480 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Mr. Everitt. — As to cost, comparatively, tins new mode is 300 times 

 cheaper than the old separate type, or the stereotype. The origin of elec- 

 trotype is due to Spencer, of England, and Jacobi, of Russia. There are 

 numerous claimants for the honor — we owe much to Filmer, here. 



Mr. Filmer. — Box-wood gives more impressions than type metal. 



Mr. Tillman. — We electrotype iron on copper. 



Mr. Stetson. — The wear of copper plate engraving is severe, from the 

 necessary cleaning of it after every copy, by whiting, cloth finished by hu- 

 man palm, the best finisher. 



Mr. Filmer. — Our engravers are now using steel in place of copper plates ; 

 they are very superior. The impressions from copper plates often imperfect 

 from the under cuttings, made on an error burnished do^on, causing depres- 

 sions. Steel will not supersede electrotype for some purposes. Elking- 

 ton, of England, first gave us electrotype busts, &c. Our far west already 

 deals largely in electrotyping. Large editions are wanted, and we get off 

 four or five millions of copies of some things, and they look well still. Spen- 

 cer, of England, first used lead, and deposited the copper on that. Adams, 

 of New York, made the electrotype for Harpers' great bible, in 1841. 

 Wilcox did it in 1847 and '48. I did it in 1849, on types. 



John Johnson. — Prof. Mapes, of New York, in 1840, gave electrotype 

 plates in his Repertory — these were the first I knew. 



Mr. Filmer. — Our Bruce learned the art from Lord Stanhope, of Eng- 

 land. 



Mr. Tillman. — Americans go by high steam. The patent office proves 

 that almost every great recent invention has originated here. The Chinese 

 originated stereotyping ; but in this country, both the electrotype and 

 stereotype, have been most extensively used. 



Mr. Stetson. — We roll wheels over forms and multiply copies immensely. 

 Some have eight or ten presses acting at once. Attempts have been made 

 to electrotype turtle backs, (convex plates,) as they are called. 



Mr. Fillmer. — We can electrotype a newspaper in fifteen minutes now ! 

 The London Times, stereotypes in about twenty minutes. It is done with 

 paper. Sheets of paper with starch between them — the stamp made — metal 

 poured on sets immediately. 



Mr. Butler. — castings are not so dense as rolled metal. 



Mr. Filmer. — They are harder. The deposit iron is nearly as hard as 

 steel. 



Mr. Butler described the difficulties in casting very thin plates for stoves, 

 three-sixteenths of an inch. Can such plates be made by electro deposit ? 

 If they can, they must be better than ours, for we can sometimes see through 

 the holes left in our stove plates. 



Mr. Tillman. — So thick a plate of copper will cost too much. 



Mr. Butler. — A pattern costs me sometimes 6300 ; they are of wood, and 

 wear out. I want one of Iron. Our castings are hard to finish up — the 

 edges are defective on account of the fluid iron deranging the sand mould 

 at the edges, and the sand is often carried into the iron. 



