Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-02-17

How London Newspapers are Distrib-
utah

AOur v ClOChb uuA Mo 0to Nv Ono " Wv AASese
quarters Of the newspaper distribution, ~
One hundred and fifty thousand morning
journals are sent out from here every day
and the processes OF folding, sorting, ant
addressing are in full progress now. A
large building like a gigantic bank. lont
counters and tables intersecting it, anC
galleries running round it to its roof
strong men and active youths all busy
some with the papers at the folding-tables
others with brown paper parcels like balei
OF calico, and Others rushing out laden tC
the red carts in waiting; monotonous crief
of the various journals titles, and ever ant
anon stimulating or encouraging wore
from an active little man who acts al
general was the scene. The great
thing, we are assured, Is to get the worE
done in time. From five to six is our great
est rush, and it's only by watching ant
care that we don't miss one or other of the
early trains. These are nearly all about
six a. m. There's one of the London ant
Chatham's goes at $50 that's the earliest
of ALL but the great bulk of the newspapers
even by that line leave by train ut 6:l5
and between 6, which is the time oI the
London and Brighton, to $50, the South
Eastern s, and 6:35 Waterloo, the trains Of
all the great London lines 60 out. We've
got new plan now at the Great Western.
They've given us room on the platform,
aud we've eighteen men there who do AL
the folding, addressing md checking you
see going on for the other lines here now
close to the train, The papers are taken
down direct from the various offices ju6t MS
they leave the press, and don't come neal
this central department. Then, the North
Western Company accommodates us in
another way. On their lne We have a
special doublecarriageAtted upasanewspa-
per room, and in this four OF our men 20
down by the early train and fold and dis
tribute papers all over the Northwestern
Railway district. Their journey ends at
Stafford, and they come back again every
day by the two trains. Our system is la very
simple one. These large sheets Of stout
brown paper have printed labels, you'll OBJ
serve, passing on each side. One of these
is the agents OF customers address; the
other is list OF the different newspapers
we sent out, with blanks for the number to
be supplied. These are filed in the day
before, by clerks, who copy the particulars
from the order books, so that, a6 you see,
when morning comes, and the brown COW
ers are sorted into districts in this room,
the packers have but to call out so many OF
the Times, OF Daily News, and SO many of
the other journals in rotation, according to
the list before them. The parcel is not
tied up until its contents are counted by
another man, SO that there may be no mis-
take.
This statement is not given consecu-
lively as written, but at intervals in the
course of busy, omnipresent supervision
Two clocks are so placed that the foreman
speaking has the dialplate of ono or the
other OF them in sight wherever he stands,
and the great struggle is to have the many
bulky parcels tied up in time for the cars
in waiting. The advertisement sheets OF
the Times are being folded down stairs --
the main portion of that journal has not
yet come in. This folding takes place down
stairs, where large department fitted up
with steam engines and folding machines is
as busy as the one from whence We have
descended. The apparatus only requires
feeding, the broad damp sheet being placed
on the top of what looks like printing
press, from which it is swept to second,
third and fourth compartment below, each
sweep giving it u fresh fold until it emerges
at the bottom in the shape in which news
papers are sold over the counter or from
the book-stall, There are nine of these
steam machines, each folding thousand
an hour, and all busily at work. 1t is but
q small percentage of the newspapers sent
out, however, which are folded here-the
majority being sent cut in bulk, and in the
shape Of linen bales. Every man and boy
we see is busy; and one new machine is
specially adapted for the extra (Christmas)
of weekly journals.
A hoNrse rumble of wheels, a rude clat-
ter of hasty footsteps overhead, sound of
some massive dead weight falling upon
wood, and a vague impression OF extra
hustle upstairs tells our guide that the re-
portions of the leading journal
have arrived. 1t is now 6l3, and the pass
ing of each minute is watched jealously.
The other newspapers arrive almost stimuli
taneously. The organized turmoil increases
lpace. What seems to the uninitiated eye
4 chaos evolves order as if OF its own nc
cord, each human atom STOPPING bending,
sorting, tying up, and carry
ing off as if bent upon ita own share Of
business alone, and the efforts OF all con-
verging to one great purpose OF feeding the
red carts. Two postoffice vans drive ND,
and are speedily filled with bales OF printed
matter for the early mails.
80 far, we have noticed chiefly the
large parcels But besides these brown pa-
per monsters are snug circular packets,
like large Catherine wheels, on bundles Of
squibs which follow in the wake of their
big brethren, TO be like them born of to
the four points of the compass by cart and
train. There are the single copies for
such people as live near some station
which is too small and insignificant to sup
port book-stall. Each squib is news
paper folded as If for post, and with an ad-
dress which Is set up and printed each
day. These are left simply at the stations,
and are arranged for privately by their con.
signees. Certain railways, such as the
Great Western the Great Northern, the
and the Northwestern, issue half
penny stamps for these. which frank
them to their destination on the line.
"0n others, such as the London. Chat
ham and Dover, the South Eastern, the
South Western, the Great Eastern, and
the London and Brighton, they are carried
with the larger parcels of the Jumped
price per cwt, as goods.
"No dwelling is too insignificant aud ne
district too remote to be reached by the
agencies we see; and to behold the dumb
sheets first beaten, patted and coerced into
bulky masses, aud then thrown heavily in
to the vehicles aud hurried oil, and to ther
IeAect upon all which this mechanical pro
cess implied, was as ii some wizard hac
lifted the veil, and shown US the pulsatior
OF the great worlds heart"
The JAIL SYSTEM OF INDIA is an homo
to humanity, and TO the government whicl
spends so much money upon them. Wbel
Lord Macaulay was sent out to compile
criminal code fer India, one Of his first act