if they
communicated to others the secret of the machines, either by
drawings or description, or if they told by whom or for whom they
were constructed. This was to avoid the hostility of the
pressmen, who, having heard of the new invention, were up in arms
against it, as likely to deprive them of their employment. And
yet, as stated by Johnson in his 'Typographia,' the manual labour
of the men who worked at the hand press, was so severe and
exhausting, "that the stoutest constitutions fell a sacrifice to
it in a few years." The number of sheets that could be thrown off
was also extremely limited.
With the improved press, perfected by Earl Stanhope, about 250
impressions could be taken, or l25 sheets printed on both sides
in an hour. Although a greater number was produced in newspaper
printing offices by excessive labour, yet it was necessary to
have duplicate presses, and to set up duplicate forms of type, to
carry on such extra work; and still the production of copies was
quite inadequate to satisfy the rapidly increasing demand for
newspapers. The time was therefore evidently ripe for the
adoption of such a machine as that of Koenig. Attempts had been
made by many inventors, but every one of them had failed.
Printers generally regarded the steam-press as altogether
chimerical.
Such was the condition of affairs when Koenig finished his
improved printing machine in the manufactory in Whitecross
Street.
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