"--De Foe.
I published an article in 'Macmillan's Magazine' for December,
1869, under the above title. The materials were principally
obtained from William and Frederick Koenig, sons of the inventor.
Since then an elaborate life has been published at Stuttgart,
under the title of "Friederich Koenig und die Erfindung Der
Schnellpresse, Ein Biographisches Denkmal. Von Theodor Goebel."
The author, in sending me a copy of the volume, refers to the
article published in 'Macmillan,' and says, "I hope you will
please to accept it as a small acknowledgment of the thanks,
which every German, and especially the sons of Koenig, in whose
name I send the book as well as in mine, owe to you for having
bravely taken up the cause of the much wronged inventor, their
father-- an action all the more praiseworthy, as you had to write
against the prejudices and the interests of your own countrymen."
I believe it is now generally admitted that Koenig was entitled
to the merit of being the first person practically to apply the
power of steam to indefinitely multiplying the productions of the
printing-press; and that no one now attempts to deny him this
honour. It is true others, who followed him, greatly improved
upon his first idea; but this was the case with Watt, Symington,
Crompton, Maudslay, and many more. The true inventor is not
merely the man who registers an idea and takes a patent for it,
or who compiles an invention by borrowing the idea of another,
improving upon or adding to his arrangements, but the man who
constructs a machine such as has never before been made, which
executes satisfactorily all the functions it was intended to
perform.
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