The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-07-04

the rock forever" Then, 700 to 800
years afterwards, Isaiah was COM
manded to take great roll and write
in it with a mans pen concerning
Observation-Disclosures And jeremiah
says, "The sin of Judah is written with
pen of iron" Goose quills were doubt
less of more recent date, and judging
from some recent newspaper articles
we infer that they have not yet gone
entirely out of use.) But for thou
sands of years, covering the entire
period of the authentic history of the
world, down to the middle of the tif-
teenth century, the primitive tool of
the engraver, the poor pen of the scribe.
the crude stamp Or seal of the official
and the rough brush of the bungling
painter were the only known means
and appliances for preserving the re-
cords and perpetuating the literature
of the nations of the earth. 1t was
then that the sword was mightier than
the pen.
But, as intimated, there is nothing
more interesting or fascinating to the
student of modern progress than the
history of the invention OF movable
type and the story of the printing press.
The date of the invention marks the
most important epoch in the history of
the world, and the patient, industrious
German genius, who, with inventive
brains and mechanical hands, evolved
and brought into practical utility the
first principles of the art, deserves to
be held in perpetual, grateful remem-
brance and his memory honored far
above that of the most valiant soldier,
the wisest statesman, the most success
full reformer or the most disinterested
philanthropist that ever blessed the
world with real heroic deeds, pure and
llnselfish life or living sacrifice. In
little more than 400 years that small
child of destiny, composed of metallic
type and mechanical contrivance call
ed printing press, has revolutionized
and almost civilized the world The
name of John Gutenberg, "the father
of printing" deserves to stand in peer
age with that of George Washington.
"the father of his country" and the an
nual meetings of the Montana Press
Association should be invariably char
acterized by some suitable features
commemorative of the history of that
comparatively obscure and unpreten-
tious German, who necessarily labored
for months and years amid existing
prejudices, almost unsurmountable diff
culties and unrelenting poverty to
bring forth to the world that all-import-
ant and ever progressive art, with
which his brain was pregnant-the Art
of Printing. At the risk of appearing
tedious, and, perhaps, uninteresting,
your speaker can hardly avoid making
some detailed reference to the birth
and infancy of the printing press.
The first rude device for obtaining
impressions from movable type with
stiff ink was that constructed at Stras-
burg, under the direction of Gutenberg
In his business contract with Faust
presses are mentioned as part of the
property pledged by the famous father
of printing as collateral security for
the money Faust advanced to HIM
These first presses were only slight var.
iations of the cheese or wine presses
which had previously existed. By the
year 1860 printing press of odd pat.
tern had been produced, but even il
was little more than a common screw
press, with an apparatus by which the
frame of the type was to be run under
the screw after being linked. As the
screw had to be brought down with 8
dead pull, injury to the face of the type
was only prevented by great care. This
style of press held the field until 1920
when an improved press was invented
by William Jansen Blaew, and this
maintained itself as the best thing tt
be had for over century and a half
Blaew was native of Amsterdam
and he made nine improved presses
each of which he named after one o
the Nine MUSES.. They We're general.
used throughout the Low Countries
and from thence We're carried to Eng
land. The popularity of his press wa!
that the carriage holding the form wi.
wound below the point of pressure
which was given by moving a handl
attached to screw, which hung upol
a beam, having spring, which sprin
caused the screw to fly back as soon a
the impression was given. The pres
on which Benjamin Franklin worke,
as a journeyman printer in London wa
but slight modification of the Blaey
press.
A few attempts were made in thi
country during the last century to in
prove the printing press. About til
, time of the Revolution Benjamin Dea
, born, the publisher of the New IIaml
shire Gazette, invented what was calle
| the wheel press, which possessed I'll
| new and desirable property of impres
t ing the whole side OF the sheet at OF
pull of the lever. Adam Ramage W;
Q for long time the chief press build
. of the United States, and was one
+ the first to make presses with irt
e beds; but the early presses which
: made were so small that only half
t one side of a sheet of fair size could
9 printed at one time, so that four seps
t ate impressions were necessary in {
It der to print both sides of a small new
IS paper.
, 1t was not until early in the prese
Q, century that improved hand press
n built of iron, appeared. The most 81
N cessful of these was the Columbi
Is press, which was invented by Geor
le Clymer, of Philadelphia. The Colu
e, bian press showed the greatest amou
rt of improvement ever achieved at a
t. one step in hand printing machines.
i'd was very strong in construction a
I'd relieved the pressman of an immel
he amount of labor. Contemporanet
IS, with it was the Ruthven press. MAJ
as factured by Adam Ramage, of PHI
ed delphia. Its principal distinguish
f,k lfeatllrR consisted Of the fact that