The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-08-15
TYPE sErr1Ne-Yesterday was the an.

TYPE SETTING.-Ye sterday was the ap
pointed day for the type setting race
Two prizes, one solid silver composing
stick, the other gold pin, were offered by
one of the Des Moines Typographical Uni
ons for the two best compositors in the
State. Two ofour printers, JNo. s. MICH
OILS, and GEO. r. LEE, entered the lists
with the following result: Nichols SCI
1861 ems, Lee 1860. Time of work one
hour. We do not know how near they
have come to the prizes, but venture to
say that there will be few better records
Below we give the entire amount of type
set by Mr.. N.
1t is an unfortunate fact, without at.
tempting to say where the responsibility
for it rests, or that printers are worse than
any other class of mechanics, that very
many of our best workmen are at times
addicted to Incorporate habits, which
they can best indulge in large cities. rath.
er than in small towns or inland places
and that the necessities of large city EN-.
ployers are so great as to compel them to
pay the highest wages, and put up with
Irregularities on the part Of workmen,
whichl country printers need not and
would not tolerate.
The demand for first-class workmen,
either in the press or composing room, is
far greater than the supply, and city en-
ployers, by reason of sharp competition,
and the educated tastes of their patrons,
such as railroad men, large dealers, manu-.
facturers, ETC., are compelled, as a matter
of self. preservation, to employ the best
talent attainaDle at whatever cost, SO that
good printers readily command better
prices than country printers are willing
to pay. Add TO this fact the enticements
and allurements of city life to young men,
who easily earn large sums, and the rea-
son is plain to be seen why they will sac
rifice permanent good to present enjoy
ment, for there can be no shadow of doubt
that q really artistic printer would, in the
end, save far more money, live happier
and better life, and open the way for far
better future in every light, by taking q
good steady position in country village
or young growing city at $15 or $1s per
week, than he could possibly hope to,
surrounded by the thousand temptations
of the city, at salary twice as large.
These are the principal reasons, among
very many others we might enumerate,
had we time and space, why it is 80 diff.
cult for country employers to get first
class workmen." And until that good
day for the best interest of our art shall
arrive, when strict system of appren-
ticeship is insisted upon, both by employ
ers and the printers unions of the coun-
try, and the class of printers before re-
ferred to can zee their own ultimate best
interests clearly, the best plan for coun.
try employers will be to select none but
intelligent, quick witted, good boys, with
an inherent love for the trade, and edu-
cate them carefully, in painstaking way,
and not, as is too often the case, without
giving the boy the careful instruction he
deserves and should have, and make it for
his best pride and interest to stay in the
country and not fly to the city as soon as
he has mere smattering of the first rudi-
ments, and set himself up for a full fiedged
'jour."
1t is an unfortunate fact, without at,
tempting to say where the responsibility
for it rests, or that printers are worse than
any other class of mechanics, that very
many of our best workmen are at times
addicted to Incorporate habits, which
they can best indulge in la