“Thehonestprojectorishewho，havingbyfairandplainprinciplesofsense，honesty，andingenuity，broughtanycontrivancetoasuitableperfection，makesoutwhathepretendsto，picksnobody’spocket，putshisprojectinexecution，andcontentshimselfwiththerealproduceastheprofitofhisinvention。“——DeFoe。
Ipublishedanarticlein’Macmillan’sMagazine’forDecember，1869，undertheabovetitle。ThematerialswereprincipallyobtainedfromWilliamandFrederickKoenig，sonsoftheinventor。
SincethenanelaboratelifehasbeenpublishedatStuttgart，underthetitleof“FriederichKoenigunddieErfindungDerSchnellpresse，EinBiographischesDenkmal。VonTheodorGoebel。“
Theauthor，insendingmeacopyofthevolume，referstothearticlepublishedin’Macmillan，’andsays，“Ihopeyouwillpleasetoacceptitasasmallacknowledgmentofthethanks，whicheveryGerman，andespeciallythesonsofKoenig，inwhosenameIsendthebookaswellasinmine，owetoyouforhavingbravelytakenupthecauseofthemuchwrongedinventor，theirfather——anactionallthemorepraiseworthy，asyouhadtowriteagainsttheprejudicesandtheinterestsofyourowncountrymen。“
IbelieveitisnowgenerallyadmittedthatKoenigwasentitledtothemeritofbeingthefirstpersonpracticallytoapplythepowerofsteamtoindefinitelymultiplyingtheproductionsoftheprinting-press；andthatnoonenowattemptstodenyhimthishonour。Itistrueothers，whofollowedhim，greatlyimproveduponhisfirstidea；butthiswasthecasewithWatt，Symington，Crompton，Maudslay，andmanymore。Thetrueinventorisnotmerelythemanwhoregistersanideaandtakesapatentforit，orwhocompilesaninventionbyborrowingtheideaofanother，improvinguponoraddingtohisarrangements，butthemanwhoconstructsamachinesuchashasneverbeforebeenmade，whichexecutessatisfactorilyallthefunctionsitwasintendedtoperform。AndthisiswhatKoenig’sinventiondid，aswillbeobservedfromthefollowingbriefsummaryofhislifeandlabours。
FrederickKoenigwasbornonthe17thofApril，1774，atEisleben，inSaxony，thebirthplacealsoofastillmorefamousperson，MartinLuther。Hisfatherwasarespectablepeasantproprietor，describedbyHerrGoebelasAnspanner。Butthiswordhasnowgoneoutofuse。Infeudaltimesitdescribedthefarmerwhowasobligedtokeepdraughtcattletoperformserviceduetothelandlord。TheboyreceivedasolideducationattheGymnasium，orpublicschoolofthetown。AtaproperagehewasboundapprenticeforfiveyearstoBreitkopfandHartel，ofLeipzig，ascompositorandprinter；butafterservingforfourandaquarteryears，hewasreleasedfromhisengagementbecauseofhisexceptionalskill，whichwasanunusualoccurrence。
Duringthelateryearsofhisapprenticeship，KoenigwaspermittedtoattendtheclassesintheUniversity，moreespeciallythoseofErnstPlatner，aphysician，philosopher，andanthropologist。Afterthatheproceededtotheprinting-officeofhisuncle，AntonF。Rose，atGreifswald，anoldseaporttownontheBaltic，whereheremainedafewyears。HenextwenttoHalleasajourneymanprinter，——Germanworkmengoingaboutfromplacetoplace，duringtheirwanderschaft，forthepurposeoflearningtheirbusiness。Afterthat，hereturnedtoBreitkopfandHartel，atLeipzig，wherehehadfirstlearnthistrade。
Duringthistime，havingsavedalittlemoney，heenrolledhimselfforayearasaregularstudentattheUniversityofLeipzig。
AccordingtoKoenig’sownaccount，hefirstbegantodevisewaysandmeansforimprovingtheartofprintingintheyear1802，whenhewastwenty-eightyearsold。Printinglargesheetsofpaperbyhandwasaveryslowaswellasaverylaboriousprocess。Oneofthethingsthatmostoccupiedtheyoungprinter’smindwashowtogetridofthis“horse-work，“forsuchitwas，inthebusinessofprinting。Hewasnot，however，over-burdenedwithmeans，thoughhedevisedamachinewiththisobject。Buttomakealittlemoney，hemadetranslationsforthepublishers。In1803KoenigreturnedtohisnativetownofEisleben，whereheenteredintoanarrangementwithFrederickRiedel，whofurnishedthenecessarycapitalforcarryingonthebusinessofaprinterandbookseller。Koenigallegesthathisreasonforadoptingthisstepwastoraisesufficientmoneytoenablehimtocarryouthisplansfortheimprovementofprinting。
