登陆注册
19461000000072

第72章 CHAPTER VIII.(2)

By means of his own savings and the help of his friends, he was enabled to take a little printing-office in Villiers Street, Strand, about the end of 1803; and there he began with one printing press, and one assistant. His stock of type was so small, that he was under the necessity of working it from day to day like a banker's gold. When his first job came in, he continued to work for the greater part of three nights, setting the type during the day, and working it off at night, in order that the type might be distributed for resetting on the following morning. He succeeded, however, in executing his first job to the entire satisfaction of his first customer.

His business gradually increased, and then, with his constantly saved means, he was enabled to increase his stock of type, and to undertake larger jobs. Industry always tells, and in the long-run leads to prosperity. He married early, but he married well. He was only twenty-four when he found his best fortune in a good, affectionate wife. Through this lady's cousin, Mr.

Winchester, the young printer was shortly introduced to important official business. His punctual execution of orders, the accuracy of his work, and the despatch with which he turned it out soon brought him friends, and his obliging and kindly disposition firmly secured them. Thus, in a few years, the humble beginner with one press became a printer on a large scale.

The small concern expanded into a considerable printing-office in Northumberland Court, which was furnished with many presses and a large stock of type. The office was, unfortunately, burnt down;but a larger office rose in its place.

What Mr. Clowes principally aimed at, in carrying on his business, was accuracy, speed, and quantity. He did not seek to produce editions de luxe in limited numbers, but large impressions of works in popular demand--travels, biographies, histories, blue-books, and official reports, in any quantity.

For this purpose, he found the process of hand-printing too tedious, as well as too costly; and hence he early turned his attention to book printing by machine presses, driven by steam power,--in this matter following the example of Mr. Walter of the Times, who had for some years employed the same method for newspaper printing.

Applegath & Cowper's machines had greatly advanced the art of printing. They secured perfect inking and register; and the sheets were printed off more neatly, regularly, and expeditiously; and larger sheets could be printed on both sides, than by any other method. In 1823, accordingly, Mr. Clowes erected his first steam presses, and he soon found abundance of work for them. But to produce steam requires boilers and engines, the working of which occasions smoke and noise. Now, as the printing-office, with its steam presses, was situated in Northumberland Court, close to the palace of the Duke of Northumberland, at Charing Cross, Mr. Clowes was required to abate the nuisance, and to stop the noise and dirt occasioned by the use of his engines. This he failed to do, and the Duke commenced an action against him.

The case was tried in June, 1824, in the Court of Common Pleas.

It was ludicrous to hear the extravagant terms in which the counsel for the plaintiff and his witnesses described the nuisance--the noise made by the engine in the underground cellar, some times like thunder, at other times like a thrashing-machine, and then again like the rumbling of carts and waggons. The printer had retained the Attorney-general, Mr. Copley, afterwards Lord Lyndhurst, who conducted his case with surpassing ability.

The cross-examination of a foreign artist, employed by the Duke to repaint some portraits of the Cornaro family by Titian, is said to have been one of the finest things on record. The sly and pungent humour, and the banter with which the counsel derided and laughed down this witness, were inimitable. The printer won his case; but he eventually consented to remove his steam presses from the neighbourhood, on the Duke paying him a certain sum to be determined by the award of arbitrators.

It happened, about this period, that a sort of murrain fell upon the London publishers. After the failure of Constable at Edinburgh, they came down one after another, like a pack of cards. Authors are not the only people who lose labour and money by publishers; there are also cases where publishers are ruined by authors. Printers also now lost heavily. In one week, Mr.

Clowes sustained losses through the failure of London publishers to the extent of about 25,000L. Happily, the large sum which the arbitrators awarded him for the removal of his printing presses enabled him to tide over the difficulty; he stood his ground unshaken, and his character in the trade stood higher than ever.

