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emergency。 Printers in those days were a rather refractory class
of work men； and not unfrequently took advantage of their
position to impose hard terms on their employers； especially in
the daily press； where everything must be promptly done within a
very limited time。 Thus on one occasion； in 1810； the pressmen
made a sudden demand upon the proprietor for an increase of
wages； and insisted upon a uniform rate being paid to all hands；
whether good or bad。 Walter was at first disposed to make
concessions to the men； but having been privately informed that a
combination was already entered into by the compositors； as well
as by the pressmen； to leave his employment suddenly； under
circumstances that would have stopped the publication of the
paper； and inflicted on him the most serious injury； he
determined to run all risks； rather than submit to what now
appeared to him in the light of an extortion。
The strike took place on a Saturday morning； when suddenly； and
without notice； all the hands turned out。 Mr。 Walter had only a
few hours' notice of it； but he had already resolved upon his
course。 He collected apprentices from half a dozen different
quarters； and a few inferior workmen； who were glad to obtain
employment on any terms。 He himself stript to his shirt…sleeves；
and went to work with the rest； and for the next six…and…thirty
hours he was incessantly employed at case and at press。 On the
Monday morning； the conspirators； who had assembled to triumph
over his ruin； to their inexpressible amazement saw The Times
issue from the publishing office at the usual hour； affording a
memorable example of what one man's resolute energy may
accomplish in a moment of difficulty。
The journal continued to appear with regularity； though the
printers employed at the office lived in a state of daily peril。
The conspirators； finding themselves baffled； resolved upon
trying another game。 They contrived to have two of the men
employed by Walter as compositors apprehended as deserters from
the Royal Navy。 The men were taken before the magistrate； but
the charge was only sustained by the testimony of clumsy；
perjured witnesses； and fell to the ground。 The turn…outs next
proceeded to assault the new hands； when Mr。 Walter resolved to
throw around them the protection of the law。 By the advice of
counsel； he had twenty…one of the conspirators apprehended and
tried； and nineteen of them were found guilty and condemned to
various periods of imprisonment。 From that moment combination
was at an end in Printing House Square。
Mr。 Walter's greatest achievement was his successful application
of steam power to newspaper printing。 Although he had greatly
improved the mechanical arrangements after he took command of the
paper； the rate at which the copies could be printed off remained
almost stationary。 It took a very long time indeed to throw off；
by the hand…labour of pressmen； the three or four thousand copies
which then constituted the ordinary circulation of The Times。 On
the occasion of any event of great public interest being reported
in the paper； it was found almost impossible to meet the demand
for copies。 Only about 300 copies could be printed in the hour；
with one man to ink the types and another to work the press；
while the labour was very severe。 Thus it took a long time to
get out the daily impression； and very often the evening papers
were out before The Times had half supplied the demand。
Mr。 Walter could not brook the tedium of this irksome and
laborious process。 To increase the number of impressions； he
resorted to various expedients。 The type was set up in
duplicate； and even in triplicate； several Stanhope presses were
kept constantly at work； and still the insatiable demands of the
newsmen on certain occasions could not be met。 Thus the question
was early forced upon his consideration； whether he could not
devise machinery for the purpose of expediting the production of
newspapers。 Instead of 300 impressions an hour； he wanted from
1500 to 2000。 Although such a speed as this seemed quite as
chimerical as propelling a ship through the water against wind
and tide at fifteen miles an hour； or running a locomotive on a
railway at fifty； yet Mr。 Walter was impressed with the
conviction that a much more rapid printing of newspapers was
feasible than by the slow hand…labour process； and he endeavoured
to induce several ingenious mechanical contrivers to take up and
work out his idea。
The principle of producing impressions by means of a cylinder；
and of inking the types by means of a roller； was not new。 We
have seen； in the preceding memoir； that as early as 1790 William
Nicholson had patented such a method； but his scheme had never
been brought into practical operation。 Mr。 Walter endeavoured to
enlist Marc Isambard Brunelone of the cleverest inventors of
the dayin his proposed method of rapid printing by machinery；
but after labouring over a variety of plans for a considerable
time； Brunel finally gave up the printing machine； unable to make
anything of it。 Mr。 Walter next tried Thomas Martyn； an
ingenious young compositor； who had a scheme for a self…acting
machine for working the printing press。 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； 1814the 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。 Donkin and Bacon contrived a
machine in 1813； in which the types were placed on a revolving
prism。 One of them was made for the University of Cambridge； but
it was found too complicated； the inking was defective； and the
project was abandoned。
In 1816； Mr。 Cowper obtained a patent （No。3974） e