The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-02-19
Typographical Errors,

Men who form their words in writing after
the fashion of gridirons struck by lightning
fare badly with the printer. We have been
often tortured this way ourselves, and can best
describe the feelings on such an occasion by
quoting from the Danbury. News, asfollowsi:as
The sensation of an editor on first glancing
over his paper and detecting errors in it are
somewhat different from those experienced by
the reader on making like discoveries. The
latter is either amused at the blunder or In:
censed at the carelessness which causes it, and
in both cases arrives at the conclusion that the
trouble is avoidable, and that the editor IS to
blame for not avoiding it. He never saw an
editor take his first glance-over copy OF the
edition. Perhaps the edition is:worked OF
when this opportunity is afforded the weary
man. He has either trusted the proofs to some
one else, or read them himself, but the feeling
of dread is lust as great in the latter as in the
former case. The proof reader may not con
suit the copy and so perpetuate the blunder Of
the compositor, and perhaps the comPositor
may neglect to undo the wrong he has done,
although his attention is plainly called to it on
the proof. When about to make this prepara-
tory survey, the editor does not take his cigar
in his mouth and elevate his heels to the desk,
as is the popular tradition. Dying men don't
do that way, you know, apd we have come to
the! conclusion that an editor examining his
paper feels very much like man who is about
to pass into eternity. He reads along carefully
and slowly like man feeling his way across q
piece Of doubtful ice. Suddenly his face be
comes distorted with an awful pair. He
doesn't cry out, he doesn't rant. The Anguish
within him is so broad, and deep. and intense,
that he dares not trust it to words. He just
simply reaches up AID takes handful of his
own hair, and tugs at it until the tears come
in his eyes. Then he picks up the paper
which he has taken the precaution to kick
across the room on discovering the error, and
resumes the torturing search for after all IT
is but search for errors and agony, and not an
agreeable and instructive perusal. Suddenly
he groans-not an expectant groan like from
one who hopes for help to reach him through
it, but the groan of one who is beyond the
reach Of hope, who feels that the warm sun
shine, the kind glance of friendship, the beau
tiful flowers and the song OF the birds are gone
forever and forever from him. It is smoth-
cred groan, accompanied by kick out OF the
leg, as if the party had in that moment taken
an eternal leave of all things earthly. There
is still another search with aching. eyes and
throbbng brain, and then the paper is smashed
down on the floor, and the infuriated man
bounds up from his chair and catches both
hands into his hair, and dances around like 2
mad man. He doesn't, call upon heaven and
earth to witness what be is going to, do, and to
blight him if he should not'do it. BE doesn't
dash into the composing room and seorch the
men with his wrath Even this slight relief is
denied him. The paper is worked of, and the
scrutiny that would checrfully attack q needle
in hay stack, would fall paraly5ed before a
search for the author of the great wrong; He
doesn't say anything at all-not single n
telligible word escapes his ashen lips, as ne
solitude and his room. And when he is done,
he sits down again and groans, and afterwards
puts ON his hat and rushes forth into the street
-rushes anywhere to get away from the face
of man, to get away from himself and every
thing belonging to himself. -