The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1872-01-11


vention of type-setting machine, that
in printed matter the words be ended OF
divided just here letter happens to fill
line; as, for instance, q word is rs apt
to be type, or SO, as, properly, without
a division. Asis not known by the peo'
pie ut large the words are separated by
type called spaces. These type are short
or than the letters, and so leave 4 blank
between the words. Many efforts have
been made and much time and money
spent to construct machine that will
put the type together and lessen the price
of type-setting, but so far none has been
invented that will meet all the require.
ments and at the same time expedite the
work. Ii seems that the trouble is with
the time employed in spacing OFT the
lines. The lines must of the same length,
and to remedy deficiency in length
thicker spaces are used between the
words in some lines than l.. others. 1t
is repntcd that at least one make of ma
chine will put the type together much
more quickly than can be done by
hand, but that time is lost rather than
gained in spacing out the lines, which has
to be done by hand in the use Of the ma
chine.
1t took us decidedly by surprise to see
that the Lawrence Journal, which paper
we recollcct to have urged it, should
countenancc any ,,.;,s of the sort. Mr..
Thacher, the editor, is :, ripe scholar and
such an idea would seem to be foreign
TO his teachings, and should be to one
who has had the experience in literary
labors tina, he has had But ii is ass,i--
~ that no other paper is found 10 echo
such thought. II would be bad indeed
were this suggestion go into vogue. The
English language is too full of irrcgu-
lariiies now, and nil reforms should &c To
Gull out these irregularities, instead of in
crcasing them. 1t would be a desirable
thing to increase the power OF type com
position, but to accomplish it by mutt
lating or injuring the language by errY-
NOUS division OF words is something
that should not for a moment be accepted.
In every day life one meets with those
who lay great claims TO refinement and
education who are guiliy of numerous
misPronunciations, and passing to the
ignorant class the dialect, in many local
tiles, has simply become horrible. These
defects are confined mere generally to
and often are attributable to a
provincialism, but their existence proves
that there is danger in experimenting
with the language. There are compare
lively few who may be said to be edu-
Gated. The majority even of those who
leave college life with graduating honors
have obtained only Il superficial knowl-
edge and it is by after-study and after
experience that any may be said to be
educated. Foreigners coming to this
find the English language Sc
verely hard to learn, on account of its
irregular formation. 1t has not those
smooth, easy idioms and forms of the
French, Latin and other languages. The
English language is u formation from
,ther languages and was thrown to-
,ether in somewhat incongruous man.
Ter. Linguists have succeeded in max
g it very regular and there are proba- |.
ilities that in time it will assume a very
omely shape. In having one form OF
ivision of words, of photography, &C.,
nd making them the rule, the language
nay be IN AIDE rs beautiful rs it is power.
III, but topermit such innovations to be
rought into it AS the one here proposed
5 to recommend serious injury. Bet
err it were that no progress should be
made in printing than that it should be
t the expense OF the language.