Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-10-23
fwri'ien for the Herald
THE INVENTION OF PRINTING.

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THE INVENTION OF PRINTING.
Ii is to be supposed that every
school boy has some knowledge Of
the history Of the art OF printing and
its immense value to mankind; but
there are many facts connected with
its discovery and evolution up to its
present state OF perfection, which may
be of interest to children Of larger
growth.
From the first use Of rudely carved
wooden blocks the progress Of this
art has been increasing and has. not
vet reached its possible limits. 1t
has well been called the art preserva-
tive of arts. BY some it has been
said that the invention was the re-
suit Of happy and opportuue in
spiration, but closer investigation
proves it to have been the result of so
much patient toll and combined effort
that no fewer than fourteen cities Of
Europe have claimed the honor,
though the weight OF testimony seems
in favor of John Gutenberg, of Mentz,
about A. D., 1850, in which city
there is beautiful statue, carved by
Thorwaldseu, erected to his memory.
In the early centuries we know the
production of books was laborious
task, to be accomplished only by use
of pen and parchment. Prior to the
sixth century books were much more
plentiful than afterwards, during the
period known as the Dark Ages, the
destruction of the great Alexandrian
library having crippled literary effort.
About the twelfth century there we're
signs of revival of learning, ard
somewhat later the family OF Medici,
in Italy, with some otherdistinguished
patrons of learning, made persistent
efforts to obtain manuscripts from the
East, where then, as now, much
ancient learning lay buried in the
dust and obscurity of ages. To these
researches we owe the origin Of the
Vatican library III Rome, five thou
sand manuscript volumes having
been placed there during the Pontifi-
cate of Pope Nicholas the fifth. These
stupendous efforts would have resulted
in benedting comparatively few, had
not the obscure artizans in far off
Germany been working at an inven-
ton which was destined to diffuse
throughout the world, knowledge
previously confined to few. 1t is
interesting here to note that these
first rude attempts at typography
necessitated printing on but one side
of the sheet, the blank sides being
pasted together to form one sheet
The revival of learning and the col
lection of manuscripts added i'm
meusely to the number of readers,
and thus the discovery of printing by
movable types came when the world
was prepared for it. So great was
the avidity for the new learning, that
even armies of slaves, formerly trained
to trapscribe, would have been en-
tirely insufficient to supply the de.
mand. AS mark of the progress of
this art we may note in passing that
where it required year or more to
print a Bible, by the improved meth
cd, the same amount of work may
now be accomplished by a modern
press in few hours.
This article would run into a
leng thy dissertation were we to give
all the interesting facts relating to the
subject. One more item must suffice:
The first press brought to the New
World was set up in the city of Mexi-
co, about one hundred years before a
printing office was established in
Massachusetts,. And now Boston
sends printing paper and presses to
Mexico. NJ. c. B.
Baltimore, Md.
a Valuable Presentation.