Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-07-09
Sl.oo A YEAR.
Making Bibles.

\ single concern. tue celebrated OK
ford press, in the university town of
Oxford, England, actually manufact-
ures and disposes of 10000 volumes Of
the scriptures a week, or upward Of
100000 a year 4 further interest
ing fact that is worth remembering is
that, in all probability, the name of no
living man appears in so many volumes
as does that of Mr.. Henry Provide,
who has been publisher OF the univer-
sity for more than twenty years.
The making of Bible has a romance
all It's own. And there are no other
| printing works in the world that can
turn out Bibles, or indeed works of
any sort, with the wonderful system,
completeness ami perfection of detail
that is employed by this same Oxford
press.
Enormous have been the profits OF
this Oxford press, merely from the sale
of Bibles Out OF the large revenues
obtained in this way the establishment
has been able to undertake the pubh-
cation of many important and valuable
technical works that would not have
paid for issuing OF themselves The
works where Bibles are made are par
ticularly remarkable from the fact that
in them every detail of the manufci-
ure of a book Is carried on upon the
premises, with one solitary exception,
that OF binding and gilt-edgng, VIII ch
is done in London.
The establishment has ITS own paper
mill, a quaint old building at Wolver-
cote, two miles from Oxford. and there
a variety Of different papers are made.
some OF the finest in the world among
the number, including the Oxford In
dia' paper, which for fneness of text
ure has never been equaled and the So
cret OF whose manufacture is known TO
but three people. The Oxford press has
It's own type foundry, the oldest IN
England.
The frequent use OF arbitrary signs
and curious characters in the books
this establishment issues makes ueccs-
sarv an immense amount of | and cast
ing, all Of which is done to perfection.
Even the lead for the foundries is
prepared on the premises, though the
antlmony and tin are bought in the
state required In a building near By
the ink is mixed and carefully tested
with a degree of success that not even
the smallest letter is ever blurred or
smudged.
Typesetting the Oxford Bible is a
mighty task, for it il a matter Of pride
that no mistakes shall occur Not
only are Bibles Of ordinary size and
form issued from here, but curiosities
az well in the way Of Bible making
brilliant Bibles, finder and thumb
prayer books, in the very tiniest Of
types.
One curious feature which indicates
the precision with which these ,acred
books are prepared Is that the various
pages and the columns thereof have
TO begin with the same word, no mat
ter what type Is used. In the proof
each Bible il read over and over again
for the detection OF errors a Bible
set in minion type, say, with a nom
pareil edition, and then with BREWER
edition, and so on.
When the page are stereotyped the
book is read over again. II often hap
pens that the sheets are gone over a
dozen times before they are sent to be-
bound. Any employee who detects a
printers error IL paid well, and the
first outsider who finds one il reward
ed by guinea. This care bears such
good results that the yearly average
Of mistakes detected il but five.
The printed sheets are dried in
hot room, in which dry air j. driven
round by large circular fan. From
four to seven tons Of printed sheets a
day are sent to the bindery.
The skins Of upward Of 10000 ami
mails are used yearly to cover Oxford
Bibles. Over 100000 sheets Of gold
leaf are required to cover the backs Of
the volumes.
At the Oxford press ordinary rate
Of speed it takes fortnight to turn
out an edition, but If necessary the
work can b. done in an extraordinary
short space Of time. Men York Morn
ing Joornai
Mr.. spriggins (gently)--"My dear,
Boston map was shot at by a burglar
and his life was saved by button
-, a m n. Q...-sx,