The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-03-09
NUMBER 26.
The Successful Printer.

1MO CuCCCSS1u HlWtCEs
There is nothing so consoling to the
country publisher, next to a good cir
culation and large advertising pat
ronage, as an orderly and well-kept
printing Office. 1t is to him what a
snug parler is to thrifty housewife a
source of the greatest pride, and he is
never so happy as when showing it to
his admiring visitors. He believes in
the old rule of ga place for everything
and everything in its place." Here
innumerable small things, such as fur
niture, leads, quotations, brass rule,
etc., which are of great Importance,
though seemingly of little value, are
carefully put away in their proper
places, not scattered prOmiscuously
around, to be swept out by the devil,
or hid away in some dark corner; for
he knows that If they are lost or mis-
laid, the purchase of a new supply will
be the consequence, while the old
stock, if properly taken care of, will
last for years. They all cost money,
and no matter how little, are worth
preserving. The leads are neatly as
|
scattered over the office and cases;
and all the old brass rule is placed i'll
a box and carefully put away in q
place handy to get at. He is philoso-
pher enough to know that continual
dropping of. water will wear out u
stone, and it is SO with font of type
if the stray letters which are dropped
by the compositor as he stands at his
case are not carefully picked up and
distributed, his font of type will soon
be exhausted. The old style was for
the devil to collect them as he swept
the Office in the morning, dividing
them among the men; but he has
better method, he requires the COM
positor to pick them up as soon as
dropped, for they are liable to be
trampled on and the faces marred by
contact with the dusty floor. A clean,
tidy Office reflects credit on its propri-
etor, and adds materially to the COM
fort of its occupants. He sees that the
windows are cleaned once week, and
the walls are kept well whiteWashed,
for he knows how essential light is to
a printing office. The presses, too,
are carefully attended to, being cleaned
and oiled before using, for the fine
dust which accumulates on the presses
will cut the journals and bearings, be-
sides interfering with the easy work.
ing of the press. There is nothing
depreciates so fast as machinery, if
not properly taken care of, and a lit
tle oil and labor will make a press last
for years, while one which is left for
TIE dirt to accumulate and the oil to
clog on viii be worthless in six months.
He makes it a rule that the rollers are
put away, and not left exposed for the
rats to gnaw, and that his compositors
put the broken and defective type in
the hell-box, not in the nearest win
dow, and enjoins on them that their
quad boxes are kept free from "pi,n
for next to foul proof there is nothing
slovenly habit. He employs none but
sober, steady men, who clean their
cases out at least once a week, for it
not only adds to their comfort in set
ting, but preserves their health, for
the antimony and lead of the type,
mixed with fine dust, is deadly poi
son, which if inhaled is injurious to
the lungs. His compositors are care
full in the distribution of job type,
placing them carefully in their respec-
tive boxes, not thrown in, for many
fonts of valuable type are destroyed
in this way-it mars the faces and
breaks off the fine hair-lines. Press
men are often blamed for the destruc
tion of type when the printer is at
fault. Not so in his office; every one
bears their share of responsibility, ac-
cording to the position they occupy.
His paper, too, is source of pride
to him; he finds it the cheapest plan
| to give his patrons a well-printed
, sheet, which he has the means of do
ing by employing good worlemen and
buying the best materials; and in
time he is repaid, not alone with a
large subscription and advertising
/ patronage, but with the good wishes
of his readers, who, if little slow, are
sure to appreciate in the end his labor
: for their entertainment and instruc-
. tion.-Nenspaper Reporter.