placed at his disposal.  Thus, genius, energy, and patience, aided by capital, carried the work bravely forward.  It is a pleasure to record that a worthy design was thus generously nurtured.  Mr. Felt’s fund was subsequently increased by additional loans, from several of the same patrons.  One of these gentlemen—­Dr. G. Henry Lodge, of Swamscott, Massachusetts—­contributed with such generous liberality that he may justly be said to share with the inventor the honor of having introduced this noble improvement in the art of printing.  I take off my hat to Maecenas.  Dr. Lodge was led to appreciate the need of such an improvement by personal experience in publishing a large work, copies of which were gratuitously distributed among various libraries in the Republic.  Acquainted with the toil of a printer’s life, impelled by earnest love of real progress, and guided by a sound, practical judgment, he was peculiarly well fitted for the difficult province of directing the labors of an enthusiastic inventor.  His duty has been well performed.  The success of Mr. Felt’s undertaking is due scarcely less to the pecuniary aid of all his patrons than to the counsel and encouragement of this wise, liberal, and steadfast friend.  Thus aided, he has triumphed over all obstacles.  Proceeding in a most unostentatious manner, he has submitted his device to the inspection of practical printers, and men of science, in various cities of the United States and Great Britain, and has everywhere won approval.  His first patent was issued in 1854,—­proceedings to obtain it having been commenced in the preceding year.  Meanwhile he has organized a wealthy and influential company, for the purpose of manufacturing the machines and bringing them into general use.  One of them has been built at Providence, Rhode Island, but the manufactory will be in Salem, Massachusetts, where the company has been formed.

The merits of Mr. Felt’s machine are manifold.  It is comparatively simple in construction, it is strongly made and durable, it cannot easily get out of order, and it does its work thoroughly.  All that is required of the operator is to read the copy and touch the keys.  The processes proceed, then, as of their own accord.  But the supreme excellence of the machine is that it justifies the matter which it sets.  The possibility of doing this by machinery has always been doubted, if not entirely disbelieved, from an erroneous idea that the process must be directed by immediate intelligence.  Mr. Felt’s invention demonstrates that this operation is clearly within the scope of machinery; that there is no need of a machine with brains, for setting or justifying type; that such a machine need not be able to think, read, or spell; but that, guided in its processes by an intelligent mind, a machine can perform operations which, as in this case, are purely mechanical, much more rapidly and cheaply than they can be performed by hand.

I cannot pretend to convey a technically accurate idea of this elaborate, though compact piece of machinery; but such a sketch as I can give—­from memory of a pleasant hour spent in looking at it—­shall here be given as briefly as possible.