Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-04-02
Setting Type by Machinery.
The New York World makes t

The New York World makes this
announcement : "A pair of machines
for setting and distributing type, novel
to this country are at work in the
comp, sing room of the Christian Union
office, No. n Park place. They are
strongly constructed, simple and accur-
ate in operation, and may best be des-
scribed by following the types through
the process in both machines Begiu-
ing with the distributor, the type as
taken from the presses, is laid IN takes
in an adjustable case, before which sits
the operator at keyboard. Il lever
lifts the first line of the matter to
platform where it is pressed steadily to
the lett by a spring. The operator
reads the line and touches in order the
keys corresponding to each letter, strik-
ing each off from the form and open
ing at the same time passage through
which each is guided. a series of
fat tin tubes, just large enough to hold
the type, is laid horizontally below, and
to each of those, by series of diverg
ing grooves, opened or closed by the
action of the keys, and types pass sing
ly, as the AS to one, all the BIS to
another, and so on. A spring bottom
announces when each is full This is
one-half of the work. In the compo
the filled tubes are arranged vertically
and in two sets, one perhaps for Roman
and another for italics and small caps,
for each of which there is keyboard
The operation of settin5 is ust re-
verse of the other. A key opens the
bottom of each tube and drops the
proper type, which is guided by one of
series of converging vertical grooves
and set in position in horizontal
groove before the operator. A gentle
impetus controlled by a treadle and
eccentric pushes to the right hand
the line of type as fast as it is set
This is justified in any lengths desired
by second operator, whose form is
automatically lowered for him as each
additional line comes along. Six com
posing and eight distributing machines
are used in the London Times. The
common rate for the former is 1880
ems an hour, and two composers will
keep three distributors busy if necess-
airy. As the tubes aud grooves are fit
ted to the type, change of font is, of
course, impossible with single ma
ehine-that is, for the editorial page
of the World, for the news columns,
and for the local items, respectively,
three machines would be necessary.
The cost of a pair composer and dis
trlbutor) is about $1,000.
The LABOR QUESTION -NEw YORK,
March 29.--All but one of the employ
ers' committees are opposed to the eight
hour system. They hope to persuade
the journeymen to work by the hour,
and thus avoid strike. The capital
lists are giving contracts to builders in
New Jersey, who promise to bring men
here to do the work, under protection
Of police. Building this year would
be very extensive but from the appre-
hension of strikes. Representative of
the carpenters, stone cutters, and other
trades, held meeting last evening for
the discussion OF the situation, and to
arrange for interviews with employers.
At meeting of the journeymen horse
shoers. III reference to an attempt by
an express company to make make men
work nine hours, it was reported that
the organization was able to hold out
Only one man remained at work, and
he will leave to-day.