" When the basin is filled, it is inverted upon a cylinder of corre sponding size below. Upon tho rim of this cylinder is a separate opening for the reception of each of the 111 letters, but no one opening is like another. The distributing and the composing go on at the same time. The compositor is seated; with a treddle ho moves the upper cylinder, which, as it slowly revolves, finds in the lower cylinder, which is stationary, a fit place for every separate letter as it descends by its own gravity to the bottom of each metal edge. The a having two broad nicks, ono about * of an inch from its top, the other at the same distance from its bottom, falls into the n opening, which, having points corresponding, alone can admit it from its simi larity of form. while the is having four nicks, two broad and two narrow, passes into its own division, and cannot be confused with the a.
" But whilst this process of distribution is steadily proceeding, without any care but to keep the upper cylinder occasionally supplied with new material for its operation, the process of composition is rapidly going on. The compositor sits before a compact little frame of keys, each key having a connecting wire for each division of the lower cylinder. He strikes a key and the lower letter is instantly detached and falls into s funnel-shaped receptacle below, where, without being inverted in any way, it runs into a groove, and arranges itself in its proper order, in the line of its fellows. This is a long line of several feet. By an ingenious contrivance each such line is passed on one side, as it is completed, to another workman, who takes up as many letters as will fill the due width of his page or column, and spaces out the words in the ordinary way. I saw 1000 letters thus placed in line in the short space of four minutes, and the spelling and punctuation appeared as correct as in most matter of common composition before it is read. When the necessary loss of time in refilling the cylinders, and through other hindrances, is taken into account, it was stated by the exhibitor that 50,000 types are set up and distributed each day. This gives a rate of about 6000 an hour, which is treble that of the ordinary compositor's rate." Other machines, designed to attain greater rapidity, or of more airnple and cheaper construction, have been produced since that exhi bition ; and a few have been brought into actual work in printing offices, but without sufficient success to insure their general adoption. Among the latest of these inventions is that of Mr. Young, in which the keyed arrangement is adopted, the receptacle being filled as de scribed above. The action of the lever knocks aside the letter required, which instantly drops into a special groove running down an inclined plane ; and this loath' to the general issue, where it is propelled by the action of a lathe, at the end of which it arranges itself in its desired order in an upright position, and is thus passed to a frame of divided spaces to admit the arranged types in long lines. As one space fills, a
lever lifts it a line, until the whole is filled, when its place is supplied by an empty one. The frame thus filled is removed to the justifying machine. Here the frame is placed so as to bring the uppermost lino on a level with an instrument brought by a screw to the width of the line required. The justifier glances his eye along the line, corrects any error that he detects, and slides as much as the line of the justifying machine will take with regard to tho end or division of a word, and then spaces it tight.. The instrument then drops a line, and the pro cem is repeated till a page is formed, which is then removed. It is stated that one player will compose 13,000 letters per hour, and that this will occupy three compositors in justifying. Working nine hours a day, this would be 117,000 letters for four compositors, or about 29,000 for each ; while at the common Cade they could not produce more than 18,000 at most by the usual process, which however includes the distribution, which must with this machine be effected by s com positor, although the inventor has in hand (Nov. 1860) a machine for performing the distribution also. When distributed, each type has to be set up separately, in order to be placed in their receptacles, and this Is done by boys, at about the same rate as is done in Type.foundina.
There is one drawback to all such machines, that appears almost im possible to overcome, and will greatly prevent their general use. They may arrange types with a rapidity W. greater than is attainable by man's fingers in lifting them ; but the superiority of machinery con sists mainly In its being continuous. If this fails, the advantage is lest, and the interruptions aro costly. Now in composing no ono can move his fingers, either on the keys of a machine or into the boxes of a case, faster than he can read the copy. Few know better than a compositor the difficulty there is in reading moat manuscripts. Even the change of a hand-writing is often an obstacle, and of many authors the writing Is KO peculiar or so had as to take considerable time to decipher ; and many others neglect the punctuation, which a good compositor ought carefully to attend to. On newspapers the copy is often from a copying-presa, and is faint or obscure, or is written on thin paper with a pencil, with like defects. Nor is there any provision for the use of s word in italic, or in any different alphabet, such as Greek or Hebrew. Thus, in manuscript works, the worker at a com posing machine would necessarily lose so much time in reading his copy as greatly to reduce his rate of speed ; for if he mistake, the fault has to be corrected. This cannot be done by machine, and the cor rection frequently takes as much time as the original composition. With mere reprints they may answer better ; but even with them we believe the idea of employing the cheep labour of boys has been kciven up, and it is found more remunerative to engage men already acquainted with their business as compositors.