
10 command Ut company H and bre.
vet captain. He was Just Of age: 20
be was married. He went back to
Matchmaking. but soon was tinkeriog
at bis old press again. and decided
that he must have . newspaper. He
was then 10 Ca!icooa. Some Of the
local politicians agreed with him that
Calicoon ought to have . newspaper,
and promised to raise the $500 or
500 he wanted. He made arrsnxe-
ments with w. A. Hasbrouck. prop
rietor Of the Orange County Press, al
M;ddletown. for a lot Of secondhand
type. But the politicians of Calicoon
intimated that If they furnished the
money they should expect to furnish
the opinions Of the paper. Morgans
would no: hear OF that. Mr.. Has
brouck agreed with him, and gave
him type on credit. Morgsns went
over to the tamery Of his fa.her.in-
law and said to him. LET mo have
that old maple log lying out there"
"Of course" said Mr.. Inderlied,
take her along" This was just
about what Mr.. Inderlied had said to
the young man who had asked for
much greater gift some months BE-
fore. Morgsns took the log, which
was very perfectly rounded. sawed of
q section, covered it with piece of
canvas for al "spron," got . piece
of an old tombstone for the p!aten,
sad rugged up a cylinder press, on
which be printed the FIRST edition and
many other editions VI the Calicoon
Hrcorier, a paper yet fourishing
He had no good job press, aud SO he
invented one. H- called 1t the Her.
cules Press. Ii is In the market to-
day. but, as has happened 10 many
inventors. he reaped little or none Of
the profits. He sold the Recorder,
went 10 Liberty aud started the Lib
erty Register. Soon he had one of
the best printing offices in the State,
but he lost that too. One Saturday
night he went to bed with nothing in
the world but . mighty active brain
and q growing family.
He had long beeen studying upon
machine for making wood type.
That night he went to sleep thinking
of his type machine. He awoke
thinking Of it. Il looked At my
clock when l awoke." he said 20
Sun reporter last spring, snd II was
I've minutes to six. Then thought
of the machine and like Y dash it
seemed to me SAW the whole thing.
I sprung out Of bed and pulled on my
clothes As l did SO ! glanced at the
clock. 1t was just II O'Clock. l
know I hadn't been asleep. II was
asleep 1t was quite as wonderful. for
l had made my Invention. I ~ 'hed
over to ahe Office and drew plan:
then with pieces OF reg!et and stubs OF
pencils | made model. II worked
all right. Then l went home and got
breakfast
Out of some rough materials pro-
cured at the blacksmiths' and some
old tanning machine wheels. he made
q rough machine. and showed George
Youngs of Napauoch. Ulster County.
what It would do. Youngs is one OF
the Youugs Of Youngsville, and he
had money. Morgans built q good
machine in NapanOch. The Youngs
s. MOrgans Manufacturing Company
was formed. and began 10 shell out
wood type by the bushel. Morgans
kept his precious machine in strong
room, and no one but George YOuogs
saw it. No one but these two aud
Mira. Morgans have ever seen one Ut
the machines.
One night in April OF 1880 the firm
Was burned out. Morgans decided
to remove the business to Middle
town. Youngs sold out his interest,
except Ia the machine, and MOrgans
took new partner in the business.
A big building was put up. A strong
room was built, and Morgans went
1t it hammer and tongs to build q
new machine. When SUN reporter
visited the shop in April. 1881. one OF
the ordinary type-cutting machines
was at work. In these machines
large frame swings on AZ arm. Al
one point Is q chisel revolving 10. 900
times minute. Under this block
of wood II fastened. At another
point 10 the frame is tracer. and
when the operator traces . pattern al
this point the chisel cuts the same
pattern in the block With these
machines the pattern is always larger
than tue letter to be cut--tbat Ia. II
reduces. 1t is impossible 10 repro
duce with it. A difficulty is here ex-
perienced , making borders for two
colors In wood. After one lot Is
made and the machine altered or
changed TO . different size Il 10 almost
i'm possible to reset it SO that . con.
tinuatiou Of the same border will
match the first ono cut.
Near one Of these machines In
Morg .n's type factory 10 . heavy
door, and near that . small window
with Q screen 90 arranged that MOTH
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