The Holly chieftain., 1922-01-19


1t is ZIG years ago. Jan. II. since
BENJAMIN Franklin. the great Amer
lean Printer, Inventor and Philo
sopher was born. It Is q good time
to review the progress Of the press
which he helped to create. He de
sired most of all to be known AZ
n printer: Il, Benjamin Franklin
Printer are the first words in his
last win and testament. Through
out his life, after he began his ap
premiership with his brother
James, printer In Boston. he was
interested deeply in printing and
his closest friends were members
of the craft. He was usually learn.
el in all the details Of paper, OF
type and of inks.
The recent death OF Col. Henry
Watterson reminds us that the last
generation of the old wanhorses o.
Journalism is gone to Join the I'M
mortals OF the Press: Dana, Greel
ey and many others We have
great correspondents today like
Arthur Brisbane, Julian Ralph
Edward G. Riggs and Daniel Ora.
ham Phillips. Though the latter
has turned to the production Of
fiction but we do not appear to
have such famous editors as In the
past.
No romance would be so thrilling
as the story Of printing and the
press of the story could all be told
1t is far cry from the days Of
Johannus Gutenberg. with his NOV
able types. to this day Of Ottmar
Merganthaler, the inventor of the
linotype. Both were Germans. How
prolific is the genius Of that nation.
whatever we may say OF their dream
of ruthless Imperialism? Between
the eras of these two men what a
glorious age. 1t comprehends all
the worlds journalism and the best
in modern literature. It is signi
fieant of the reverence OF those
early times that the first book to
be printed with movable types was
a bible-the SO called Mazarine
Bible.
The art of printing was first In
troduced into America n 1893. 1t
was n that year that there came to
the New England shores the good
ship John" bearing the first print
ing press to reach these shores
The story is not generally known
but 1t most intimately involves thu
ancestry OF the editor Of this paper
who may be pardoned for giving It
1t is recorded In the history OF
the Tenny family that In 1888 tht
king of England ordered all the
pastors in the realm to announce
from their respective pulpits thf
Sunday sports in vogue at thai
time One Rev. Ezekiel Rogers re
fused to obey the mandate and te
escape persecution, he gathered to
gether nearly his entire parish and
embarked to the new, unknown
land of America. In that company
was Thomas and Ann Tenny. the
prugenitors OF all that name In
America
On board this ship was the first
printing press ever seen in this
country. Mr.. Glover. the printer
who was bringing the press. that
he might spread the cause Of liber-
ty OF conscience In a new land. died
on the voyage. His wife finished
the trip with the press, met or
shore DR.. Henry Dunster. the Presi
dent OF Harvard College and after
wards married him. Thus this first
press was set up in Harvard Col
lege and Immediately began todis-
seminate the Gospel. 1t is note
worthy that the first book printed
was the Old Bay Psalm Book which
came off the press about 1910.
The printing press was q very pri
mitlve affair in the colonial days
and printing was very tedious and
tOilsome Nearly all the improve
ments have been made in the past
half century. The writer, as q boy
was a devil" In q printing Office
in Arkansas, which was still using
the old Washington Press. where
each impression OF the paper was a
painful operation by itself
The first newspaper published in
America, Public Occurrences. was is
sued but once, since the publishers
gave offense to the civil authort
ties by Threatening to publish the