The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-07-31

Oxford Press Turns Out Twenty
Thousand Every Week.
Precision with Which The Holy
Writ IS Prepared.

Of Oxford, England. actually manu-
features aud disposos Of 10000 vol-
umea Of the scriptures a week, or up
ward Of !, 900, 900 a year A further
interesting fact that is worth rcmem-
bering Is that, IN al probability, the
name Of no living man appears 10 30
many volumes as does that Of Mr.
Henry Provide, who has been pub
Usher Of tho university for moro than
twenty yeara
The making Of Bible has a ro-
nance al its own. And there are no
other printing works in the world
that eau 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 profits of
this Oxford press, merely from the
sale OK Bibles. Out of tue large rev.
enues obtained in this way the estab-
lishmeut has been able to undertake
tue 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 is
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, q quaint old building at
Wolyercote, 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 'India" paper. which for
fneness Of texture has never been
eqnaled aud the secret of whose manu-
faoture is known to but three people.
The Oxford press has its own type
foundry, the Oldest in England.
The frequent use of arbitrary signs
and curious characters in the books
this establishment issues makes neces-
sary an immense amount of hand cast
ing,au OF which is done to perfec ton.
Even the lead for the foundries is
prepared on the premises, though the
anthony and tin are bought in the
state required. In building near by
the ink is mixed and carefully tested
with degree of success that not even
the smallest letter is ever blurred or
smudged
Typesetting the Oxford Bible is
mighty task, for it is a matter of pride
that no mistakes shall occur Not
only are Bibles Of ordinary size aud
form issued from here, but curiosi-
ties aswell in the way of Bible maxi
ing brilliant Bibles, finder and thumb
prayer books, in the very tiniest of
types.
One curious feature which indicates
the precision with which these sacred
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 is read over and over again
for the detection of errors Bible
set in minion type, say, with nom
pareil edition, and then with BREWER
edition, and so on.
When the pages are stereotyped the
book is read over again. 1t often hap
pens that the sheets are gone over
a dozen times before they are sent to
be bound Any employe who detects
a printers error is paid we'll, and the
first outsider who finds one is reward
ed by guinea. This care bears such
good results that the yearly average OF
mistakes detected is but five.
The printed sheets are dried in g
hot room, in which dry air is driven
round by large circular fan. From
four to seven tons Of printed sheets 9
day are sent to the bindery.
The skins OF upward Of 10000 ami
mails are used yearly to cover Oxford
Bibles. Over 400, 900 sheets of GOLD
leaf are repaired to cover the backs
of the volumes.
at the Oxford press ordinary rate
of speed it takes fortnight to turr