Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-19
LIGHTNING PRESSES.
INCREASED BUSINESS DEMANDING
BETTER FACILITIES.
Sacramento Newspapers Now Require
the FASTEST, Best and Latest I'M
proved Presses Made.

The announcement made few days ago
that the RECORD UNION had purchased one
OF the latest improved perfectipg presses,
capable of printing, cutting, pasting and
folding four, six, eight or twelve-page
papers at one operation, and with speed
of 20, 600 per hour, has led our enterprising
and thoughtful contemporary, Themis, to
publish the following article on the growth
OF the newspaper business in Sacramento,
which will be found interesting:
There is no better thermometer of the
progress OF a people or community than
the advance OF its press. While it has been
IN Sacramento that much money has been
made from barter and trade, and the rates
OF wages have been higher than now, it is
yet true that the era of permanent advance,
indicated by the planting of homes and the
establishment OF business, small and large,
that will last, came within late years. The
announcement made few DAYS ago that
the RECORD UNION management were ar
ranging to supplant their two double-cyl-
lnder presses by perfecting press may
strike our people as of but little moment
as matter which alone concerns a news
paper and its business. 1t is true that ex.
penslve presses and Office equipments are
not brought into city by newspaper pub
fishers to be eOurce not of profit, but the
fact that the business of both dailies here
has justified the purchase of the very latest
styles of printing presses is indicative of
general prosperity.
UNION was started in March, 1851, BY an
association of printers. Not one of its
original proprietors is now living. so far as
we know. Its first edition of 500 copies
was printed on an old style hand press.
The business OF the paper soon increased,
and, as we understand, an Adams press
was purchased. Later two little cylinder
presses, each capable of printing two pages,
did the work of the paper, and the office
was deemed to be fully equipped. On No
vember II, 1858, the first work of a double
cylinder press was issued from the UNION
office, in the shape of an eight-page edition
OF the paper. 1t is somewhat curious, in
view of the accomplishments of the pres
ent, to look back to those days, and we feel
pardoned in reproducing the laudatory no.
tice the paper then gave of ''the first double
sheet daily ever published on the Pacific
coast" On the day named the UNION
printed the following:
DOUBLE DAILY UNION"
Owing to the pressure of news upon our col
umns, we are under the necessity of issuing to-
day double sheet of the DAILY UNION the first
double daily ever published on the Pacific coast,
ana the largest to our knowledge in the United
States. 1t contains fifty-six columns of matter
and embraces intelligence from all portions of
the civilized world, with interesting CORE
spondence from Boston, New York, Washington
and New Orleans-the latter of which cities by
the recent opening of the Tehuantepec route
has at once become a most important point for
the transmission of the latest news to Califor-
mia. Foreseeing the speedy establishment of a
mail route, and the quick time that would be
made over 1t, we some time since made arrange
ments to procure a reliable correspondent in
that quarter, who should not only forward adj
vices from that locality, but from other por-
tions OF the United States and from Europe We
have also established correspondents at st.
Louis and st. Joseph, at the Eastern teImini of
the Southern and Central overland routes from
whom We shall shortly receive communications
Having obtained circulation surpsss ing that of
any daily in California, it will be our aim to
meet the expectations of our readers, and to be
fully up to the spirit of the times. The double
DAILY UNION is printed on one of Hoes largest
sized cylinder presses, recently shipped from
New York, and will be issued whenever the ar
rival OF steamers from the Atlantic States or of
the overland mail, shall bring in upon us de-
tails of news that cannot be conveniently dis
posed OF in single sheet.
This giant" edition of November, 1858,
contained New York letter dated October
ooh, and two letters from New Orleans,
dated, respectively, October Goth and 9th.
The budget of Atlantic intelligence received
by the steamship Golden Gate were of date
not later than October eth, and the State
telegraphic items filled less than quarter
of a column. 1t will be recollected in those
days there was no overland Geographic
service; such thing as cablegrams was
hardly dream of, though it is true that in
that very year cable was stretched under
the Atlantic that worked for a short time.
The double cylinder of 1858 was soon found
incapable to do the work. and to supply the
demand of to-day, two of these printing
gaints have fail. The progress of the
morning daily of Sacramento requires a
stereotyping and perfecting press-one of
speed and as perfect as modern science has
accomplished. 1t was but short time ago
when neither of the daiies of the city had
the press facilities Themis has. In the case
of the Bee. time was that its presswork was
done at Job office. Its business justified,
very short time ago, the purchase of
modern perfecting press. 1t would hardly
seem possible that further improvement
can come in printing machinery, for now
papers are printed on both sides, pasted,
folded and counted-yet the demands of
the future may bring about Improvements
as marked as those that have supplanted
the Hoe double cylinders, and if it comes
the people will have the advantage.