himself entirely to this branch of his business, and soon produced the machine known as “Hoe’s Double-Cylinder Press,” which was capable of making about six thousand impressions per hour.  The first press of this kind ever made was ordered by the New York Sun, and was the admiration of all the printers of the city.  This style of press is now used extensively for printing country newspapers.

As long as the newspaper interest of the country stood still, “Hoe’s Double-Cylinder Press” was amply sufficient for its wants, but as the circulation of the journals of the large cities began to increase, the “double-cylinder” was often taxed far beyond its powers.  A printing press capable of striking off papers with much greater rapidity was felt to be an imperative and still-increasing need.  It was often necessary to hold the forms back until nearly daylight for the purpose of issuing the latest news, and in the hurry which ensued to get out the morning edition, the press very frequently met with accidents.

Mr. Hoe was fully alive to the importance of improving his press, and, in 1842, he began to experiment with it for the purpose of obtaining greater speed.  It was a serious undertaking, however, and at every step fresh difficulties arose.  He spent four years in experimenting, and at the end of that time was almost ready to confess that the obstacles were too great to be overcome.  One night, in. 1846, while in this mood, he resumed his experiments.  The more he pondered over the subject the more difficult it seemed.  In despair, he was about to relinquish the effort for the night, when suddenly there flashed across his mind a plan for securing the type on a horizontal cylinder.  This had been his great difficulty, and he now felt that he had mastered it.  He sat up all night, working out his design, and making a note of every idea that occurred to him, in order that nothing should escape him.  By morning the problem which had baffled him so long had been solved, and the magnificent “Lightning Press” already had a being in the inventor’s fertile brain.

He carried his model rapidly to perfection, and, proceeding with it to Washington, obtained a patent.  On his return home he met Mr. Swain, the proprietor of the Baltimore Sun and Philadelphia Ledger, and explained his invention to him.  Mr. Swain was so much pleased with it that he at once ordered a four-cylinder press, which was completed and ready for use on the 31st of December, 1848.  This press was capable of making ten thousand impressions per hour, and did its work with entire satisfaction in every respect.