New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-19

methods TO set up" a special Centennial edition
that Gutenberg used IN HIS early essays at StiGs-
burg four centuries ago.
The New.York Tribune, the first American news
paper 10 stereotype and the first to print from a
Hoe pprfccting press, is the first 10 ANNOUNCE u
successful departure from this old and TEDIOUS
system For nearly three years it has been miro
ducinQ into its Office a machine which disp"nscS
altogether with movable type, and whose adapt
ability 20 practical newspaper work IN spite oil
many diScoura srmcnts at the outset, Is ~ hst
satisfactorily demonstrated The machine now
does substantially all the composition OF this paper
The old-faShoncd frames and trays, with their
SQUARE compartments filed with dngy types nave
given place in its COmpoSing-room 10 nPtIRht
structures OF Lrass and iron, overhung ny net
work OF belts, long lines Of Shafting' huge metal
mines and revolving wheels A new industry has,
IN fact arisen and among The Tribune ypesettcrs
the case and stick are already things OF the past.
The Tribunc's experiments with devices for
saving time and lnbOr at the case date back Tor
many veors As long ago as / 500, Mr.. Greeley,
ALWAYS hospitabe 70 new ideas, made trials OF the
Aldcn machine This, like the inventions "i
Mitchell Delcambre, Fraser and Others, was de-
signed merely 20 duplicate by machinery the
nations OF the compositor's hands and, Ike them
f. broke down under the severe test OF morhlhL
prwSpaper work The best OF this class OF ma
chimes were perhaps those OF the late U. n
Burr. which, up to q few months ago. hhd been ia
use in this Office for several years. Inc hrs' WAS
mt in in May 1850, during the lifetime OF inc
inventor and under his supervision, and the mum
bcr was subsequently increased to three Inc re-
suits were fnirly satisfactory, but there were fatnl
obstacles 70 success In the iirst place, the orig
inal cost was great and the expense OF repairs con
siderable specially prepared type was re-
ouircd. which broke easily aud wore out very last
one operator was needed 20 set the matter, "u-
other to Justify it, and third TO attend to the
distributor (which WIS \ separate piece OF ma
cbinery) Frequent stoppagcs were necessary Tor
replenishing the font, and the output OF each ma.
cbrrc under the most favorable conditions, wns
onlv from 4 900 20 :, 900 ems per hour, so that
tho actual saving was small. Moreover, thrr"
were numerous sources OF delay, the type pied
eosilv and typographical blunders were un-
pleasantly common
ORIGIN OF THE LINOTYPE.
In the fall Of 1884, however, new and
Wonderful instrument began 10 be talked about
which would found and compose ITS own type
This instrument was the Linotype, invented at
baltimore, Maryland, by Oumnr Mergcn.
tbalcr, native Of WurtcmbcrS, Ger
many, who was oorh III lN"1' HdFh'"
The trade OF matchmaker, and came TO
this country in 1872. Its conception was due
primarily TO Mr.. James o. Clephanc, II Washing
ton stenographcr, who has made writing and
prnting machines hobby for over twenty
wears, and who In 1876 employed the engineer
ipp firm Of which Mr.. Mergenthnler was MEM
hcr % work from drawings by Western inventor
Mr. MorEenthsler Immediately discovered @ singu-
lnr aptitude Tor this kind Of work, and began
experimenting with various methods OF oasting
type.bars from matrices made by indcntations in
soft material, and soon improved upon the crude
device originally submitted to him. His first
idea took the form of rotary machine, with keys
for impressing female dies in o continuous strip
At heayx Rsperi which was then CUT into shoSt