I am wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to answer the
following questions:

-- When Sam Clemens begins working (1847) in the Hannibal print shop
of Joseph P. Ament, what kind of press and printing equipment was
Ament using?    Full rotary presses were just being introduced, and I
doubt that Ament's small operation could have acquired or afforded
one.  But is there an archive which would give us clues as to what
machines (Columbian, Ramage, stop-cylinder, whatever) he was actually
using in 1847-51.

-- When Sam subsequently works on his brother Orion's newspapers,
what kinds of machines were in operation  there?
         If nobody knows, can anyone suggest resources where we might
turn up the answer?

Bruce Michelson
University of Illinois