ss, and certainly equal to that
by which the rotary press superseded the reciprocatory action of the
flat machine.

Stereotyping has a curious history. Many attempts were made to obtain
solid printing-surfaces by transfer from similar surfaces, composed, in
the first place, of movable types. The first who really succeeded was
one Ged, an Edinburgh goldsmith, who, after a series of difficult
experiments, arrived at a knowledge of the art of stereotyping. The
first method employed was to pour liquid stucco, of the consistency of
cream, over the types; and this, when solid, gave a perfect mould.
Into this the molten metal was poured, and a plate was produced,
accurately resembling the page of type. As long ago as 1730, Ged
obtained a privilege from the University of Cambridge for printing
Bibles and Prayer-books after this method. But the workmen were dead
against it, as they thought it would destroy their trade. The
compositors and the pressmen purposely battered the letters in the
absence of their employers. In consequence of this interference Ged
was ruined, and died in poverty.

The art had, however, been born, and could not be kept down. It was
revived in France, in Germany, and in America. Fifty years after the
discovery of Ged, Tilloch and Foulis, of Glasgow, patented a similar
invention, without knowing anything of what Ged had done; and after
great labour and many experiments, they produced plates, the
impressions from which could not be distinguished from those taken
from the types from which they were cast. Some years afterwards, Lord
Stanhope, to whom the art of printing is much indebted, greatly
improved the art of stereotyping, though it was still quite
inapplicable to newspaper printing. The merit of this latter invention
is due to the enterprise of the present proprietor of The Times.

Mr. Walter began his experiments, aided by an ingenious Italian founder
named Dellagana, early in 1856. It was ascertained that when
papier-mache matrices were rapidly dried and placed in a mould,
separate columns might be cast in them with stereotype metal, type
high, planed flat, and finished with sufficient speed to get up the
duplicate of a forme of four pages fitted for printing. Steps were
taken to adapt these type-high columns to the Applegath Presses, then
worked with polygonal chases. When the Hoe machines were introduced,
instead of dealing with the separate columns, the papier-mache matrix
was ta