Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-12-18
NATIONAL PRINaTING OFFICE.

cupoIa anu an eaSic' ~ was eIoc'eo "
Cornelius Wendell, esq, in 1856, as a
private enterprise, by whom the Public
Documents have been printed for a mum
ber of years for the government, with
great credit to the establishment. by
Joint solution OF Congress, June l3, 1860,
the Superintendent OF Public Printing was
authorized to contract for or purchase II
building and materials for government
printing office. T! is resulted 10 the pur-
chase of Mr.. WsndellS establishment at a
cost of Sl35,000, which included the main
building, paper warehouse, 10 Icy so feet !;
machine shop, 25 by - feet boiler house,
y by % feet coal house, y by % feet !;
wagon shed, % by Ii feet. and stable, Al
10y % feet, are Of brick, and built in The
most substantial ana durable manner.
On entering the printing Office, we find
I 3 Hoe cylinder printing presses and %
Adams presses, arranged on each side Of
the room, all operate, by girls, alor'ling
facilitle, for printing over 200 realms per
day. In another apartment on the same
floor, are the troughs and apparatus for
wetting the papes; also drying room
for Cr. ing the sheet which is done by
steam pipes, with great rapidly.
In the second story is the spacious
composing room, one of the largest, prob
ably, in the world, containg 100 double
Stands" for composiors, and lighted toy
Cd windows. Here. also is the room in
which the Executive job work is done,
such as blanks, checks. &c, for the yari>
Gus departments of the goyernmert. In
this story are, also two proof-readug
rooms, Of ample size and we'll lighted -
also the building Office and consulting
room.
IL the third story is the folding room,
occupied by females, who earn from Sc to
SIS weekly; the Executive binding
roomu' aud a paper ruling room-all sup.
piled with the latest improved machn'
cry. The fourth story Is occuried as
room, &C., where works in progress are
piled in large quantities.
Altogether, this is one Of the finest and
most extensive printing esiabishm',s ever
collected together 1t is thoroughly ligh-
ted and ventilated in every parr. The
machinery is propelled by for,y-horse
power engine, and the building is warmed
throughout with steam pipes. The ma
terials are melhodically arranged. and are
kept in place in perfect order The cora
position room gives employment to so1e
sixty comrositors. under the supervision
OF Mr.. James English, whose skill and
experience eminent.y qualify him for the
position. There arc at present about 2jO
hands employed in the establishments
two thirds OF whom are females.
70 those familiar with dimculues en-.
countered by the government officials in
ears past, in their etiortSsto procure the
execution of the public printing in o Su-I
perior style under the contract system and
"' O4u IIh hppAltlOhi 'Iduu anu lOUOeTy, the
advantages of organizing this government
Printing Bureau must be apparent ltI
came 70 be matter of absolute necessity,
and its conception and accomplishment
cannot fail to become source of great
convenience and economy to the govern.
ment
The p esent Administration thehaye APP
pointed John D. Defrees, ESQ, of Indiana,
Superintendent Ut Public Printing; and
he enters upon his duties with the long
experience in the business of printer pub. !
fisher and editor. with which he combines !
an excellent business capacity qualities
which resder the selection a peculiarly !
fortunate one for the future success Of
one of the largest and most efficient
printing establishments in the world