The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-08-29
MAKING BIBLES.
Oxford Press Turns Out Twenty
Thousand Every Week.
Precision With Which The Holy
Writ is Prepared

Oxford press, in the university town
Of Oxford, England. actually manu-
features and disposes OF 10000 vol
umes of the scripturesa week, or up
ward Of /, 600. 900 year. A further
interesting fact that is worth remem-
boring is that, in all probability, tho
name of no living man appears in 90
many volumes as docs that OF MI
Henry Provide, who hos been pub
Usher OF the university for moro than
twenty years.
The making OF Bible has q 70.
nance oil its own. Aud 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 and perfection
of detail that is employed by this
same Oxford press
Enormous have been the prohts OF
this Oxford press, merely from the
salo of Bibles Out of tho large rev.
enues obtained in this way the cstab-
iishment has been able to undertake
the publication of many important
and valuable technical works that
would not have paid for issuing OF
themselves The works where Bibles
are made are particularly remarkable
from the fact that in them every de-
tail of the manufacture of a book ls
carried on upon the promises, with
one solitary exception. that OF binding
and gilt-edging. which is done in. Lon
don.
The establishment has its own pa
per mill, o quaint old building NJ
Wolvercote, two miles from Oxford,
and there variety OF different papers
are made, some OF the finest in the
world among the number. including
the Oxford s'India" paper, which for
fineness of texture has never been
eanaled and the secret of whose manu-
facture 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 tho books
this establishment issues makes neces-
q sary an immense amount OF hand cast
A
ing, all OF which is done to perfection
Even tho lead for the foundries Is
.cpared on the premises, though the
!. anthony and tin are bought in the
state required. In building near ~
the ink is mixed and carefully tested
: with degree of success that not. ever
the smallest letter is ever blurred Of
smudged.
70 Typesetting the Oxford Bible is
:, mighty task, for it is matter OF prld
- that no mistakes shall occur. No
y only are Bibles OF ordinary sizs ant
~ form issued from here. bnt curiosi
= ties as we'll in the way OF Bible mah
ing-brilliant Bibles, finder and thum
:. prayer books, in the very tiniest Q
y types. -,
oe One curious feature which indicate
ID the precision with which these sacre
I'd books are prepared is that the variou
n pages and the columns thereof hay
at to begin with the Same word, no MAJ
~ ter what type is used. In the proc
= each Bible is read over and over agai
for the detection of errors; Bib
set in minion type, say. with . mol
pareil edition, aud then with brevi'
." edition, and SO on.
'A' When the pages are stereotyped Il
u book is read over again. 1t often ha
10 pens that the sheets are gone ov
'rs a dozen times before they are sent
Gu be bound. Any employe who detee
w. q printers error is paid we'll, and t
'u' first outsider who fluids ono is rewar
= ed by guinea. This care bears su
ha' good results that the yearly average
~" mistakes detected is but five.
;, The printed sheets are dried II
n'' hot room, in which dry air is driv
Gu. ronnd by large circular fan. Fro
'ca' four to seven tons of printed sheets
'". day are sent to the bindery.
" The skins OF upward of 10000 o.
ep' mails are used yearly to covsr Oxfo
cy Bibles. Over 400. 900 sheets of &c
nl. leaf arc required to cover the BAG
get of the volumes.
ode At the Oxford press ordinary r
lie. of speed it takes fortnight to tn
les. out nm edition, but if necessary
red work can be done in an extraordini
short space Of time. New York Mo
iisn ing Journal.
Worked Themselves Ont.
r IL T.