The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-01-15
The Old Pres at the state House,

In the "Pentateuch of Printing" this
being history of the genesis and subse-
quent stages of the art of printing, by
William Blades, a learned English
printer, biographer, and voluminous
writer on typographical subjects, who
died in 1S90,-whlch has been published
in an elegant quarto since his death, a
cut is given of the old wooden press on
which Benjamin Franklin worked, in
London, in 1925. This interesting relic
was brought to this country and is now
preserved in the Smithsonian Institute
at Washington. The cat in question is
an equally good picture of the old press
now preserved in the rooms of the Yer
mont Historical Society at Montpelier.
A legend attached to the latter is to the
effect that is supposed to be the oldest
press used on this ointment this side of
Mexico. This is upon the superstition
that it is the veritable press set up and
used by Stephen Daye, the first Ameri-
can printer at Cambridge, Mass, in 173S.
The theory of those who prepared the
placard attached to the press was that
Stephen Daye's press, taken to Connecti-
cut at some time during the eighteenth
century and thence was brought to
Dresden, VT, (now Hanover, n. H.,
where it was used by Jndah p, and
Alden Spooner, the first Vermont State
printers, in l770, and that the Spooners
subsequently took it to Westminster
where Judah p. Spooner and Timothy
Green printed upon it the Green Noun
tain POStbOy, the first Vermont newspa-
per. 1t was taken thence to Windsor
and used by Hough & Spencer, who es-
tablished the FermOnt journal in 1873.
n IF IL, tlan,.,, 10
of proof is doubtful. So much, however
is certain. The fact that the pieces COM
posing this old press were laying in the
Intt of an old barn in Windsor, some 20
cd years ago, came to the knowledge of
The late Luther O. Green of Woodstock.
He mentioned the fact, stating that he
be ieved it to be the first press used by
the SpoOners, at meeting of the Yer
mont Editors and Publishers Associa-
ton; and he was appointed by that as
'ciatiOn committee to procure the
press and take it to Montpelier for pres
ervatlon at the Stlte capitol. He per-
formed this duty. The pieces were de-
posted in the dome of the State House,
and lay there for many years, till within
year or two they were brought out
from their hiding place and set mp in the
Historical SOciety's rooms by State Lii
brarian H. A. Huse and Marsh O. Per.
kins, Esq, of Windsor.
The press is plainly the improved
wooden press first made by William jan
sen Blaew of Amsterdam, famous as
printer, and for the Improvements in
presses invented and introduced by him.
He died in 1888. His improved press
was in use in England, with some slight
during that century. The
Benjamin Franklin relic, and the old |
press at Montpelier, are Enthusiastically |
the improved Blaew press, depicted in
the Pentateuch of printing over the
title of Improved Wooden Press, 1640'
and in Johnson's TUpOgrdphid and other
works of recognized authority.
If the history of the old press at Mont
pelier conld be fully traced and accur.
ately written up, it could not fail to be
most valuable and interesting cOntribu-
ton to the history of Vermont, and of
especial value and interest to printers on
both sides of the ocean.-BwHngton
Free PreeS.