The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-06-02
BACK TO THE OLD HOME.

q sivo their old - vail - tAeaf noW oddreoe.
BACK TO THE OLD HOME.
The old.fashioned cylinder press
that has been on duty in the Journal
Office for thirty years has been
replaced by a modern Cottrell press.
The old press has history running
back nearly seventy years. and is
among the first power presses manu-
featured in this country.
It was in 1914 that Frederick Koe.
ming invented the cylinder press. He
was an English inventor employed by
the Walter family, founders Of the
London Times, the leading newspaper
of the world at that time, and still con.
sidered at the head of newspaperdom
by the people of England. The Times
remained under control of the Walters
family until about one year ago when
. majority of the stock was disposed of
to other parties and the paper is now
printed under q new management.
The first cylinder press made by
Koenig did not prove satisfactory, and
Il MA mt until 1897 that his invention
was perfected and put to practical use.
A few months previous to the appear
ance of the cylinder press in the Office
of the Times, rumors of its invention
caused . threatened strike among the
hand pressmen employed on the paper,
and the manufacture of the press was
carried on secretly. One night, as the
hour for the forms to "come down"
had passed, there was q commotion
among the pressmen. They thought
that news of great importance had
delayed the paper, when suddenly one
Of the Walters appeared among them
and handed out copies of the first
paper ever printed on a cylinder press,
and informed them that the new in.
vention had turned out the edition at
the rate of 1000 per hour.
The exact time the old Journal
press commenced recording the news
of the world is not known. but as far
back As its history can be traced it
was in 1889, twelve years after the
cylinder press was first used on the
London Times. Possibly it was on
duty before 1889. Anyway it was
among the first cylinder presses made
in America, and has been in constant
use from the date it was made until
May 20, 1909.
When the press first entered upon
its career Martin Van Buren, was
president of the United States. 1t
has printed the news and recorded the
Inauguration of Van Buren,, William
Henry Harrison, Tyler, Taylor, Fill
more, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln,
johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield,
Cleveland. Arthur, Benjamin Harri-
son, Mckinley, Roosevelt and Taft.
It told of the great debate between
Webster and Hayne, the march Of
Scott and Taylor through Mexico, the
discovery of gold in California, the
laying of the Atlantic cable and the
building of the Union Pacific railway;
it printed the speeches delivered in the
celebrated debates between Lincoln
and Douglas, and gave to the public
the news that Fort Sumpter had been
fired upon and . war commenced that
WAS to shake the earth with the tread
of mighty armies; it told the anxious
public Of Gettysburg, Shilo. Vicks.
burg, the Wilderness, Sherman's march
to the sea and of Appomattox, and
later recorded the victory of Dewey q
Manila and the destruction of the
Spanish feet At Santiago. :
The old press has been q faithful
recorder of events 70. seventy years
and Is entitled to . rest. 1t has print.
Cd it, last paper, it has recorded it
lest item Of news. And now it i
going hack to its old home to remain
Thirty-eight years ago the old pres
WAS used BY the late Edward Rose
water for printing the first edition q
the Omaha Bee and was used by thai
paper until 1879, when it Was pur
chased BY N. K. Turner and installed
- one of the permanent fixtures of the
Columbus Journal, where it was used
in printing the paper until the date
the 10Th of Lest month.
Edward Rosewater had often ex'
messed . desire to buy the press and
place It in . conspicuous place in the
Re- building, and Victor Rosewatel
=.