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Becker； was compelled to admit that this particular
specimen was almost perfect and more nearly so with a
single exception than any other which had come under
my observation。 Becker was a sort of genius in the juggling
of bank checks。 He knew the values of ink and
the correct chemical to affect them。 His paper mill
was his mouth； in which to manufacture specially
prepared pulp to fill in punch holes； which when
ironed over； made it most difficult to detect even with
a magnifying glass。 He was able also to imitate
water marks and could reproduce the most intricate
designs。 He says he has reformed。
During the last twenty years quite a number of
cases have been tried in New York City and vicinity
in which the question of inks was an all important one。
The titles of a few not already referred to are given。
herewith： Lawless…Flemming； Albinger Will； Phelan…
Press Publishing Co。； Ryold； Kerr…Southwick； N。 Y。
Dredging Co。； Thorless…Nernst； Gekouski； Perkins；
Bedell forgeries； Storey； Lyddy； Clarke； Woods；
Baker； Trefethen； Dupont…Dubos； Schooley； Humphrey；
Dietz…Allen； Carter； and Rineard…Bowers。
CHAPTER XXV。
INK UTENSILS OF ANTIQUITY。
THE GRAVING TOOL PRECEDES THE PENCLASSIFICATION
UNDER TWO HEADS； ONE WHICH SCRATCHED AND THE
OTHER WHICH USED AN INKTHE STYLUS AND THE
MATERIALS OF WHICH IT WAS COMPOSEDPOETICALLY
DESCRIBEDCOMMENTS BY NOEL HUMPHREYSRECAPITULATION
OF VARIOUS DEVICES BY KNIGHTBIBLICAL
REFERENCESENGRAVED STONES AND OTHER
MATERIALS THE EARLIEST KINDS OF RECORDSWHEN
THIN BRICKS WERE UTILIZED FOR INSCRIPTION
PURPOSESMETHODS EMPLOYED BY THE CHINESE
HILPRECHT'S DISCOVERIESTHE DIAMOND AS A SCRATCHING
INSTRUMENTHISTORICAL INCIDENT WRITTEN
WITH ONEBIBLICAL MENTION ABOUT THE DIAMOND
WHEN IT BECAME POSSIBLE TO INTERPRET
CHARACTER VALUES OF ANCIENT HIEROGLYPHICSDISCOVERY
OF THE ROSETTA STONE AND A DESCRIPTION OF
ITSOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT CHAMPOLLION AND
DR。 YOUNG WHO DECIPHERED ITITS CAPTURE BY
THE ENGLISH AND PRESERVATION IN THE BRITISH
MUSEUMEMPLOYMENT OF THE REED PEN AND PENCIL…
BRUSHTHE BRUSH PRECEDED THE REED PENTHE
PLACES WHERE THE REEDS GREWCOMMENTS BY
VARIOUS WRITERSMETHOD OF FORMING THE REED
INTO A PENCONTINUED EMPLOYMENT OF THEM IN
THE FAR EASTTHE BRUSH STILL IN USE IN CHINA
AND JAPANEARLIEST EXAMPLES OF REED PEN WRITING
WHEN THE QUILL WAS SUBSTITUTED FOR THE
REEDREED PENS FOUND IN THE RUINS OF
HERCULANEUMANECDOTE BY THE ABBE； HUC。
THE instruments of antiquity employed in the art
of writing belong to two of the most distant epochs。
In the first period； inscriptions were engraved；
carved or impressed with sharp instruments； and of
patterns characteristic of a graving tool； chisel or other
form which could be adapted to particular substances
like stone； leaves； metal or ivory plates； wax or clay
tablets； cylinders and prisms。
The ancient Assyrians even used knives or stamps
for impressing their cuneiform writing upon cylinders
or prisms of soft clay which were often glazed by
subsequent bakings in kilns。
The other period was that in which written characters
were made with liquids or paints of any kind or
color。 The liquids （inks） were used in connection
with a pen manufactured from a reed （calamus）； while
the paints were 〃painted〃 on the various substances
with a brush。 The writing executed with both of
these instruments was on materials like the bark of
trees； cloth； skins； papyrus； vellum； etc。
The ancient as well as modern pens； though of many
sorts and kinds； are to be classified under two general
heads； those which scratch and those which use
an ink。
There is no authority to dispute the generally conceded
fact that the 〃scratching〃 instrument was the
first one used。 Its most popular form seems to have
been the stylus or bodkin； which was made of a variety
of materials； such as iron； ivory； bone； minerals or any
other hard substance； which could be sufficiently
sharpened at one end to indent the various materials
employed in connection with its use。 The other end
was flattened for erasing marks made on wax and
smoothing it。 From it the Italian stilletto took its
origin。
The stylus is best described in the following
lines：
〃My head is flat and smooth； but sharp my foot；
And by man's hand to different uses put；
For what my foot performs with art and care；
