The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-03-29
THE INVENTION OF PRINTING.
 Inc Inland Printer.

[ t1OOku pttuktu& anu LkRktatHt dA% now usually considered synonymous terms. and though the former may be said to embrace ;he latter. ,he history ct the former covers perlod ct some thou sands of wears, and the latter is ct com paratively modern invention. Printing embraces all those processes in which reference is had 10 ars impressions made on one substance Sy another. In this sense the imprint cf ;he foot of Adam on i the soil oi the Garden of Eden was an impression tha; might with propriety be clASsed under the head of printing. l though Adam did no, invent ihe foot. and may not have noaced the impression. Indeed. II IS sad of one of the claim ants tor the honor oi the !nssn ,icr of types ,ha, the idea was suggested by seeing the track of an animal ln the mud
 1 There arc many suggestions in the history ei the art that gh, have led 1o the development; oi typography which eN- isied thousands of wears before anything of va.ue was discovered. Long heiore the Christian cfa devices were in use ior making image>slons oi regular form, and 10; ihe purpose oi prescrvlr.. thought |, must 20; De supposed that prior 10 the iayertion ct rtosaele types tha: all records were made " the 1ca. the brush ot the chisei. In EsyPt. cspe ialls, have been found numerous sreCimeas Of pFiri5ng. the lRpressloaS aeing made by engraved b.oo k on hfcks et' tslirdcr>. whtic III a plas,i1 state. ils:SfA - oa paper. The whole feel- -seUts.isa. shat ever II rn"Y have eee:.. ~teshei t.ero- slyphi,. CT FiCs3.te. was i9s .de on block ! ot wood m reversed tosrt. la ,ee same name, as !, ls ao~ dore ' 'be wood engtsyei. ari applied :, he atiyS> ef esl'a 'cfs by fhr pres>Hte of iitc hand The ancient tsIcess ana Romans Ai>o Raie similar 'tNsrseD cuts ard >ed them for similar patposes b., as ,e how ! mt the ar, oi printing. as such. q ore ! ei these countries related To a, ~as ! e,raea from the other. is oay spccula- non The hirese also had some ldeA , oi the ptese esses oi stamping ard p'oOa- i b, used plgmcn: CT irk 'o, ihe pripose ot making the impressions Hore lcgible before any other people
 ! The common method ef preparing ;he b,oo. as used by the anciea,s, WAS to cover is fac wI,h scnie thin substance containing tae engraving tsd tie. cei ] from the bio k with saarp ITS. '.t al parts oi the surface not asetes = the drawing This lei, the ps ;ese ( aas- reliei, winch, when applied to AIN . Siie body. leit IS impress below the >lftace CT. If inst covered with ouaet Hs. matter and applied lo a hand and .etel suft szr. ] | lei2 IS sTaScs on the portions toH ae3 Some specimens arc found whi. ine.z- -'e th.., tts characters &ere sunk Iii ,ir tspe olafl 4ra ihz.s has-frtict ,, = .ct, |. tze 8lasts1 bod st aiask back i gfos.nG win uncos0rcd lciieFs rIade on the level surface.
 When NC remember thN the h,nesc r pRa6e, a,as.sts ol ,la3u>, .s ia4sfA letters or ohAra,teIs d. ' crc sle words IL the laDe aage. and that ~iuoss every l iettes o; ch.,fas ;ci 5 A w3td NC need uet SO further III on' search for Il reason why l the>e ingenious peoI le Lave neser n 1dc much progress III printing, and why the anosen. methods oi engTaFlas have not dn"n to this day developed into typo graphy. \ font would necessarily con sl,i of thousands of characters. while m European and other western language the wofes arc divioed into different pAfts or .ctieis Inc nsmbcr being 50 ie~ as to make the m, en,ioR oi the different char a ieTs ;oT the s:i::efcH: sounds easily sag ges.ed.
 ] In Europe, before the invention ol movable types was made. the methods oi printing were similar 10 those employed tn hinA 4n. ether eastern eonn,rles but neither ;hc ari was ,e.rned rom the ! Chinese or whether il sas an original (. se ovesy. IS an unsettled Questen. Ger sar.zfx. h teen considered very valuable. fer !, ;.. make sts way into all pants oi the world Ca ,ne other md ,rihc art dacs no, seem io have beea paf,la aiasiy P9palal. and there was scarcely any communication ] bet~een the Chinese and Europeans, II is not Gnlikel. q. af printing fsom block slin 'nls was n European tu"enuon.
 t.c osdcs, speciInens ei ;arntiEg from these rtceiy engraved n.ocks date abou, the year .co. and the earliest mith A ert1in date ~ss printed lE f4- This one IS representation ofSt. Christopher. ith the lnfAn, Saviour clasped Tn h.s arms. Almost all the hrs. Ennts were of sacred character. oiiowlng the pas. | elzr one named, VIC t.d a number Of aneIent prints which, white without date oeaI certain marks inonof-ams. or alius- .ons tsst appropriately fs ;heiT dstes.
 In ,ae different language. of Europe. Al .lle .:rne of whiCi. wc VI ie as of no~ few characters or lettcs represented ihe ~he.e literature of the snguage. and unlike the Chinese, the door was wide opes t9T progress and ss NC ind hat hardly score of years k@2 passed since inc geae; Al 4dop,ion of ,hc block print ing uEt.. improvements oa the system began ;a be made. The block method, however, continued m ase Cor many years after movable types were sayenied. In deed. ~e may say. ,; has continued in use n iifns:ec degree io the present. time.
 he Gert step in the @r, was the en- gr@vIng Ss single words on separate blocks. aRd some of the blocxs that had been engrssed were cut m proper shapes and sizes, preserving the legoypes sox ;he purpose This sep towards perfec- k.-., l