The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-06-29

ants thereof that there is not; for if anything if
calculated to provoke a diabolicl nightmare ii
is the impossible events depicted upon that i'm
probable background, in colors that would make
rainbow blush for its reputation. The tradi'
ton Of the place furnishes 10 explanation ol
the extraordinary scenes which the artist has
sought to preserve. The architecture is
unique, the costumes antique, and the deeds
being done very tragique. The perspective Is
fightfui: the figures have vindictive aspect.
and the subject genererally is ''grand, gloomy
and peculiar" There is nothing like it on
this side Of the water; and if it has an original
n the old country, it must either be IN
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or some other dan
place to deponent unknown. They do whisper
that when the French Coffee House was q
spoon gymnasium and the guests crooked their
elbows periodically, the side OF the room afore-
said served all the purposes Of Protean pic
ture gallery, where, according to the capricious
eyesight of the assembled Bacchanalians,
could be seen in wonderfully rapid rotation
Barnum's Museum and the happy family, Nj
agara Falls on fire, the destruction OF Colum-
bia, the Black Hole of Calcutta, the battle OF
Waterloo, the boy that stood on the burning
deck, or s'any other man. There is no doubt
that many Mr.. Caudle has carried home to
his better half from this gay place the most ox-
alted notions or what nay be termed "high
old art" But let us ascend to
THE COMPOSING ROOM.
You observe here three marked featrres-an
abundance Of space, good ventilst;on, and
plenty OF Ight-au Of which are essential to q
we'll appointed establishment. You observe,
too, that notwithstanding there are fifteen or
twenty persons at work, it ls as noiseless as o
church In prayer time, save an incessant click,
dick, click, that sounds very much Like the
ticking Of a score Of clocks. This is caused
by the compositors in manipulating the type,
as you will presently understand.
The furniture consists chiefly, Of series OF
stands arranged along the middle Of the room,
and at right angles thereto, so as to catch the
light sidewise from the windows ol either
side. These stands are breast high, and so
constructed that when the cases containing
as it were a desk, in the cover OF which
are number OF Little compartments, (tech-
nically called s'boxes.'D Each o, these boxes
is filed with type of one particular
kind-those letters which most frequently
occur, such for instance as a-s-i-t-h-m -n-s
being nearest to his hand. Thus the letter e
is used say sixty times where the letter IS
wanted once; 80 that it ia necessary, for the
purpose OF oconouizins the space over which
the hand must travel, that thsse often recur-
ring letters should be within the shortest pos
sib.e reach. Just behind, and rising from the
upper edge of the -desk-Ike arrangement deg
cribed, is another case similar TO the one be-
low. This is known as the upper case, and
contains the capital letters, toot-note marks,
dashes, parentheses, asterisks, &c. All the
other letters, figures, punctua.iou and quota
ttcn marks, hyphens, &C., are TO be found in
the lower case. This curious combination has
been the result Of much experience, but it ia
now believed to be as near perfection as it is
possible to be. There ara other adjuncts o:
the place to which we will come directly. a
word or two about
i@ THE PRINTER.
Patient, industrious, generou-f al pub
Lie eervnnts, he Id the most devoted. No
member of society tolls more, aud is appre-
c:ated less. Laboring wniie others sleep; his
hand in almost restless motion from twelve To
eighteen hours day, at an average rate OF
speed faster than that Of o pianist; standing
necessarily, with eye and brain occupied-and
all that the great community, Hho have no:
one thought f,r him. may enjoy the blessing
of their mornings paper, with Its news hot
from the telegraph wires OF the world-if there
be slaye to any profession or pursuit, that
slave Is emphatically the printer. HIS is an
art, however, that makes men. Look FOR strong
individuality, for married. character, FOR pride
that brooks nssort of slight, Tor perseverance
thatcopquers difficulty, Tor sturdy bravery tina:
on eve;y field of battle In the United Ststes
and Mexico has voluntarily left its m1rk-and
YOU will find it in the printer. Ofhls ability, ses
the signal examples among the bsstedisors In
the country and the most distinguished pub
lie men; and for his private worth, lo:k into
the pleasant homes snd around the firesids cir
cles, which, howsoever humble, the industr:-
ous printer still can call his own.
But it is time, dear advertisement. to intro
duce YOU to the foreman Of this department.
Already he is inspecting you admiringly, for
he knows that you are IN good company. he
handles you tenderly,- for you are endorsed
.spaid, and calculates w much Of your. mon
pareil" proportions arc entitled to "small
caps" He reads, perhaps, that you are ga
Want" and marks You accordingly. Well, you
are no exception to thsrule. Mankind, at best,
is only the embodiment. Of want, implied if
mot expressed. As the poet says:
"Man wants muchness here below, =
And wants that muchness strong"
You are laid away on the foreman's table.
face down, to take your turn when the printer
comes tor "copy." Possibly you may have to
wait until the afternoon, because from ten
O'Clock in the morning until about three P. M.
the compositors are employed in distributing
matter, as it is called, or, in other words, dex-
terously and rapidly separating each letter
which appeared IN yesterdays paper froa. it's
next neighbor, and throwing it back into the
little compartment where it belongs, to be used
again to-day. Tne accomplished printer per-
forms this operation nearly as fast as you can
count but the typs must always be wet for the
Durpose. or otherwise words would stick to-