Compelled by this loss to return to his trade, he succeeded in
obtaining the publication of 'Lloyd's List,' as well as the
printing of the Board of Customs. He also established himself as
a publisher and bookseller at No. 8, Charing Cross. But his
principal achievement was in founding The Times newspaper.
The Daily Universal Register was started on the 1st of January,
1785, and was described in the heading as "printed
logographically." The type had still to be composed, letter by
letter, each placed alongside of its predecessor by human
fingers. Mr. Walter's invention consisted in using stereotyped
words and parts of words instead of separate metal letters, by
which a certain saving of time and labour was effected. The name
of the 'Register' did not suit, there being many other
publications bearing a similar title. Accordingly, it was
re-named The Times, and the first number was issued from Printing
House Square on the 1st of January, 1788.
The Times was at first a very meagre publication. It was not
much bigger than a number of the old 'Penny Magazine,' containing
a single short leader on some current topic, without any
pretensions to excellence; some driblets of news spread out in
large type; half a column of foreign intelligence, with a column
of facetious paragraphs under the heading of "The Cuckoo;" while
the rest of each number consisted of advertisements.
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