Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-03-09
THE PRINTING OFFIcE-A MYSTERY TO

THE PRINTING OFFIcE-A MYSTERY TO
THE GREAT WoKLD.-Perhaps there is no
more hidden mystery, to the world at large,
that the art of printing-in all its various
branches The generality Of people know
something Of almost, every other branch OF
business, of every other trade or calling; they
can tell how shoe is made, or a coat, and
know good deal about the working of steam
engine, and its iutrica;e Inauhiuery; but OF the
interior arrangements OF printing othce, and
Inc art of making newspapers and books. they
know about as much as the old lady who called
as small country newspaper Office, to have
her Bible printed over again because it had
grown old and worn. And the difficulty of
snlightening the public Ia respect to the vari-
Gus details and ranlfcations of an office is by
no means a small task; which will the more
readily appear when we state that there are
many editors, reporters, clerks, proprietors,
even carriers, and others engaged IN and around
y 6rst-class printing Office, who, perhaps, have
occupied their various positions for years, that
nave never been able TO fad out exactly how the
printer sets his types in order, the foreman
reads and corrects his proofs and makes up his
!o,ms, or the pressnlan works those forms oil
Oh his mysterious double or single or SIX or ten
cylinder press-oc what be means when he
SAYS his register is imperfect, of any of the
other technicali,ies Of the art y"
- Each art has language Of its own, and the
technical terms used in the art preservative
of art" are as uninteliigible to the world as
are the cabalistic words in which the physician
hides the mysteries Of the materia medica, and
Of his profession from the vulgar.
4 printing Office is world within itself,
loves exclusion, and courts the god Of Silence
., ,,or,, or1 no n, Of t'5Io;1 II
touch me- rules in all its branches. sl
The editor says: 4 want quietness, while
writing up the affairs Of the nation, and don't
touch anything on my table. y
The news editor says: Don't touch my ex
c.anses, or dissrrange anything on my table;
and above all 1on'r speak to me while am
making my compilations, and preparing
summary Of tho news from all parts Of the
world. No easy task this.
The reporter, or local editor, desires that he
should not be stopped longer than minute by
each friend he meets in the street, and when
he returns to the Office to write up his budget
OF news, that no one should interrupt him, or
interfere with his thoughts or lahors, or touch
anything on his table a.. ..... .s.s a .....
The commercial editor also desires to be LETT
severely alone OF he might possibly make a
mistake in his quotations in the price Of gold
or cotton. 90.
The foreman is very busy, at all times, read
lux his proofs, making up his matter, and an-
s@ering questions fronl the c0mposltors, re.
rorters, proprietor and book keeper-and he
has his desk full Of papers and proofs and first
revises, and second rcyi-es and third revisas,
all Of which have TO be taken and carefully
read and even then errors will occur, through
bad manuScr pt in many cases but mainly be-
80 loafjr hoo nl irt no
art of printing than iG can in any otherar
The foreman is q kindly gentleman, but you
must not touch anything on his table, and be
very careful not to lay the weight OF your finger
upon anything that you see in his department..
The compostor, too, however he may like
to enjoy passage Of wit and a good laugh
and there is no wit equal to that Of the com
losing ng-room-demands silence while lie is at
work you must neither speak to him nor
touch any of the million little jokers contained
in the hundred and forty or fifty little boxes
which lie before him, and over which his
liugers fly with the rapidity of ightuing, car
ried by instinct to the right box, from which
he makes the letter spring forth, as if by magic,
that quickly forms the words which are to
bring Joy or sorrow to thousands liberty to
the oppressed, or slavery to the free. :.
Go We into the job department, and
there to We lind an expert foreman, IN charge,
producing all those beautiful specimens of fine
printing which everywhere delight the eye
and challenge admiration, and proclaim print
ing to be one Of the fine arts.
Down into the gloomy regions below,-what
unearhly noises are those we hear?t 1t sounds
like the writhipg and groaning of souls in the
lake Of Tophet-added to the gathering Of rail.
road trains. We enser, fearfully, leaving all
hope behind, and discover huge machine,
filing up an entire basement, and by the dim
flicker Of the lamps see half dressed figures
moving about, and papers flying in every
direction, as the engine catters, and the great
cylinder that mores tile acorM revoIves upon its
axis. This is the preSs-roorn, and lfyou would
escape with whole limbs, we advise you to
touch nothing here. .g.s --.a... ....s
Bat enough for present We have 40 ex-
psctation of being able to enlightcn the public
much with regard to our craft; but after read:
ing the above, they will, perhaps, be convinced.
that the art of printing is tile mystery OF
mysteries -NovoM Jsu7,al a~anr -.r1
AN EXPENSIVE LUxURY.-As soon as the
WOOL tariff hooo mo q cartnipfv sll the nrODrIe-