The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-17
THE TIMES OF TIMBs.
Curious Extracts From an Old Book
of Facts.


In an old book store, we'll known to Chi
ccgo lovers of the antique in literature, I
found not long ago maule3 and man.
handled copy Of THE Year Book of
Facts" Of the vintage of 1s4S II was
plainly bound In black cloth and clearly
and correctly printed on good paper, edit
ed by John limbs and issued from the
press of David Bogue, Fleet street Lon
don. 1t saw the light not quite half
century ago. and yet in that time the
march of the human race mas been with
seyen-league boots. The book is devoted
TO a record of the inventions of the year
and TO notable discoveries or the exploita-
ton of notable theories in many branches
% physical science. When we refe-- that
such common things as matches were Of
but recent invention and that the trans
Atlantic cable was rs yet upd~eamod of
W. begin TO understand the wild h OF the
gulf that separates those times FIR m ours.
John limbs. who undoubtedly has gone
10 his reward long since. was a careful
eoitor His book evidences that he iuVcs-
tigated each subject before be wrote
about ii. He has taken nothing on hear
say. More than once ne denies outright
the discovery of something which IS an
old story to US. If he errs Il is on the side
Of conservatism. Patiently his aim is TO
give his readers only truths. When in
doubt he has rot taken the inventors
wCrd for IL. For instance, we have this:
The American papers mention q ma
chine invented by one Elias Howe, which
Is said to sew beautiful and strong seams
IN cloth with great rapidity." Honest
John limbs refuses to give his unqualified
Endorsement TO the sewing machine. He
was an Englishman for one thing. and he
had not seen the model for another. He
cid not know that in his -committaI
lines he had chronicled the arrival OF wo-
mans best frieud-one destined indeed
to revolutiouize her work in every quarter
Of the civilized world.
/ fancy that l would ike TO meet the
shade Of John limbs. I would take him
into the basement OF the Times Herald
building and show him the giant web
perfecttng presses outcasting news and
stories at the rate Of A. 900 an hour
Speaking OF what he calls the double ac-
ton printing machine" he SAYS: The
Success 81 this Invention Demonstrated in
the first trial with the beautiful working
model, has been definitely proy I'd in the
machine itself one Of these machines
has been constructed by Lewis Foster
With such percision that the first sheet
passed through Il came out a perfect i'm
preston beautifully printed II will he
employed for printing the London Tele-
graph, a new daily newspaper whose
novel source OF Information will be the
electric telegra ph 50 that the means and
the end will present rare conjunction OF
scientific success"
Mr. limbs has words to say about the
construction Of hreproef buildings. and il
s. easy 20 Eee that he does not believe
them 2 possibility. To him FIRE Is an all
Conquertng destroyer and he ~ erpectaf3v
strong in his warnings against the en-
psoyment Of iron or steel IN structures ~
rrcre THAI one story in height II Is his
especial care 20 can the attention OF en-
E1neers 20 the tTeacherous nature Of
crystalline metallic body when appiiad
20 support heavy weights in the eorstrTsc-
ticu OF buildings" and he Instances the
fsll u Messrs. Gray-s cotton mill az Man
chester which structure was two stories
r. height sgd had a tank on the roof
Could the aforesaid shade u T4n7bs ra-
visit the pale gimpses az the moon =
Guild wever IN astorishR1ent before tbs
rightly Masonic temple. II would frd
building on Dearborn street whose inner
shell Of steel is now many stories in
height sn5 steadily climbing. II would
ind another whose outer shell OF ma
s0nry IS being built from the tor Story
downward II would have 3 terrified time
dooging the cable cars. because when ne
vas On earth John Timos mentions with
awe the remarkable achievement OF an
Engliss firm which had succeeded In
making a wire rope two miles long
Mr.. Tlmos says that an experienced
printer % washington has discovered a
z1s1aod q making an inklng roller OF India