My head makes void； such opposites they are。〃
Relative to the employment of marking instruments
which belong to the most venerable antiquity； Noel
Humphreys observes：
〃Before the growth of wealth and luxury had
taught nations to raise magnificent temples and
stately palaces； whose walls the hieroglyphic sculptor
covered with records of the pomp and pride
of princes； more purely national memorials had
found their place upon the native rock； the most
convenient surfaces of which were smoothed for
this purpose。 Where no such rock existed in the
situation required； a massive stone was raised by
artificial means and the record； whether referring
to a victory； a new boundary； or any other event
of national interest was engraved upon it。 Such
memorials have been described by Hebrew writers
as aumad or ammod； literally； the lips of the people；
or； the words of the people； but actually meaning
a pillar。 Records in this form and the early name
they bore account for the strange legends of mediaeval
times referring to speaking stonesa name
by which such monuments were probably still called
long after time had effaced the speaking record；
and the original purport of the defaced stone was
forgotten。 In semi…barbarous epochs； like the era
which followed the partial extinction of Roman
civilization； popular curiosity and superstition combined
would seek to give a meaning to the name of
such 'speaking stones；' and as an example of the
legends which thus arose； the itinerarium cambriae
of Geraldus may be cited； in which a stone is mentioned
at St。 David's as the 'speaking stone'
（lech lavar） which was said to call out when a dead
body was placed upon it。 The most remarkable
rock inscriptions still remaining are those of Assyria
and Persia； but many national tablets of more
recent date are still in existence。 For the execution
of such records and those of the palaces of
Egypt and Assyria； some kind of steel point must
have been used； as no softer substance would have
served to engrave them in granitic and basaltic
slabs with the sharpness they still exhibit； which
proves that the art of hardening steel； long thought
a comparatively modern invention； was known to
the ancient people of Asia and Africa。〃
A list of the various devices of different countries；
by which characters could be legibly portrayed with
a scratching implement； is best recapitulated by Mr。
Knight； who presents them in the following order：
〃The tabula or wooden board smeared with wax；
upon which a letter was written by a stylus。
〃The Athenian scratched his vote upon a shell
as did the lout when he voted to ostracize Aristides。
〃The records of Ninevah were inscribed upon
tablets of clay； which were then baked。
〃The laws of Rome were engraved on brass and
laid up in the Capitol。
〃The decalogue was graven upon the tables of
stone。
〃The Egyptians used papyrus and granite。
〃The Burmese； tablets of ivory and leaves。
〃Pliny mentions sheets of lead； books of linen；
and waxed tablets of wood。
〃The Hebrews used linen and skins。
〃The Persians； Mexicans； and North American
Indians used skins。
〃The Greeks； prepared skins called membrana。
〃The people of Pergamus； parchment and
vellum。
〃The Hindoos； palm…leaves。〃
The written deeds of biblical time were kept in various
styles of pottery （Jeremiah xxxii。 14）。 Handwriting
on tiles was common in Egypt； Assyria and
Palestine （Ezekiel iv。 I）。 Such handwritings were on
tablets of terra…cotta or common baked clay bricks。
One of the kind was fashioned by inscribing directly
with a 〃stylus〃 on the clay； before baking。 Another；
were 〃moulds〃 made from older inscriptions or duplicates
from the first kind。
The Hebrew term sepher； translated into English
means a 〃book；〃 and some authorities claim it is derived
from the same root as the Greek ； a stone；
which would seem to point to engraved stones as the
earliest kinds of records。 Indeed nearly all the passages
in the Five Books of Moses； in which writing is
mentioned； refer to records of this kind； or to tablets
of lead or wood； occasionally described as coated with
wax。
Long before the use of papyrus； or any like substance
was known as a material for writing on； thin
bricks were frequently utilized for such purposes。
The Chinese wrote on slips of bamboo which had
been previously scraped to be afterwards submitted to
intense heat which so hardened them；