The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-05-28

JuN 0osaNsesy uS Atuo UcUu ot tnO tWiG lore.
tells the ahcllnasion Of Tie trco. Tho up.
right, obodlent, industtious lad will graduate
Hsteady, skilh,l, and capable man, rs un.
) mistaknlly rs the pcrvcrsc, idling, careless
boy will sripcn into lazy, dissolute,, and
worthless fellow. Tho fact is, aboy is measure.
lily tho maker Of his own destiny; and il
lie fails to acquire n knowledge Of
tho trade to which lie is put, it will mainly
bebecause he did not at his outset determine
to be master. workman. Good morals and
steady industry are indispensable. When
a lad who possesses these qualities proposes
to learn tho art and mystery of printing, it
should be inquired Of him, Has he had
fair common-school education Is lie n
perfect speller? Has he turn for reading?
Is his eyesight good? Is he under fifteen
years of age9 A true affirmative answer
to all these queries will entitle him to the
position of reading and GRAND boy. lie is
told the hours at which he is to come and
60, and a strict punctuality is enjoined upon
him. lie sweeps the room-he sorts out
the pi-he learns the position of the various
letters in the case. A year spent in this
way is an excellent prepara,ive for going
to case" or learning the art of composing
type. When he is put to composition, he
is told to set up one line and show it to the
foreman or to the journcyman under whose
caro- ho may be placed. The errors in the
line are pointed out to him, and he is re-
quired to correct them himself. When the
words are perfectly correct, he justifes the
line tightlyenough to prevent it from falling
down when the composing stick is slightly
inclined, and yet sufficiently loose to enable
him to lift it out with ease. In thus spac-
Ing out the line, the blanks between the
words must be so graduated that, when the
matter is printed, all the words will appear
ut equal distances apart. No matter how
impatient he may be to get on, he must be
drilled at this exercise till he becomes n
thorough master of it. The grand doctrine
10 be instilled into him at first is, to do his
work well and correctly: swiftncss will fol-
low MS natural consequence. lie sets a
second line; and after it has been made
faultless, he proceeds with the third and so
on till the stick Is full. The utmost care
must be taken 10 keep every letter and every
line in an exact vertical position and when
he essays to empty the stick, he must be
taught to lift the entire mass in one square
solid body, and to place it squarely and ver-
ticaly on the galley. IF the lines are al
lowed to slant either backward or sidewise,
it is difficult afterward to make them stand
accurately.
After apprentice has become thorough
ly conversant with the shape Of every type,
and can distinguish gu" from "n" "b" from
"q," and I'D" from "p,"' he is allowed to
distribute type forhis own use. Heis taught
to take up at one time no more matter than
he can conveniently grasp in his left hand
which he holds SO that the light falls on the
face Of the type, and his eye can readily
read it. In distributing the various lettrs,
he takes word or two between the thumb
and forefinger Of his right-hand, and the
types arc lightly dropped into their respect.
i've boxes.
at the outset, and as he proceeds, the
novitiate must bo cautioned against the ac.
QUESTION of bad habits such as swinging
the body as the types are picked UP, nick.
ing the type against the stick several times
before placing it in line, standing on one
leg, &c.-2ypograpAic Register.
Il Joke."--J. J. Hooper, Esq, the we'll
known author of "simon suggs," and Ed
'tor Of the Montgomery, Ala, Mail, fires of
the following good one:
Br'ting Congressn,en-" Il Joke."-We
. believe that it was sl,5oo that Congress.
men Edwards, Of New York, offered Mr.
Paine, of North Carolina, for his VOTE
Edwards says twas all ga joke" This re.
minds us Of the story of old Parasot, the
Mississippi: inf'l0l Frenchman, who once
blasphemously declared to friend that ou,