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

iron frame known as "stick," which general-
ly holds about twenty lines. This is retained
in the left hand. In order to facilitate his
worx, every type, has Chicks" cut near the foot
Of it, which in -icate that when transferred to
the stick, that side is to be turned out. Taking
it for granted that the face Of the type is right,
because it comes from the right "box, aslight
glance only is snecessary to show thatit is right
side up and nick outward. The unit or stand
ard Of measurement for the work is the type Of
the letter m; that type being exactly square in
form, it is easy to measure by it, for there will
always be as many ems In Line as there are
lines in q space up and down the page equal to
the length Of the Iue. Agood compositor will
set up QUE thousand ems per hour, though
some can set fifteen hundred and even two
thousand. There is q great difference in differ
ent men in respect to their natural capacity to
make quick compositors. This difference does
not depend altogether on their mental quail
ties, but much upon the physical constitution
Of the nerves and muscles Of the eye and arm.
When the compositor takes into bis eye, from
the copy which lies before him, q word or SEN
ssrce, quite long, nervous and muscular pro-
cess has to be gone through bsfo-e the types
representing the word find their places in the
omposing stick. His mind first separates the
word into Letters. His eye must then point ont
the several compartments, one after another,
where he letters are TO be found. His hand
must move to them, and as he brings each
type in toward the stick, his eye must tlance
at it for az instant TO catch the position of the
nicks, and 10 drsct the hand in respect to the
manner in which tie type has to be turned, and
thsn must be of again in "a instant 10 find
the compartment which the next letter is to
come from, in order to be ready to direct the
hand there the instant that the first type Is
placed. Then, turning the type over, and
bringing it in q right position into it's place in
the stick, several separate motions Of many
different fingers are necessary, each Of which
redu.res dst:nc. transmission Of orders down
The nerves OF the arm.
The printer begins. He sees, for instance,
that you are "a Want" BE therefore gives
you "small cap" head, filling the blank on
either side OF the title with o series OF types
shorter than the rest, known as ''spaces." He
reads on:
WANT ED, By A YOUNG MAN OF
w co:rect moral habits, who Is member o:
two temperance societies. and regulor attendant at
chu.ch. Q s,.ua.ton IN bank DO.
The hand darts hither and thither across the
as fast as muscle power can move it, seiz-
ing letters aad dropping them with click,
click, into their place under the left thumb.
There Ia space Necessary after every word.
and comma required hero and there, b:t
with speed, precision and intelligence that is
utterly incomprohensible 70 a novice. the
york mechanically progresses until at last the
tinaI periol is dropped in as do1ology; the
manuscript is laid ssiae, and there is not only a
new expression rpon your face, but q weight
and soidity about your character which is in
strikng contrast TO the insignificant propor-
tions you prosentLd only afew moments before.
You now enter upon new role. With other
':sticks full Of matter you are ''emptied" upon
brass-bottomed parallelogram with protec.-
ing end and sides, and there being about o co..
una OF material set up, You are firmly wedged
in, transferred to the proof-press, where your
face is well dnubed With ink, covered with q
sheet OF paper, and all that you have to say for
yourself is transferred thereto by moans Of q
we:ghty roller which passes remorselessly ovar
paper and type. You are now supposed to
have made "a good Impression You have
reached the dignity OF ''proof"
In this garb you Will make the acquaintance
5oa critically, correct your imperfections, and
/. you are not already so, array you in your best
bib and tucker for presentation to the great
paoll: tomorrow. You Will observe tho. the
paper attire in which you first presented your
SELF. as we'll as that Of your editorial and local
companions, in tine "proof, is in the bands Of
syoung person Of begrimed aspect, who
"holds copy" walls the other reads. This is
ore Of the apprentices who has commenced
ascending the rounds Of the printers ladder.
he is known by the profane and unrightsous
name Of "devil" He is, in fact, an intelligent
boy, who reads aloud from the copy while the
man pores upon and correots tho correspond
ing print. This youth, however, cannot be OK
pccted to take very warm interest in the bette
roeeneous mass OF literature he emits, any
more than the little marble cupids in Italy can
be supposed to relish the water which is madc
everlastinsly to gush from their mouths
"Hell-boxn is another wicked name somo-
times heard in o printing Office, and signifies q
place for .pi'' and refuse type. 'Pr' is simply
. cong.omeratlon OF matter that he's been set
up, and by some dispeusation Of Providence
knocked down again-an event which produces
CONSERVATION from one end Of a printer to the
other. The careless follow who happens to be
the cause Of the accldcnt-espoclallyi If an mr.
toe ready for press bs destroyod-will imme-
d1aseiy hear words OF the most fearful import
AdjecsiYes of terrifying proportions are utter
ed with abdominal emphasis. The small boys
keep out OF the way of mallets end shooting
sticks; eyes snap pyrotechnicaIy, and mono
syIlables are jerked forth with trip-hammer
power thai llsturbs the entire serenity OF tho
place until the mischief is repaired.
Having had your imperfections marked by
tde proof rc,der, you are recommitted to the
hands Of The compassion by which you were set
u2. He thei makes the corrections required,
which generally consist CT inverted or mis-
PLACED ettcra or improper punctuation.
second proof, or ''revise. is now taken, COM
pared with thc first, and, If all right, the galley
oa which you stand is Set asdo until the
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