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Southland Times, Volume VII, Issue 541, 15 August 1866, Page 3

Gtbaphotype. — On Saturday (March 17) the Graphotype Company (Limited), exhibited at the London Tavern specimens of the work executed by their ingenious process. That process, which bids fair to supersede the art of the wood engraver altogether, and thus to save a large portion of the expense incurred in producing illustrated -works, was accidentally discovered in 1860, by Mr De "Wit Clinton Hitchcock, of New York, and after various improvements, it it now performed •in the following manner : — An artificial chalk block or plate is first produced by grinding the best French chalk to fine powder, mixing this powder with water to a thin cream, and separating the portion which precipitates first, repeating this operation sever- *1 times, to insure the complete separation of any hard or coarse particles, drying the very finely-divided chalk thus obtained, and sifting it through wirecloth having 10,000 holes to the square inch, on to the surface of a perfectly smooth plate of zinc, placing a plate of highly-polished steel on the top of the even layer of chalk-flour thus obtained, and then submitting it to powerful hydraulic pressure. On removing the pressure and lifting off the steel plate, the chalk is found to be firmly attached to the zinc plate, and to present a perfectly smooth upper surface, which only requires to be ' 'sized," in order that the ink to be used in drawing on it may not " spread," to be ready for the artist. The latter proceeds as in "the ordinary method of drawing on wood, first making a red chalk tracing on the block or plate, and then with sable-hair pencils of various sizes, drawing his design line for line, exactly as he wishes to appear when printed. The ink used is a mixture of glue and lamp-black, and dries instantly, so that one series of lines, of whatever thickness, may be immediately crossed by others. The drawing being completed, the portions of the chalk surface intervening between the lines of the drawing are rubbed away to the depth of an eighth of an inch or so, by means of brashes, some of them of fitch hair, and others of silk velvet. This rubbing, : which does not take more than a few seconds to do, is all that represents the tedious labor of the wood cutter. After it is finished, the block is hardened by being soaked in a solution of an akaline silicate. It would be perfectly possible to print directly from the chalk, but it is found in practice more convenient to take a stereotype casting for the press. The process is so delicate that an impression of the thumb moistened with the graphotype ink, of skeleton leaves feathers, and other objects to which nature-printing has been applied, can be made to give beautiful impressions in the ordinary type-press, whilst the finest hair-line that the artist can make, will stand equally well with the bolder work. The process is also Baid to be applicable to calicoprinting, and to many other departments of art manufacture ; so that there is no telling to what changes it may be destined ere long to give rise. — The Times. Some men were in a tavern, and, when at the height of their jollity, in came a friend, whose name was Sampson. — "Ah," said one, "we may now be securely merry, fearing neither sergeant or bailiff,- for, though a thousand such Philistines should come, here is Sampson, >vko is able to brain them all." — " Sir," replied Sampson, " I may boldly venture on as many as you speak of, provided you lend me one of your jawbones." Absence. — Absence is a short kind of \li3ath ; and in either one can only wish o.Jfc the friend we are separated from -nay be happy with these that are left them. ; Talent, without wisdom, is like a fiddle hjj mthout a fiddle-stick.