Industrial arts -- Biography; Inventors -- Biography
On the 8th of December following, Mr. Koenig addressed an advertisement
"To the Public" in the columns of The Times, giving an account of the
origin and progress of his invention. We have already cited several
passages from the statement. After referring to his two last patents,
he says: "The machines now printing The Times and Mail are upon the
same principle; but they have been contrived for the particular purpose
of a newspaper of extensive circulation, where expedition is the great
object.
"The public are undoubtedly aware, that never, perhaps, was a new
invention put to so severe a trial as the present one, by being used on
its first public introduction for the printing of newspapers, and will,
I trust, be indulgent with respect to the many defects in the
performance, though none of them are inherent in the principle of the
machine; and we hope, that in less than two months, the whole will be
corrected by greater adroitness in the management of it, so far at
least as the hurry of newspaper printing will at all admit.
"It will appear from the foregoing narrative, that it was incorrectly
stated in several newspapers, that I had sold my interest to two other
foreigners; my partners in this enterprise being at present two
Englishmen, Mr. Bensley and Mr. Taylor; and it is gratifying to my
feelings to avail myself of this opportunity to thank those gentlemen
publicly for the confidence which they have reposed in me, for the aid
of their practical skill, and for the persevering support which they
have afforded me in long and very expensive experiments; thus risking
their fortunes in the prosecution of my invention.
"The first introduction of the invention was considered by some as a
difficult and even hazardous step. The Proprietor of The Times having
made that his task, the public are aware that it is in good hands."
One would think that Koenig would now feel himself in smooth water, and
receive a share of the good fortune which he had so laboriously
prepared for others. Nothing of the kind! His merits were disputed;
his rights were denied; his patents were infringed; and he never
received any solid advantages for his invention, until he left the
country and took refuge in Germany. It is true, he remained for a few
years longer, in charge of the manufactory in Whitecross Street, but
they were years to him of trouble and sorrow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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