The weekly Columbian., 1857-03-07
Peeps from a Printing OfIiee.
By A TYPO.
"Little drops of water,
Little grains Of sand,
Make the mighty ocean,
And the beauteous land.O

oue IloSC IOrclDly OF the smell of oil, and
we shall hear nothing now but the clank-
ing of machinery and the clicking of
type!''
Well, what Of that, fair !ady1 True,
the oil we use is not SO highly perfumed
as that with which you smooth your ring
lets; but for all that it has the same ba.
sis-and is applied to far nobler purpose.
The "clanking" of our machinery may
not be pleasant to your ovcr-refned
taste; but to the true poet it has sound
sweeter even than "tinkling of cymbals."
The clicking" oftype may be even dis
agreeable to you; but zoe had rather hear
1t and cause it, than be possessed of the
gift of Jenny Lind, were we to have our
choice of the two.
Ours is a glorious mission, fellow crafts
men. Princes and potentates own our
sway, and there is no earthly power
mightier than ours. As we stand up to
the "case," worn and weary though we
may be, we have at least tho comfort of
the thought that though we cannot find
an acre of Gods earth that we may call
our escn-though n we are poorly paid and
heavily tasked-though there may not
be one to whom we may say &C.," or
to another "Come"-thou9h we may
know that we shall leave no mighty
name" behind US, with our fame emblaz-
oned on history's page and sculptured in
marble-yet we are assured that our
works "shall not perish" Long after
we shall have been laid beneath the sod,
the "still, small voices" with which we
have spoken will go on with their mighty
work, accomplishing the good which we
have sought while living. With our
'mallets' we are driving home "wedges"
that shall in time overturn "principalities
and powers" With shooting irons" of
more effect than "Sharp's rifles" or "Colt's
revolvers," we march to the battle against
Wrong, far more sure of victory than
they who WELD the sword.
Oftentimes as we have stood at our
"case" merrily sticking" the magical
strips of metal, which seemed as things
oflife under our fingers, have we laughed
in our sleeve" as we thought how many
would be anxiously watching for the re-
suit of our labors-how many hopes and
fears hung on the mere ipse dirit of the
types-how much the "leadlng men" and
''frst writers" of our day are indebted to
the humble but none the less valuable
labors Of the Typo And again our
heart would grow sad as we thought of
those to whom we should be the bearers
of evil tidings. How many of those who
read the dolorous headings-"Dreadful
Disaster" Fearful Railro Accident
and Great Loss of Life!" &c, are un-
touched by the sad news? To many and
many home do we thus convey the sad
intelligence, and as we do so, there wells
up in our heart prayer for the "loved
ones left behind" and hymn of thanks
giving that Ue were not one of those who
were so suddenly and fearfully launched
into eternity.
But we have higher and nobler mis-
sion than that ofmere messengers. Print
ers are emphatically the reformers of the
age in which we live. In these dirty
rooms where few but mechanical sounds
are heard, busy work of mind is going
on. Those rough looking men at their
cases are even now, perhaps, giving to
the world their own great and noble
thoughts-speaking with metallic tongues
words that will cheer some fellow work
er, or spur up some dreamer, to works
he never thought himself capable Of
sowing seed by the wayside that in time
will spring up and bear "good fruit, even
an hundred fold'-planting vine that
shall at some futre day shelter the weary
Pilgrim on Life's journey-striking a
rock from whence shall gush forth foun-
tain of pure water, refreshing to many a
faint and disheartened denizen of this
cold world Of ours. No "new measure"
is proposed-no new principle in Science,
Art, Politics or Mechanics, is promulga-
ted-but these busy Printers-these rea-
dy Thinkers-seize upon it and proceed
to "enlighten the public" upon its bear
ings and its applications, for wonderful
ly practical set are they. Educated, as
they generally are, in the sternest of all
systems, that of hard-won experience,
they look at life as Reality, divested of
false adornings and outward shows. By
the time they arrive at manhood's years
for their printer life must needs COM
mence early-they have won the right to
stand among men many years their SEN
iors, and call them equals. ssThe poor
boys college" has fitted them for such a
life struggle as few "outsiders" know Of
With brave heart but slim purse
often with naught but his rule in his pock-
et-many typo leaves the scene of his
earlier experience to go forth "to seek
his fortune" in some distant section. II
everything else fails him, you may be sure
that his stock of brass never will. With
i IL j i. L I