ONE ON HENRY

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 221, 14 June 1930, Page 29

ONE ON HENRY

Henry Ford paid 1000 dollars extra for an antique printing press because a Southern newspaper editor was “too busy” to erase the letter “f.” The story has just been related by H. W. Kronheimer, of High Point, formerly one of the editors of the “Roanoke Valley News.” His interest in the tale is that he ouce owned the press, but not appreciating its value to a collector, sold it for about 20 dollars.

Mr. Kronheimer originally purchased the. press at auction for less than 10 dollars. Some of the parts were missing. He sold it, and it changed hands several times, finally coming to Boydton, Va. A typographers’ salesman called on the Boydton editor. “What’s that?” he asked, peering at the old press, caked with ink and half covered with rubbish. “Junk,” said the editor. “It was part of the outfit when I took it over.” The salesman rubbed off the maker’s name plate and saw a date several centuries old. “Henry Ford wouldn't call this junk,” he suggested. The editor wrote to Henry Ford, and received an immediate reply, asking for particulars and the price. Particulars were easy, but the price perplexed the newspaper man. Fifty dollars? Perhaps. “Fif—,” he wrote. Not enough. Five hundred. But he’d have to rub out that “f” and substitute a “v.” Too much trouble. Make it 1500. He did. And Mr. Ford sent his check.. ■

Tracing of the history of the old press disclosed that it was the second to be brought to the United States from England, being used for years at Williamsburg, Va., in the days when the colonies were young. It now reposes in Mr. Ford’s museum at Dearborn, Mich.