Connecticut western news., 1873-10-03
Making Printers' Rollers.
Am Experienced Editor Tells How 1t if
 DOnes


 An Experienced Editor Tells How 1t is
 Done.
 The following story of how to make a roller, as told by Harris, of the Con- cord, N. O., Sun, will be appreciated by printers. Harris is known as the Mark Twain of North Carolina. Just listen to him:
 We have been making roller this week. Roller making is nice art. Few men properly understand it.
 Our long experience in the printing business enables us to state positively, that it is one of the fine, if not one of the lost arts. We made our roller out of glue and molasses. The glue is usually made out of army horse ears, and hoofs of cattle, that were, no doubt, diseased with rinderpest. Tie stove having been removed from the press room on account of the hot weather, some months ago, was placed in posi- tlon after losing much temper and a good chance of honest precipitation.
 We thought we knew how to put up a cook stove, and that our experience in that would certainly enable us to put up an ordinary box-stove. With the assistance of the boys and a tin shop we got the pipe in proper shape. We bought the glue, put it to soak, wrap ped 1t up ill our apron, and let it soak. After the soaking process, we made an examination, and found 1t had assumed the proper consistency, and we were very happy. Bought the molasses- (sorghum won't do)-after all the boys trying it on aboutfour pounds of crack CTS, it was decided that the molasses was of the right kind, and would answer for roller. So we put it on to boil several of our country friends inquired If we were making candy stew-re- piled to in the negative in most posi- tive manner, by our foreman, and told them ' that we were not-were making a roller"
 "Oh yes-we understand nov."
 The molasses, obeying the natural re- suits of the application of heat, rose to a gentle boil, and then we commenced the skimming process. After all the had foated to the surface, our foreman suggested that it was now ready for the glue. Glue was handsome ly unrolled from the swaddling cloth, and dumped into the vessel containing the boiling molasses. As soon as ht ated, the kerfogle began to ascend. Burnt leather was perfectly charming in comparison to that odor. Boquet-de Gourd vine could offer to our more acceptable perfume, B deceased water-moccasin, ranking in B July sun, furnished an aroma, that was pleasant compared to this-and in due process of time the foreman, wip- ing the precipitation from his aged brow, said cit was finished,''- happiness was now nearly complete. The roller mould was lashed to the leps 'f the table, and the composition pour 'd into wash pan Gas matter of con- 1en1ence) and thence into the mould, After being allowed to cool off, and a ob being in waiting, we suggested to he foreman the necessity of "drawing" he roller. Now this process of draw ng" rollers is no work of sport-there 'elng no fun connected with it, we were ummoned to assist. Seizing the end, with both hands, and feet planted gainst the wall, the work of delivery 'egan. We knew from the way that oller came out, that there would be suction" " to it; our long experience in offer making taught us, that that roller 'ould do.
 So after the combined efforts of enior editor, foreman, pressman. two and three boys, the roller anne out of that mould-and it was n 'ller,-it looked as if it had been truck with lightning and used as hand pike at log rolling. The inside of le mould had about as much compost on in it as the stock had on it. The { olasses boiled two hours, and the { hole mass was "over fire' for four ] ours. That roller now stands on end l our press room. On close examina- ] on, we discovered on one side of theI 1 Her hard knot, took the roller to @ C lndow and examined the knot; that c lot was hoof of mule, with shoe f bout half worn on the bottom. Fore t an suggested that the other end of a e roller was "peelin made a curso- r examlnatlon, and found to our aston r hment that it was nearly whole skin. t Id detected the brand U. s. on it. V ne ot the boys remarked that the glue c as not COW ears, but government t ule hide. That boy has correct no V is evidently destined to be- t me great man some day. We hand c the roller to the foreman for further c aI and inspection he says it V i'll do-for jobs. e q This issue is printed with that roller. n this per SC is not sufficiently good ev, I ence that we fully understand the arts l. Id sciences of roller making, then we s e no judges of good roller. We do a tt use patent composition; any printer r 10 wishes to know how to make roll f can be furnished with all the infor- O atlon, gratis, by calling at the Sun ice. We make no charge. Our pro. l, ss IS not patented-neither is it likely Q be. We have not filed our caveat, as F me would suppose-it is free to all s 6 profession. The craft shall have s, @ benefit of what we know about mak- T IT. rol1oro "~> <