The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1878-07-26
now ]. NEWSPAPER rs MADE.


There are from 10000 TO 20.525
pieces of type in the colpnn Of every
large city newspaper, the number vary
ing according to the size Of the type
used. Agate, nonpareil, minion and
BREWER are most frequently used on the
principal dailics. Agate, which is the
smallest of the types named, is employ
ed chiefly for advertisements, quotations,
long speeches, ETC.; nonpareil, the next
size larger, for news articles, and either
-minion or BREWER for editorials or semi
editorial matter When it is desired
to give unusual prominence to certain
articles they are "leaded," that is to say
thin strips of metal, called '.leads," are
inserted between the lines Of type,
thereby rendering the matter more
open, and therefore more easily legible.
Sometimes, but very rarely, articles
are s.double loaded" that is to say, two
''leads" are inserted between each line
Of type; the matter is then very str1k-
ing in appearance. There are from L.
090 to 1920 words in an average col
umn of loaded type, and from $40 to
2,750 in one of solid type. There are
from 156 to 275 lines in an average
column, according to the size of the
type. Every letter every stop, every
note of interrogation, mark of excla-
nation and quotation mark is a sepa-
ate piece of type, and has to be taken
up singly in the process of ''composi-
tion.p
The composing room,D the place
whore the type setting is done, is a
distinct, very Important and interesting
department of newspaper office. It
is in charge of foreman, who has from
forty to sixty ''compositors" or printers
under him, each of whom has COM
plete case of type in wooden box, be-
fore which he stands when at work.
This box IS divided mtolittle partitions,
each containing letter, stop, or dash
of the various types used in the Office
The printers are known not by names,
but by numbers. As soon as the man
uscript, copy" as they call it, is re-
eeived from the editorial rooms, it goes
to the foreman, who cuts it up into
takes or shares, of about one-tenth
of column each, and distributes it
among his men 1t is on this account
that manuscript must be written on
one side of the paper only. Each take
is marked with letter and a num-
Der, for example, an article of four
pages is received, the first page is cut
up into fiye pieces which are numbered
respectively l, 2, 3, 4, and 5,
and SO on according to the number of
takes. The printers then begin their
work, picking out the type with their
fingers, piece by piece, and dropping it
into an iron receptacle known as
''sticlz," which they hold in their hand
When they have finished their takes,
they drop them into a brass dish or
galley which is numbered and letter
ed to correspond with the scopy-the
man having drops it on that part
of the galley marked 8, and SO on
until the galley is full. It is then Civ
en- to the ''proof-taker," who takes
proofs and hands them to the ''proof-
readers" who mark any errors the
printers may have made. The printers
have to correct these errors themselves;
different notifications of this rule being
made however, in the various Offices
After the type is set and corrected, it
is put into the form and arranged under
the direction of the foreman, who re
ceives his instructions from the editor.
The columns are then Justified" or
made even, the f'forms are "locked
up" and sent down to the press room
to be screwed on to the press, when
the printing proper begins.-H,tstrated
! H'eekly.