In the following year Mr. Clowes removed to Duke Street, Blackfriars, to premises until then occupied by Mr. Applegath, as a printer; and much more extensive buildings and offices were now erected. There his business transactions assumed a form of unprecedented magnitude, and kept pace with the great demand for popular information which set in with such force about fifty years ago. In the course of ten years--as we find from the 'Encyclopaedia Metropolitana'--there were twenty of Applegath &Cowper's machines, worked by two five-horse engines. From these presses were issued the numerous admirable volumes and publications of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge; the treatises on 'Physiology,' by Roget, and 'Animal Mechanics,' by Charles Bell; the 'Elements of Physics,' by Neill Arnott; 'The Pursuit of Knowledge under Difficulties,' by G. L.

Craik, a most fascinating book; the Library of Useful Knowledge;the 'Penny Magazine,' the first illustrated publication; and the 'Penny Cyclopaedia,' that admirable compendium of knowledge and science.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 逃离的爱

    逃离的爱

    杜婉彤是学校的美女,但是她是一个招人嫉妒的女孩子,因为她身边经常围绕着很多男生,而且每个都很帅,甚至于连她的老师也喜欢杜婉彤。羡慕的她的女生经常针对杜婉彤,但是没人知道杜婉彤的秘密,跟这些帅哥的秘密……
  • 最终进化

    最终进化

    末日降临,全球进化。当一只猪开始追杀人类,当一只老鼠开始吆喝着称霸世界,当全球遍布丧尸的足迹……人类一旦赶不上全球的进化,只能灭绝。富豪散尽千金只为买一块面包,校花辗转床笫只为吃一包辣条,文明的秩序崩溃,道德被生存的欲望掩盖,一切只为活着。新生还是毁灭?一切尽在《最终进化》!
  • 呆小九

    呆小九

    传言,魔界公主青冥狠辣绝情,亲手杀死了自己的父皇!可谁人又知,那冰冷的面具下又是怎样一颗千疮百孔的心。她,是人人得而诛之的魔女。他,是万神敬仰的大神。当无心人碰上冷情帝,又会怎样?
  • 大道归虚

    大道归虚

    一直没有见过自己父母的黎池鸣,随着踏入武道之路不断强大.终于在遗忘树海看到了,自己父母所为自己做的一切.寻找亲人之路至此开始,天地宽路难走.是人物就不会埋没,有的人一旦降生就已经注定不平凡.黎池鸣带着父母的意志在大千世界如太阳般升起.铸万古传奇.
  • 换个角度也很幸福

    换个角度也很幸福

    本书传达了一种换个角度看人生的理念,包括看淡得失才能轻松快乐,追求一种自然和谐的生活状态,选择快乐,笑对挫折,让健康心态给生活带来阳光等。
  • 新月剑侠传

    新月剑侠传

    花羽城丢失秘籍,死了看护秘典的人,江湖传言是神月宫所为。,所有的矛盾都指向神月宫。神月老祖派苏破下山查看个究竟……
  • 佛顶大白伞盖陀罗尼经

    佛顶大白伞盖陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 一生如意

    一生如意

    穿越到一个女尊的国家,摊上一副残疾的身子,遇上一个不爱自己的人。傅如意不知道这是幸还是不幸。既然你不要,那我就默默的走吧,请你,不要再追来。情节虚构,切勿模仿
  • 妖魅王爷的妖媚小姐

    妖魅王爷的妖媚小姐

    她在现代是一位鼎鼎有名的公主,是出身豪门世家,精通于各种“武艺”,但万万没有想到,因好友嫉妒,无意中有了一场离奇的穿越。古代的她,虽与现代一样是一位出生豪门的小姐,但是,,,,,,,(第一次写作,还望多多包涵)
  • 夜寒蔷薇开

    夜寒蔷薇开

    一个因车祸被诅咒的少女,为了自己的生命不得不加入神秘的杀手组织。一个血族谋位的亲王,为了解救自己的父亲。原本是两个平行世界的人。她为了他,她不得不努力解开诅咒。他为了她,不得不背叛自己的家族。未来在此一搏。