420 NATURE AND MAN. 



newspapers, at the rate of 15,000 per hour, without any liuman 

 intervention. For the paper-making machine is now so perfected, 

 that a continuous sheet can be produced of any length desired. 

 Rolls three miles long are brought to the Times printing-office, and 

 put into the machine : the paper, as it is unrolled, is damped 

 through by passing over a hollow roller pierced with multitudes 

 of small holes, through which water is ejected from the inside ; 

 and the superfluous moisture is then squeezed out by passing the 

 paper between another pair of rollers, so that it is prepared to re- 

 ceive the impression. Then there are a number of most elaborate 

 and beautiful contrivances, by which for the flat " form " of the 

 ordinary printing-press is substituted a stereotype plate, wrapping 

 completely round a cylinder, the continuous revolution of which at 

 a very rapid rate impresses the paper that is made to pass over it. 

 When the compositor has finished setting up his type, and the 

 proof has been taken, read, and corrected, so that the "form" 

 can be " made up," an impression of it is taken off on a sheet of 

 damp papier mache ; and this, having been bent round the interior 

 of a hollow cylinder and rapidly dried, serves as the mould from 

 which a cast is made in type-metal, exactly representing on a 

 cylindrical surface the flat type-surface of the " form." This 

 cast, after being examined for defects, which are rapidly repaired, 

 is fitted on the printing-cylinder ; which is thus made ready, in a 

 wonderfully short space of time, for impressing the paper which is 

 to pass over it, with the " matter " of which the original " form " 

 was composed. As the paper has to be printed on both sides, 

 two such cylinders are needed ; and the sheet, having been printed 

 on one side by passing over the first, is printed on the other by 

 being conducted over the second. Another set of beautiful and 

 yet simple contrivances is provided for distributing the ink with 

 the most perfect uniformity, and for preventing any accidental 

 deficiency, such as might be produced by an air-bubble, from 

 leaving a blank on the type. After having passed over both 

 cylinders, the continuous roll passes through a cutting-machine, 

 which cuts off the sheets one after another at the proper length ; 

 and these fall from above to one and the other alternately of two 

 boys who receive the sheets and lay them in two piles. 



Now, could any one who should see such a machine in opera- 



