TIMES. 292 TIMOLEON. of new inventions in printing and publishing. Among improvements of the latter sort, one of the greatest was the introduction of steam printing presses, the use of which was begun with the issue of November 29, 1814, in spite of strong opposition from the employees. Subsequent ex- periments in The Times otfice led to the perfec- tion of stereotyping, to the introduction of the Walter press, from which by the use of stereo- type plates the paper was printed on both sides by a single operation, and to important improve- ments in folding, stitching, and type-setting ma- chines. For the first few years of its existence The Times was edited and managed solely by the two Walters — father and son. Its outspoken criticism of the King and his ilinisters during this period drew down on the proprietors the wrath of the Goveriunent, and as a result they were several times fined and imprisoned in Newgate. Several attempts were likewise made to hamper or sup- press their foreign news service, but this de- partment of the paper had been carefully and systematically developed with the result that the news of Trafalgar and Waterloo and other not- able victories of the British arms were ])ublished in London before the arrival of the official dis- patches. For some time prior to 1816 The Times w^as edited by Sir .John Stoddart. In the latter year the editorial control was intrusted to Thomas Barnes. He w-as assisted as a leader-writer by Edward Sterling, whose virile articles earned for him the name of 'The Thunderer.' For a period of thirty-six years— from 1841 to 1877— the edit- or was John Thaddeus Delane (q.v. ), one of the greatest of English journalists. He was suc- ceeded in turn by Thomas Chenery, upon whose death in 1884 George Earle Buckle became editor. The influence and position of The Times rank it as unquestionably the leading paper of the Brit- ish Empire, if not of the world. It has remained independent of party and has consistently favor- ed a strong foreign policy and a constant strengthening of the ties between the mother country and the colonies. It supported in turn Beaconsfield's stand on the Eastern question and Gladstone's Egyptian policy. When, however, the latter adopted the idea of Home Rule for Ireland. The Times withdrew its support, was an active factor in the promotion of the Liberal- Unionist Party, and contributed largely to the defeat of the Home Rule bills. It was in the course of this campaign that it made one of its few great blunders in the publication of the fa- mous Pigott forgeries, known as 'The Parnell Letters.' It supported Salisbury's Ministry in its South African policy in 1800-1902. although it vigorously criticised the conduct of the war after it had begun. In addition to its daily issue The Times publishes a triweekly, known as The Mail, a weekly edition, and a weekly Literary Supplement. It has published also an Atlas and a Gazetteer, and in 1898 undertook a reprint of the Encyelopcedia Britannien, which with the subsequently published supplementary volumes constitutes the tenth edition of that celebrated work. TIME SIGNALS. Signals used for the ac- curate regulation of clocks and watches. In the United States time signals are based on astronomical observations made at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington. These observations enable the astronomers there to keep their standard clock regulated; and from this clock a daily noon signal is sent out by electric telegraph to the Western Union Telegraph Com- pany. This company in turn uses the observatory signal to regulate its standard clock, from which accurate time is distributed telegraphically to the public. Various persons, jewelers and others, who are subscribers to the Western Union time service, receive signals electrically, and are thus able to keep their own standard clocks correct. In certain places a 'time-ball' is let fall exactly at noon by means of an automatic electric signal from the telegraph company, and the public are enabled to regulate watches and clocks. In Eng- land an analogous time-service is furnished from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich ; and other European countries, such as France and Germany, have similar arrangements in successful opera- tion. Thus the direct determination of time by actual astronomical observation has been ren- dered unnecessary on the part of jewelers and nautical instrument makers. These latter were formerly compelled to observe time-stars them- selves with small transit instruments (q.v.), in order to regulate the chronometers of vessels about to put to sea. TIM'OCLES (Lat., from Gk. Ti/wkX^s, Timo- klis ) (4th cent. B.C.). An Athenian comic poet, belonging to the Middle Comedy. He was noted for his pure and pungent style and for his attacks on Demosthenes. The fragments of his plays are best published in Koek, Comieorum Aiiiconim Fmifiiicnta, vol. ii. (Leipzig, 1886). TIMO'CREON (Lat., from Gk. 'ii.ii.nKpiuv, Tim.okre6n) . A Greek lyric poet of the early fifth century B.C., born at lalysus, in Rhodes. His works are lost, but his name has survived through his hatred for Themistocles, whom he bitterly attacked. The statesman was defended, however, by his friend Sinionides, whose sarcastic epigram on Timocreon's gluttony and bibulous habits has been preserved by Athenoeus. Tradition says that Timoereon excelled in drinking songs, to which he gave a satiric tone. Fragments are in Bergk. Poetw Lyrici Grwci, vol. iii., 4th ed. (1887). TIMO'LEON (Lat., from Gk. Ti/ioX^w^, Timo- lean) ( ?-B.o. 337). A Greek general, and the liberator of Sicily from the dominion of the tyrant Dionysius the Younger. He was born at Corinth, perhaps about B.C. 394, and was a mem- ber of one of the noblest and most illustrious of Corinthian families. On one occasion in battle he saved his brother Timophanes's life at the risk of his own, but, when Timophanes at- tempted to overthrow the democratic form of government at Corinth and make himself sole tyrant. Timoleon brought about his brother's death and the reestablishment of the old constitu- tion. Just after this event, and while the Co- rinthians were still deliberating with regard to the act, in B.C. 344, an embassy arrived at Corinth from Syracuse in Sicily, a colony of Corinth, requesting the aid of the Corinthians in the civil dissensions which were taking place in the. island. A force was sent to assist the Syra- cusans, with Timoleon at the head. In Sicily at this time Ilicetas and Dionysius the Younger were both striving to obtain the supremacy in Syra-
