The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-04-09
PRINrING OFFICE EDUCATION.

The late witty Mr Brown (Artemus Ward
has lett among other directions in his will that
a youth whom he had adopted should be sent to
college; but that before being sent there, he
should be put as apprentice for two years in
printing Office, "that he might ascertain how
little he knew, and how important it was to
learn"
This was o most sensible provision for the
lad; for We can conceive Of no place better CAL
culated than printing Office to teach boy the
practical parts of an education.
Mr. Brown knew we'll how little is often learned
at school of even the plainest subjects which ell
ought to know thoroughly A great many boys
of sixteen cannot write page of note-paper
without several glaring mistakes in grammar
and spelling, and as to punctuation, that is
thing that not only youth, but often old people,
know very little about.
out of it at first. With the greatest care he
makes many mistakes, and it takes some time to
get him to set type rapidly and correctly.
Ia the process of learning to "compose," as
setting type is technically termed, the youth
intensely acquires the habit of spelling and
punctuating correctly, and improves his gram
mar by constant repetitions of examples Of we'll
constructed English.
We have often seen practical printers who had
received no regular education, who nevertheless
could put to the blush many who had bad thou
sands spent upon their instruction, and who,
though in college they had learned all the
''ologies," could not construct decent English
sentence.
In addition to this thorough instruction 10
what may be called the elements of education
the printer, if observant of what he is "com-
posing" can collect in few years vast body
of information on almost any subject; for it is
astonishing to consider what amount of
knowledge of all sorts is contained in the columns
of newspaper.
1t may be said that this information is con-
veyed in very desultory and fragmenrary man
ner into the brain of the young printer. This
is true but then must remember that from
the close attention which is required to be be-
slowed upon the "copy," and also upon the
setting it up properly, each paragraph makes a
much more indelible impression upon the mind
than if read off cursoriy If, then, the memory
of the printer is retentve, he can stow away a
great deal Of miscellaneous knowledge for future
use, and if bis mind is we'll regulated, he can
arrange the materials afterwards that may have
been first conveyed to his brains in rather
irregular manner
Moreover, so much of literary and scientific
nature comes under view in composing" that
the young printer necessarily acquires, at least,
enough Of the various departments Of knowledge
to induce him to investigate more deeply, and
the same paragraphs which excite his desire of
increasing his stores of information. will direct
him to the best sources from which he may
derive fuller aud more methodical instruction
These facts and reasons explain why printers
are generally, as class, we'll informed, and
why SO many men Of distinction in our land
began life at ''the case" Indeed, next to the
Law, which is the great avenue to popular dis
tnction, We believe that the Profession of the
Printer has furnished by far more men of polit-
ical and literary distinction than all the rest OF
the professions put together.-Norfold Journal.
RATHER Observation-Disclosures g. Har-
ris, formerly Governor of Tennessee, and now a
refugee in Mexico, has found the latter too un-
comfortable to live in. To recent letter he
gives his opinion of the people. There are eight
million inhabitants in Mexico. If seven mil
lions of these were exterminated, he thinks it
would be good country for civilized people to
emigrate. lie estimates tue number of educa.
ted people at one million. Half of these are in
favor of an empire, and half opposed. A large
majority Of the remaining seven millions are
robbers and murderers.
A spirited young lady who was about to marry
a man whose purse was longer than his head,