The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-11-23
Hisqellnneoonus.
gomN Fnosr,s ApDREss.
delivered at the EDITORIAL Convention
RT Alliance on Nov. I'd. 1871.

Delivered at 1he EDITORIAL Convention
RT Alliance on Nov. I'd, 1871.
So much has been said, and well said,
IN prose and In song, in eulogy of the
printing art, that it would be presump-
ton, on this occasion, to pretend to utter
anything new or perhaps even useful on
the subject. A dabbler in items for a
country paper cannot be expected to get |
up a connected document of any length, |
as the disposition is continually to run
into variety and contribution from
such source might be placed under the /
head Miscellaneous.
Every craftsman present is supposed to /
be more or less familiar with the history |
of the art preServGtiUe, and understands |
its details with the familiarity which be- |
comes those who justly exult in the title, |
Typographer. Nevertheless there may be |
suggestions expressed though old to many |
or all, which viii have TO be the apology |
for what should be expected on this occa-
sion.
do not know that can begin this
sheet better than TO make a few brief
notes as to the late improvements made
in our occupation. When first initiated
in the mysteries Of the so called black art
IN the year 1927, the labors of q printing
Office were conducted, in. many respects,
very differently. from what they are now.
That was almost the era, in this part of
the country, when the old Ramage press
was bidding a long adieu to its position,
and improved: presses were being intro
duced in its stead The Ramage was a
two-pull press-that is the platen covered
but one page land but five column page
at that, and was brought down by screw
power, force not sufficient tovprint on one
side of paper at one pull The Stans-
berry press, one of its Immediate success
sors, was worked with levers, and its plat
en- and power were not sufficient for a
paper larger than super royal, about 20 by
| 30 inches We used to tug and sweat at
that Satan's caudal with bhstered hands
on an edition of four hundred orfive hun
dred papers and press day was formid-
able day in the week 1
But the pressmen did not monopolize
all the hard work. Then we had no com
position rollers-did not know forty five
years ago what they were though some of
us had read about such things. Our
method of applying the ink was with two
balls, each something like ten inches in
diameter The outside was made of soft
buckskin, stuffed with curled, elastic
coarse hair, all tackled to pan of wooden
stocks with handles To take ink and so
dexterously handle those balls as to avoid
ticks, monks, priors, and other blemishes,
was proof of skill in the beater-especial-
ly If he would keep a good pressman bu-
sy. so that he would not violate the COM
mandment, Thou shalt not Swear In the
long summer days we labored assiduously
to get up our columns of small plea and
| burgeois, so as to be ready for the press
| ! AoI - Al,
nights became long, to work till ten and
eleven o'clock by the light of talIow can
dies, frequently using our fingers for snuff
ers. Night work as the rule then, began
the evening after the October election and
continued till April following.
Then we knew nothing of the job press,
all work was performed on the old Ram
age or its immediate successors In those
days when election tickets were printed
we used nothing but cap paper, and it was
always cut for that purpose or any other,
when printed on. - ia
The printing paper made at that period
was all hand made-sheets rough at the
edges-nOt very smooth onits surface, and
much of it any color but a fair white.
But these things are ali changed. We
don't know now-at least many of our
Junior brethren are not familiar with what
sort of thing Ranlage press was and as
to balls, modern young men have no idea
of their appearance OF hse. Primitive as
the balls were, they were carable of pro-
ducing good presswork, when properly
handled; and could we see many speci-
mems Of skill and workmanship Of forty
years ago, considering the materials used
we would conclude that jobs were printed
which might pass very well now.
Our modern presses, so well adapted to
the various kinds Of work required in the
printing art, are SO improved as to render
labor on them almost play. No bhsterine
of hands, no tugging and sweating at the
great lever which moves the world, anc
no rub-a-dub with pair of huge balls, IL
order to blacken the faces of ingenously
contrived types; but we turn on thu
! steam, and straightway the machine is Sc
agoing, doing its own linking, with moth,
. ing for the pressnan to do but to feed it
voracious NAV with paper-it does all thi
rest, even to throwing off the sheets; anS
we have such work done as challenges III,
! admiration of all Two thousand sheet
J day was once heavy task for two mel
now two thousand TO ten thousand ex
, cites the marvel of no one.
Having thus briefly reverted to our oil
, way of producing works of the press,
4 may serve as a sort of introduction to Z
few remarks as to what is the duty, il
some respects, of those who assume tn
+ responsibility Of taking control Of thi
4 agency.
: In past tImes, cunning. physical power
: stratagem and deceit were. phrases of th
|. governing power. Now it is far other
e wise among people who claim to hav
s progressed IN civilization and the arts =
IS Mind, thought. ideas are the ruling spin
its. The ancient saying, knowledge {
i po4Uer, was never more fully exemplife
e than in our day. That subtitle thought, a
] entity, to speak, which none of our sense
1t can perceive, when it inspires some mastt
mind, has set to work the requisite ager
i, cies that have effected the most marEe
t. Gus results. Some of US can well remen
Der when we had no telegraphs, no raj
10 roads, no photographs, NO true sclent
e which described the mature and myster
ii Gus operations of the human mind, I
intelligible system of phonography-bI
le these and many other wonders of the as
IN are now more or less familiar to US all.
a. was human thought and perception thi
ly discovered them all, and human ingenuit
that makes them, useful and subserviel
Sc to eur want. A Franklin THAT old bo
. printer), and Morse made the Lightning
of heaven our servants. a Stephenson col
trived the wonderful locomotive. imbuir
it with its terrible power and greatswif
ness; Daguerre brought to light the mag
st skill which SO utilizes natures laboratol
st as to make indelhbIe the lineaments of Il
b. human face. Gall and Spurzheim disco
ne cred and promulgated clear system
n mental philosophy, Pitman reduced
sn absolute science the means of captnril
lg thoughts as they gush from the lips Of 4
. living speaker blythe -facils hand al
: lquick apprehension of the phonographe
80 But great as are all these manifestation
81 Of Advancement. there is yet, / may safe
y assume, one which in many respects ,eqna
them all Civilization, although great
h. crippled, might manage to contribute
in the welfare of our race without the dl
C. coveries alluded to, as it did for centuri
as preceding far their development B
a. what a blank oh, who can realize j
nd would the loss Of the art of printing cr
r. ate. 1t is the favorite art that makes
les the most improvements of the age
| ob mo q, - e. 70 the rzorld nj