identity of the Oregon press with the original Sandwich
Islands press, but the following arguments may aid.
The serial number 14 borne by the press now in Portland is not a proof of the very early origin of the press, as it can readily be proved not to be, as claimed, the fourteenth press manufactured by Ramage, but only the fourteenth press of that particular small type, which was the third style of press designed by him, patented May 28, 1818, and so not put on the market until the lat- ter part of the first quarter of the last century, certainly too late for it to have been in the worn-out condition that the first Hawaiian press was when sent out by the Thad- deus in 1819.
The writer is informed by Mr. Henry L. Bullen, man- ager of the American Type Founding Company, and librarian of the Typographic Library and Museum at Jersey City, N. J., that during the early years of Ramage's manufacture of presses he did not construct any presses of so small a size, but had constructed hun- dreds of larger presses before he began to make any of the type of the Oregon press.
In a letter dated February 17, 1917, he writes :
"Ramage in the beginning made what is known as a two-pull press, a large wooden press, with stone bed, suitable for newspaper and book work. The area of type covered would be 18x24 in., but press would accommo- date paper Iy 2 in. larger each way. The paper used was usually demy, the size of which is 17^x22^ in. About 1816 Ramage met the growing demand for commercial printing with a foolscap press, the area of type covered, I2y 2 xl6y 2 in., but capable of taking paper 16>^xl8 in. The advertised price of this press in 1845 was $60; doubtless it cost more in 1816. In 1845 he also adver- tised a job press for $30. Of this we have no particu- lars, nor have we seen any.
Doubtless each style of press had its own consecutive series of numbers."
The first Hawaiian press was worn out long before 1839.
