Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-06
JOSHUA WRESTLING JONES
Inventor of Printing and Bookbinding
Devices. Dies.

Joshua Wrestling Jones, inventor of
printing and bookbinding devices, IL
former Superintendent of State Print
ing, died at $50 o'clock last night at
his home. PA North Third street He
was in his eighty-third year and, al
though in failing health for the past
year. was critically i'll only a week.
His four sons were at the bedside
when he died
Funeral services will take place at
the home Wednesday afternoon at 2
o'clock. The Rev. Rollin A. Sawyer
rector of st. Stephens Episcopal
Church, will officiate. Burial will be
made in the Harrisburg Cemetery.
Besides being notable in printing
circles all over the world Mr.. Jones
was the inventor of number of use
ful devices in other lines. He did not
contine his activities to inventing, how
ever, for he also took an interest in
business affairs and was one of the
organizers of the electric lighting sys-
tenn of Harrisburg. He was instru-
mental in persuading the city authori-
ties at that time to place Harrisburg
among the first cities to adopt the arc
light lighting system.
State Printing Superintendent
Mr.. Jones was perhaps best known
to HarrisburgerS as Superintendent of
State Printing and Binding, to which
post he was appointed in 1873 by Gov
ernor John f. Hartranft and re-
appointed by him for the first four
year term under the new Constitution.
In 1880 Governor Hoyt appointed him
for another four-year term. on ac-
count of the pressure of private busi-
ness he resigned the office of superin-
| tendent in 1888. His work as State
printer gave him a wide acquaintance
among public men and he enjoyed the
friendship of the late Senator Quay
and was perhaps his warmest per-
sonal friend in Harrisburg.
Grandfather Founded Jamestown
The story of Mr.. Jones' life begins
IN Susquehanna township, Dauphin
| county, where he was born, the son OF
| Thomas and Elizabeth Fox Jones, Au-
| gust 10, 1881. He was the great
grandson of William Jones, who
founded Jamestown, Pa, in 1861. He
worked among the farmers in this
nelghborhood and attended the district
| school.
Then he was apprenticed to w. O.
Hickok. whom he assisted in building
the first ruling machine and in max
ing ruling presses, both in general use
| throughout the world. 1t was while in
Hlckok's employ that he produced the
ilrst envelopes ever made in Harris
purg, cutting them out by hand from
a block procured from abroad.
After completing his apprenticeship
| he took charge of the binding DEPART
ment OF the State printers, Fem &
Sedgwick. In 1S51-52 he was EN-.
ployed by State printers in Rich.
mond. Va.
His Inventions
During 1856 to 1874 he introduced
| number of improvements into the
printing trade. He suggested to the
| late e. p. Cotterel gripper-sheet
delivery for the printing press, now in
| general use on cylinder presses. He
invented a rotary papercutter attached
TO the printing press to cut the sheets
as they came from the press; a duplex
.book-folding machine; machine tc
replace hand labor in backing books
| a case-smoothing machine and book.
| binders cloth-cutting apparatus: also
an adjustable table for saving ma.
chimes, and other minor improvements
| in the trade.
| Possibly his most famous invention
is the signature press, now in use by
all the leading governments of the
world as we'll as by leading printers
| Later in life his inventive genius seems
to have departed from the printine
| iiiiS ohu " iletNC GnltTOu OlneT HelQS Ol
activity. Among these inventions al,
an arc light globe frame, used by tn,
city of Harrisburg from 1888 to 1904
an indelible cancelling ink used by tn,
government for cancelling stamps; 8
| rapid ready change maker, used BY
street car conductors and others; {
convertible cot-bed: resilient meta
tires for vehicle wheels. and a coin
holder. With his brother, J. r. Jones
he was one of the inventors and own
ers of the standard wire compensation
for railroad switches and signals. nov
used on the Pennsylvania and othe
leading railroads.
Was Great Fisherman
Despite his many activities Mr.. Jone
found time for out-of-door diversion
His favorite pastime was fishing. an,
he was the organizer of the Fernclif
Fishing Club. which had its stampin,
grounds at Benton, Lancaster county
He was a member of Perseverance
Lodge, No. 21, Free and Accepte,
Masons, a chapter member and ;
Knight Templar. He was up to th
time of his death the Oldest livin,
past master of Perseverance Lodge.
II Mr.. Jones in 1855 married Mar
| Elizabeth Miley, who was one of th
founders of the Children's Industria
Home. Mrs. Jones died twenty-fi
years ago. Mr.. Jones is survived b,
a brother. Joseph Ritner Jones. an,
by four sons. ]. Miley Jones, Rober
Ross Jones. William d. Jones an,