The Ouachita telegraph., 1872-07-13
a Lady's Visit to Printing Office

Lady's Visit to a Printing Office.
,.st So Won set there all day and cat pieces
from the newspapers I should IKE .h"'' I"
is so much like patch work.
D.. Yes madam, we excissorize, though we
are Obliged to weave considerable cloth our
selves. Suppose you occupy our chair and
rive the public your ideas ofediting a paper.
Me! goodness I wouldn't set down here
and write where everybody is writing, alone
for the world writing makes person so
cross. Besides, your table is all Ink; why
it would soil my new dress why don't you
have a nice nahogony table, and nice white
curtains at the windows? What makes you
hang up these dusty old papers in the room?
If was obliged to stay here the floor should
be washed and carpet laid down; it must
be dreadful to live i'll such a manner.
Oh! these arc our files; we couldn't dis
pense with them very Well; and us for a
carpet, we fear it would frighten away our
customers. it.ta.s~ss -s; ..r-t.I H.'l'.ytt
Dear me, tho gentlemen are SO caycless
about everything that + don't think they
are comfortable unless their rooms are lit
tered up. Did you write all these sheets to-
day? =, ,I.,.f,..,a.-. ~.
Certainly, and wo are not through yet
.., Why it takes mo a.whole day to compose
and copy letter: II hope you don't scrawl
and blot so when you write to the ladies.
We never had that pleasure, madam.
No-you don't write, for them either, or
you would not print SUCH stuff as, you do
Don't put anything more in the paper about
Oregon or Congress, will you-it is so dull.
But what are those men doing in the other
room with their sleeves rolled up, and maxi
ing motions as though they were going to
tight somebody ,.a,,3t.t .t..i .tt,5.- ...a.l
Those arc compositors, setting type; you
SEQ they have stick in one hand, and they
place tho type in it with thcother.
I don't see any sticks, unless you call
them little pieces Of iroh'so; what names
You have, always thought stick was to
walk with. 8
Well, ours makes the world walk those
little boxes that we call cases, contain the
letters, and the printers put them together
into words and sentences by the aid Of hat
little piece Of iron you speak of. "
Well, I declare doctors and lawyers
knew had cases, but I never knew that
printers had before.
Certainly, madam, they sometimes are
foul cases and hard cases, too |; but what can
be expected OF; those who lead the life of
devils?
Why, do they? I'm sorry to hear it. Do
tell me what that man is filling that trough
with water for. ,.1st1i,e4,- ,-.B ,.a.@s n
He is going to wet paper, you know.
Q, yes, 1 thought you sprinleled your pa-
pers and ironed them to make them look SO
smooth; suppose this great gallows look
ing machine is your manglc.
That's the press, madam, and this handle
here is the Arohimedean lever which moves
the world. Just notice it's power, you pre-
ceive the broken lever
- ho Il
ded? The men are always so slack but
what are these things that resemble picture
frames?
Those what we term galleys. g. 4.,1
You have gaHeys, hey? 1 didn't know
that printers were so much Hike Romans
before? a.sa
Look yonder--wIat is that boy, doing2s !.
Oh, he is distributing II handful of pi.
shouldn't think u handful Of pie would
be much amongst so many.
What are you going to do with those slips
ofprinted paper? a. '.' .''..''
Those are proofs, and we are obliged tc
read them won't you sit down and help us:
No, indeed l can't bear to read any kind
of proof, unless sometimes in trials ioi
breach of promise. don't belicve the ladies
would make very good printers.
Pardon us, madam, but we think they
would. Their slender fingers would be the
very things for handling small caps, nonpa-
reil, agate, pearl and minion they might
do we'll even with long primer.
Pshaw! don't mention it never could
bear the cname of long primer since ma used
to make me learn the catCchiSm out of it.
Oh, goodness gracious if l havn't spoiled
my gloves by touching some of your old
type. What an awful thing it would he to
get your ink on my hand. Good morning
Mnrringc MaNims.. .,.....
good wife ia the grc:,tcst earthly bless
ing. A man is what Il wifo makes him. 1T