Thebusiness，however，didnotsucceed，aswefindhiminthefollowingyearcarryingonaprintingtradeatMayence。Havingsoldthisbusiness，heremovedtoSuhlinThuringia。Herehewasoccupiedwithastereotypingprocess，suggestedbywhathehadreadabouttheartasperfectedinEnglandbyEarlStanhope。Healsocontrivedanimprovedpress，providedwithamoveablecarriage，onwhichthetypeswereplaced，withinkingrollers，andanewmechanicalmethodoftakingofftheimpressionbyflatpressure。
KoenigbroughthisnewmachineunderthenoticeoftheleadingprintersinGermany，buttheywouldnotundertaketouseit。Theplanseemedtothemtoocomplicatedandcostly。Hetriedtoenlistmenofcapitalinhisscheme，buttheyallturnedadeafeartohim。Hewentfromtowntotown，butcouldobtainnoencouragementwhatever。Besides，industrialenterpriseinGermanywastheninameasureparalysedbytheimpendingwarwithFrance，andmenofcapitalwerenaturallyaversetorisktheirmoneyonwhatseemedamerelyspeculativeundertaking。
Findingnosympathisersorhelpersathome，Koenignextturnedhisattentionabroad。Englandwasthen，asnow，therefugeofinventorswhocouldnotfindthemeansofbringingouttheirschemeselsewhere；andtoEnglandhewistfullyturnedhiseyes。
Inthemeantime，however，hisinventiveabilityhavingbecomeknown，anofferwasmadetohimbytheRussianGovernmenttoproceedtoSt。PetersburgandorganisetheStateprinting-officethere。Theinvitationwasaccepted，andKoenigproceededtoSt。
Petersburginthespringof1806。Buttheofficialdifficultiesthrowninhiswaywereverygreat，andsodisgustedhim，thathedecidedtothrowuphisappointment，andtryhisfortuneinEngland。HeaccordinglytookshipforLondon，andarrivedthereinthefollowingNovember，poorinmeans，butrichinhisgreatidea，thenhisonlyproperty。
AsKoenighimselfsaid，whengivinganaccountofhisinvention:——“ThereisontheContinentnosortofencouragementforanenterpriseofthisdescription。
Thesystemofpatents，asitexistsinEngland，beingeitherunknown，ornotadoptedintheContinentalStates，thereisnoinducementforindustrialenterprise；andprojectorsarecommonlyobligedtooffertheirdiscoveriestosomeGovernment，andtosolicittheirencouragement。Ineedhardlyaddthatscarcelyeverisaninventionbroughttomaturityundersuchcircumstances。
Thewell-knownfact，thatalmosteveryinventionseeks，asitwere，refugeinEngland，andistherebroughttoperfection，thoughtheGovernmentdoesnotaffordanyotherprotectiontoinventorsbeyondwhatisderivedfromthewisdomofthelaws，seemstoindicatethattheContinenthasyettolearnfromherthebestmannerofencouragingthemechanicalarts。IhadmyfullshareintheordinarydisappointmentsofContinentalprojectors；andafterhavinglostinGermanyandRussiaupwardsoftwoyearsinfruitlessapplications，IatlastresortedtoEngland。“[1]
AfterarrivinginLondon，Koenigmaintainedhimselfwithdifficultybyworkingathistrade，forhiscomparativeignoranceoftheEnglishlanguagestoodinhisway。Buttoworkmanuallyattheprinter’s“case，“wasnotKoenig’sobjectincomingtoEngland。Hisideaofaprintingmachinewasalwaysuppermostinhismind，andhelostnoopportunityofbringingthesubjectunderthenoticeofmasterprinterslikelytotakeitup。HeworkedforatimeintheprintingofficeofRichardTaylor，ShoeLane，FleetStreet，andmentionedthemattertohim。Taylorwouldnotundertaketheinventionhimself，buthefurnishedKoenigwithanintroductiontoThomasBensley，thewell-knownprinterofBoltCourt，FleetStreet。Onthe11thofMarch，1807，BensleyinvitedKoenigtomeethimonthesubjectoftheirrecentconversationabout“thediscovery；“andonthe31stofthesamemonth，thefollowingagreementwasenteredintobetweenKoenigandBensley:-
“Mr。Koenig，havingdiscoveredanentirenewMethodofPrintingbyMachinery，agreestocommunicatethesametoMr。Bensleyunderthefollowingconditions:——
