Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1856-09-11
miscellaneous.
THE pHAEroM pREssMAN.
= VICTOR eALBRirH.

The old Office was deserted for the night
the typ0s, "deyls,p and pressmen had quit
ted their lpboTs and The silence and darkness
which now reigDed were in bold contrast with
tle sounds of the clanking press, ,ond the
clstierine and kissing Of The old stesm en-.
gine, which had ell day dinned their loud
noiSe in The ears Of The occupants Of the OF
fee building.
Il was relic Of a past age 4that old print
ing otiice-and many year had rolled into
the Suif OF Time since II was new. Many
epreniice /" had sprung up into a man within
its walls, and many on editor and pnblisher
had there been fitted for the great battle
against ignorance and Wrong.
sOld, disabled doases--coniaining older type,
bruised, battered and worn, old fashioned and
Z obsolete--were piled in the corners and in the
rsrret; and heaps OF manuscript articles, OF a
by.pot period, were 10 be found in oil the
out or fhe way places, reminding one Of the
/ ~ fast & ace we live in, and throwing agloonny
Dir over the whole Office.
Adjoining the composing room was the press
room, with lis mommoth oylinderpress, which,
although not so anc lent as The rest OF the es-
,ablishmeni, had time worn appearance.
thought Of The many workmen who had run
the old machine, with IFS rusty, clanking, and
diispidsitd old boiler and engine; Of those
who had sprung up and passed away since il
wss made stheiri slave, doing their bidding
with failhful. grim, and mighty power. /,
was lost III reyerie. sat in my arm
chair, BY the stove in The composing room.
poruerng op the many changes, for good and
ier evil, tha, has passed over the progrsmme
OF my Office Ii ej coming over the list, in my
meniory, OF those who bod been through the
school Of appfenticeshipben that ancient
roof. Boys had become men in The room
! where fwss sitting; had lived and died, -four
jshed and failed, according 10 their destiny;
and many are yet living, 10 obtain their bread
BY the use. Of ahe implements opd machinery
ground me. .s
There, in that corner by The window, is The
n case and stand" where poor jack Bangs
used to set type, befnre be was killed BY the
sleam-demon in the press room. He was as
fne Gyoung fellow ns ever handled compos-
Ing stick; he used TO run The old press occa-
Bionaily, and aways at the Top notch OF its
speedj but one night be was at his post, with
D full head Of steam, running at lightning
speed, being impatient 10 end his labor, when
he was accidentally tripped of his feel, and
fell Immediately III on the bed Of the press,
and was carried under the enormous cylinder.
i As The bed rsn through, be was thrown upon
ihe floor lifeless and cold. The press contir-
ped is motion all the long night, thpnderiDg,
and idfring, and rumbling; and when The
hsnds came 10 their work in the morning,
they found poor Jack there, mangled and
dead, the demon OF steam and iron stiilurg-
Ing Ire machinery on its din. They took him
pp reyenntly and sadly: and he was borne
10 isgrsye In The churchyard by his SORROW
jng companions.
This eve wasthe twelfth anniversary Of bis
death and shuddered rs Remembered the
fact, fos bad heard dim hints to the effect;
fbat the Office was visited every year, on this
night by = The Phantom Pressmani' There
was print Of q skeleton hand on the dingy
4 wall Of the press room, said % have been
made BY him on one Of hisgisits, which ! had
pften seen and shuddered at, Being however,
pf a bold Iesoiuie nature, did mol allow my.
sell 10 be frightened by silly supefslilions
and tried TO feel comfortable and af ease.
The coal burned brightly in the gate, ani
shed light around the room sufficient to dis.
cern objects dimiyi bnt felt q chill come
over me, In spite II all my philosophy. Sue.
denly, imagined saw q bright fash Of ligh
from the crack Of The press loom door, IN,
ttald slight Kissing as Of the escaping
tlfom. started nervous!y, and watched ami
listened. Ny flesh crept: the hair seemed 4
ekpRi and move on my scalp With chill feel
Ing; and ltrembled like lsaf. There wa
4 lehi nj The press room surely l felt i'm
PEELED 70 rise fommy chair and walk 10 tlI'
Door. A sort d fascination drew me sofwotd
and | advanced noiselessly. The door wa
i t]ishlly aisf and l looked in The room wa
filled viii most Intense glow Of light; lhe gal
ives burning IN binding hpshes, and as ~.
eye resied On the old boiler 1 saw il was al !
white heli, and sparkling IKE meteor, TIL
iligLt nearly binde me Al 6gsl; bal as lIIl