The press was surrounded with crowds of
visitors intently watching its perfect and regular action, "like
a thing of life." The New York Times said of it: "The Walter
Press is the most perfect printing press yet known to man;
invented by the most powerful journal of the Old World, and
adopted as the very best press to be had for its purposes by the
most influential journal of the New World.... It is an honour to
Great Britain to have such an exhibit in her display, and a
lasting benefit to the printing business, especially to
newspapers.... The first printing press run by steam was erected
in the year 1814 in the office of The Times by the father of him
who is the present proprietor of that world-famous journal. The
machine of 1814 was described in The Times of the 29th November
in that year, and the account given of it closed in these words:
'The whole of these complicated acts is performed with such a
velocity and simultaneonsness of movement that no less than 1100
sheets are impressed in one hour.' Mirabile dictu! And the
Walter Press of to-day can run off 17,000 copies an hour printed
on both sides. This is not bad work for one man's lifetime."
It is unnecessary to say more about this marvellous machine. Its
completion forms the crown of the industry which it represents,
and of the enterprise of the journal which it prints.
Footnotes for Chapter VII.
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