Mr.
Perry would have nothing to do with the machine; he would not even go to see it, for he regarded it as a gimcrack.[5] On the contrary, Mr.
Walter, though he had five years before declined to enter into any arrangement with Bensley, now that he heard the machine was finished, and at work, decided to go and inspect it.

It was thoroughly characteristic of the business spirit of the man.

He had been very anxious to apply increased mechanical power to the printing of his newspaper.

He had consulted Isambard Brunel--one of the cleverest inventors of the day--on the subject; but Brunel, after studying the subject, and labouring over a variety of plans, finally gave it up.

He had next tried Thomas Martyn, an ingenious young compositor, who had a scheme for a self-acting machine for working the printing press.