The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-28
The Story OF Gutenberg.

! Towards the end of the month there
| viii be celebrated at the RheRish city
OF Mainz the Seth anniversary II the
BIRTH OF John Gutenberg Festive CO.
ings pilgriraages 70 spots with watch lie
was intimately associated. procsssi IS
wherein win be represented MAN. mas
ters OF early Drinting-these and other
| things are promised TO those who. Doubt
less in numbers. will make their way
Mainz-ward in few weeks. During MS
lifetime 3roDhet may have no honor
IN his OWE country, but If his voice pm
citrate 20 other lands, soon or late its
sound is caught up and swelled into a
song of eager acclaim by his country
men. his fellow-townsfolk.
John Gutenberg took his Elothar's name
instead Of that of his father. Frislo zun
Gutenberg, described as a high-spir.ted.
thoughtful, devout young man. seized he
opportunity in 14si to imprison at Stras-
bourg the town clerk of Mainz for ds5t
due to him by the CORPORATION of al $
native city. The sentimental may frd
an exclamation OF this in the fact that
by that time he was affianced 10 En-
incline zu Iserne-Thure. and anxious ID
reassert his claims TO his oossessi 9ns
On the urgent Representations OF the
mayer and councillors of Strasbourg,
however. h released the town clerk
without achieving his aim.
His love affairs antecedert TO mis- mar
rage are clouded in mystery. but this IS
certain, that few stranger stories could
be told. According 10 his champions, ne
remained true throughout 10 his fancee.
Moreover, Il was his love Of her alone
that caused him, a poor man, TO refuse
to make her his wife. But ths lady had
spirit. Unable TO bring him TO hook,
apparently, by soft words or appeals TO
reason, in 1437, she sued him before the
ecclesiastical courts for breach Of prem
Use Of marriage. John Gutenberg had to
surrender the citadel and the after hap
piness Of the two appears to have been
comrlete.
AS with so many inventions. so with
that Of printing, the father Of the craft,
instead Of gaining aught in money or
and had finally to accept the post Of
salaried courtier ct the court of Arch
bishop Adolphus, where there fell TO his
lot every year one suit Of livery and
fixed allowance of corn and wine. But
to return to the sequence of events Gut
enberg retraced his steps 10 Mainz about
the year 1916. BY this time the idea of
publishing a Bible is supposed to have
taken definite root in his mind 1t may
well be that he hoped 10 have it ready
for the golden year Of 1850. But this was
not to be. Hampered by his poverty
and still anxious TO preserve his secret.
the fight must have been an uphill one.
Like other inventors. too, Gutenberg was
not par excellence a man of affairs. The
hundred guilders lent TO him by his kins-
man, Arnold Gelthus melted without
tangible results, and then it was that n
came into contact with the astute gold
smith of Mainz, John Fust Swift to see
the possibility Of profit. Fust advanced
-sl,s
have given pause to man less absorb
ed than poor Gutenberg. Fust held a
mortgage on all printing materials 10 be
purchased. SO, that almost at any mo-
ment he was in a position to foreclose
and rob the inventor at once Of his Sc
cret and all the tangible fruits of his
labor.