that，ifMr。BensleyshallbesatisfiedtheInventionwillanswerallthepurposesMr。KoenighasstatedintheParticularshehasdeliveredtoMr。Bensley，signedwithhisname，heshallenterintoalegalEngagementtopurchasetheSecretfromMr。Koenig，orenterintosuchotheragreementasmaybedeemedmutuallybeneficialtobothparties；or，shouldMr。BensleywishtodeclinehavinganyconcernwiththesaidInvention，thenheengagesnottomakeanyuseoftheMachinery，ortocommunicatetheSecrettoanypersonwhatsoever，untilitisprovedthattheInventionismadeuseofbyanyonewithoutrestrictionofPatent，orotherparticularagreementonthepartofMr。Koenig，underthepenaltyofSixThousandPounds。
“SignedT。Bensley，“FriederichKonig。
“Witness——J。Hunneman。“
Koenignowproceededtoputhisideainexecution。Hepreparedhisplansofthenewprintingmachine。Itseems，however，thattheprogressmadebyhimwasveryslow。Indeed，threeyearspassedbeforeaworkingmodelcouldbegotready，toshowhisideainactualpractice。Inthemeantime，Mr。WalterofTheTimeshadbeenseenbyBensley，andconsultedonthesubjectoftheinvention。Onthe9thofAugust，1809，morethantwoyearsafterthedateoftheaboveagreement，BensleywritestoKoenig:
“ImadeapointofcallinguponMr。Walteryesterday，who，Iamsorrytosay，declinesourpropositionaltogether，havingashesayssomanyengagementsastopreventhimenteringintomore。“
ItmaybementionedthatKoenig’soriginalplanwasconfinedtoanimprovedpress，inwhichtheoperationoflayingtheinkonthetypeswastobeperformedbyanapparatusconnectedwiththemotionsofthecoffin，insuchamannerasthatonehandcouldbesaved。Aslittlecouldbegainedinexpeditionbythisplan，theideasoonsuggesteditselfofmovingthepressbymachinery，ortoreducetheseveraloperationstoonerotarymotion，towhichthefirstmovermightbeapplied。WhilstKoenigwasinthethroesofhisinvention，hewasjoinedbyhisfriendAndrewF。
Bauer，anativeofStuttgart，whopossessedconsiderablemechanicalpower，inwhichtheinventorhimselfwasprobablysomewhatdeficient。Atallevents，thesetwotogetherproceededtoworkouttheidea，andtoconstructthefirstactualworkingprintingmachine。
Apatentwastakenout，datedthe29thofMarch，1810，whichdescribesthedetailsoftheinvention。Thearrangementwassomewhatsimilartothatknownastheplatenmachine；theprintingbeingproducedbytwoflatplates，asinthecommonhand-press。Italsoembodiedaningeniousarrangementforinkingthetype。Insteadoftheold-fashionedinkingballs，whichwerebeatenonthetypebyhandlabour，severalcylinderscoveredwithfeltandleatherwereused，andformedpartofthemachineitself。Twoofthecylindersrevolvedinoppositedirections，soastospreadtheink，whichwasthentransferredbytwootherinkingcylindersalternatelyappliedtothe“forme“bytheactionofspiralsprings。Themovementofallthepartsofthemachineweretobederivedfromasteam-engine，orotherfirstmover。
“Aftermanyobstructionsanddelays，“saysKoenighimself，indescribingthehistoryofhisinvention，“thefirstprintingmachinewascompletedexactlyupontheplanwhichIhavedescribedinthespecificationofmyfirstpatent。ItwassettoWorkinApril，1811。ThesheetHofthenewAnnualRegisterfor1810，’PrincipalOccurrences，’3000copies，wasprintedwithit；andis，Ihavenodoubt，thefirstpartofabookeverprintedwithamachine。Theactualuseofit，however，soonsuggestednewideas，andledtotherenderingitlesscomplicatedandmorepowerful“[2]
Ofcourse！Nogreatinventionwasevercompletedatoneeffort。
ItwouldhavebeenstrangeifKoenighadbeensatisfiedwithhisfirstattempt。Itwasonlyabeginning，andhenaturallyproceededwiththeimprovementofhismachine。IttookWattmorethantwentyyearstoelaboratehiscondensingsteam-engine；andsincehisday，owingtotheperfectionofself-actingtools，ithasbeengreatlyimproved。ThepoweroftheSteamboatandtheLocomotivealso，aswellasofallotherinventions，havebeendevelopedbytheconstantlysucceedingimprovementsofanationofmechanicalengineers。
Koenig’sexperimentwasonlyabeginning，andhenaturallyproceededwiththeimprovementofhismachine。AlthoughtheplatenmachineofKoenig’shassincebeentakenupanew，andperfected，itwasnotconsideredbyhimsufficientlysimpleinitsarrangementsastobeadaptedforcommonuse；andhehadscarcelycompletedit，whenhewasalreadyrevolvinginhismindaplanofasecondmachineonanewprinciple，withtheobjectofensuringgreaterspeed，economy，andsimplicity。