The Chicago "Daily Democratic Press" EXTRA! [Steam-Powered] Printing for the Million!!

An exceptional broadside preserved in the Library of Congress describes the remarkable extent of the huge steam-powered printing operation at Chicago's Daily Democratic Press in May 1855. The broadside boasts of the speed of all its presses and the power of the single steam engine that drives those that operate under steam power. LOC transcribed its text as follows:

" “DAILY DEMOCRATIC PRESS” EXTRA!

PRINTING for the MILLION!!

DAILY DEMOCRATIC PRESS STEAM PRINTING HOUSE!

45 CLARK ST., CHICAGO.

THE LARGEST AND MOST COMPLETE PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT

In The Mississippi Valley!!—Capable Of Printing

345.000 SHEETS OF PAPER PER DAY!

The Proprietors, thankful for past favors, would respectfully inform their friends and the public generally, that in addition to their former stock, they have just received and put in operation,

Three New Steam Power Presses!!

Together with the largest assortment of New Type ever shipped to the West, rendering the “Daily Democratic Press,” truly a • MODEL PRINTING HOUSE! •

•We would call especial attention of those who use large quantities of Cards, to the fact, that included among our machinery is one of GORDON'S “Fire Fly” CARD PRESSES, which feeds, prints and cuts its own cards at the rate of 10.000 per HOUR! and which cannot fail to be appreciated by the business community of Chicago. It is a curiosity worth examination.

We have in operation, a most beautiful Engine of 25 horse power, which drives the following superior Steam Printing Machines:

Hoe's Mammoth Cylinder, 2.000 per hour.

Adams' Mammoth Book Press, 1.500 per hour.

Hoe's Super-Royal Cylinder, 2.500 per hour.

Hoe's Medium Cylinder, 2.500 per hour.

Adam's Super-Royal Blank Press, 2.000 per hour.

Hoe's Lightning R. R. Press, No. 1, 4.500 per hour

Hoe's Lightning R. R. Press, No. 2, 4.500 per hour.

Ruggles' Bill-Head press, 2,500 per hour.

Hoe's Superior Card, Press, 2,500 per hour.

Gordon's “Fire Fly”—Excelsior, 10.000 per hour.

• OR 345.000 SHEETS PER DAY! •

More than double the capacity of any other Printing House in the Northwest.

In addition to the above, we have a Mammoth Washington Press, for printing large Posters or Hand-Bills—plain or in colors; and one of Taylor's superior Hand Presses for colored work of all kinds, in a style unsurpassed, East or West! Mercantile Dealers throughout the West will save money by calling on us for their supply of Printing, in any form or color.

We keep constantly on hand a large stock of Superior Paper and Card Boards, From which Customers can select to suit their tastes.

THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS, A Daily, Tri-Weekly and Weekly Journal, Of Literature—Science—Commerce and News .—In Politics, Genuinely Democratic; In Literature, Moral and Select; In Commerce, universally acknowledged the best, and in fact the only reliable Commercial Paper in Chicago; In News, always in advance. Daily Market Reports carefully made up by one of the Editors, including a Weekly Review of the Live Stock Market . The Democratic Press has the largest circulation and is the best medium for Advertising of any paper in Chicago.

•Specimen numbers sent by mail when requested. Money enclosed in a strong envelope may be sent by mail at our risk.

Subscribers furnished at the following Rates:

Daily, per annum, In Advance, $6.00

Tri-Weekly “ 4.00

“ Six Copies, “ 18.00

“ Ten “ “ 35.00

Weekly, Single Copy, “ 1.50

“ Five Copies “ 6,00

“ Ten “ “ 10.00

•Orders for Job Printing, Advertising or Subscription, addressed POST PAID, to SCRIPPS, BROSS & SPEARS, Democratic Press Office, Chicago, Ill.

MAY 14th, 1855."