The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-01-04
The London Times.
A GLIMPSE AT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF "THE
THuNDERER."

The London Times.
GLIMPSE AT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
THUNDERER."
A French tourist contributes to the
Courier de pEure the following account OF
visit to the London Times printing estab-
lishment:
: I have visited, at London, the printing
Office of the Times. 1t is truly something
great and wonderful; there is nowhere in
France any thing of the kind to equal it.
At the starting of the paper in l79l, the
Times consisted of only single page, and
was printed by hand press, which struck
off one side of two hundred sheets per
hour. ,s.,...r
In 1915 Keng madea press which struck
of 800 sheets. In 1927 Applegarth, aid
ed by Courier, constructed new one on
which 1000 to 5000 copies could be print
ed. In 1928 the same Applegarth estab-
lshed his famous vertical machine, which l
examined, and on which 10000 copies per
hour are struck off. Since 1928 the man.
ayers of the lanes have erected another
machine, with horizontal cylinders, which
strikes off eight copies at once, or about
10000 per hour. These two presses, which
make, while at work, deafening noise, and
which can be stopped at moments notice,
are moved by steam engine of forty-fve
horse power. ..-. -.t r-
Adjoining the room in which is the boil
er, is closet containing white marble bath
ing tubs, intended for the workmen in the
establishment. 1t cost 30 guineas.
A composition on the Times must have
passed an examination showing that he can
set at least 40 lines of Sc letters, or about
2,24O letters per hour. The price paid for
type-setting is lid. per thousand letters, at
which rate the compositor can make from
Is to 30 francs in an ordinary days work.
This amounts to about SIS day. There
are l25 compcsitors employed. 80 OF whom
are occupied solely in setting up advertise
ments. Five or six stenographers take
notes of parliamentary proceeding at West>
minister, and return every quarter OF an
hour to the newspaper Office, to put their
copy in shape and let the compositors have
it without delay. In this way it often hap
pens that speech delivered at two o'clock
in the morning, appears in the journal
which is struck off at six o'clock AID dis
tributed at seven. ......
The editorial room is large and well
q lighted. In the centre is huge oak table,
and around the room are little desks finished
with every convenience Tor writing. Adj
joining, is dining-room for the editors,
and the archive-room, where are stored all
the files of the Times since its foundation.
Next to the archive chamber saw the
proof-readers' rooms, where are hundreds of
dictionaries and encyclopedias, in all Ian
guages and relating to all subjects. A
dozen proof readers are employed during
the day and another dozen during the night.
They have an eating. room adjoining that
where they work, and their meals are pro-
vided at the expense of the establishment.
On another story is small room where
are printed the registers and envelopes for
the mail papers. i1|
Every one of the editors living in Lon
don carries with him number of enve-
lopes addressed to the Times, so that in any
place where he may happen to be, at the
theater, the races, or elsewhere, he can send
by a special messenger bis copy to the Office.
The foreign correspondents have envelopes
of red paper, which are sent Immediately on
their arrival from the Post Office to the
Times Office
Supplies of paper and ink are constantly
kept in readiness. -Four thousand pounds
of ink are used each week. The paper is
weighed in the establishment by very in
geniOus machine. 1t is also pOstmarked on
the spot.
The journal appears every morning and
evening. But sometimes during the day
special editions are issued when important
news demand. This extra edition can be
prepared in two hours.
When visited the establishment it was
one o'clock in the day, and the news had
just arrived of the death, at half past twelve,
of Albert Smith. At half past two the
Times appeared with his obituary.
The administration of the Times has
nothing to do with the subscriptions to the
paper. Smith, of the Strand, sees to the
mailing of the papers for England, Europe,
and, indeed, the entire world. Mr.. Smith
takes thirty thousand copies day, sixteen
thousand of which he receives at five o'clock
in the morning, and dispatches them by car
riers at six o'clock. The other numbers of
the Times are bought by one hundred and
seventy news dealers, who pay in advance.
They order each day the number of: copies
tHey,w4ll needfQr tie asi fsdewiig.:: They
pay thirty centimes for each copy, retailing
tat fftS .centimes:' =. The. mahAgeneht.ot
the paper lose something On: each shee: .bSS
selling it at such price, but look I'd the
advertisements for their profits. The chsg-
es for these advertisements are, Of course,
very high, and the amount must be cousid-
cradle, as the revenue of the Tunes reaches
to nearly FIVE million francs. 1t was told
that one of the proprietors of the Times had
given as dowry to his daughter the money
accruing from one advertising page Of the
paper for one year., IA .g...,s
:, The wear and tear produced by the per-
petual motion which reigns in this immense
establishment is so great that it is necessary
to rebuild and strengthen, once every two
years the lower stories of the building. Fl
In the museum I was shown the arms
with which, some ten years ago, the work.
men of the establishment, to the number o
three hundred and fifty, repressed,a disor..
DERBY mob. - l,s...4.. ls..o.,. o. ''