He was supplied with the
necessary funds to enable him to prosecute his idea; but Mr.
Walter's father was opposed to the scheme, and when the funds
became exhausted, this scheme also fell to the ground.
As years passed on, and the circulation of the paper increased,
the necessity for some more expeditious method of printing became
still more urgent. Although Mr. Walter had declined to enter
into an arrangement with Bensley in 1809, before Koenig had
completed his invention of printing by cylinders, it was
different five years later, when Koenig's printing machine was
actually at work. In the preceding memoir, the circumstances
connected with the adoption of the invention by Mr. Walter are
fully related; as well as the announcement made in The Times on
the 29th of November, 1814--the day on which the first newspaper
printed by steam was given to the world.
But Koenig's printing machine was but the beginning of a great
new branch of industry. After he had left this country in
disgust, it remained for others to perfect the invention;
although the ingenious German was entitled to the greatest credit
for having made the first satisfactory beginning. Great
inventions are not brought forth at a heat. They are begun by
one man, improved by another, and perfected by a whole host of
mechanical inventors. Numerous patents were taken out for the
mechanical improvement of printing.
Pages:
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256