Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-06-26
How a Comet Struck the Earth.

| AbDul lIlt NfiI 1000 We went 10 i've on
! the banks of Rock river in the beautiful
| State of Illinois.
| During the early part of that winter,
| the first newspaper was printed in the
| little town near our settlement. II was
called the Sur. My brother wrote some
ambitious verscs-chanting the praises
of this " Star of our country! Star Of
our banner! Bright Star Of glory that
shincth afar! (which were printed
in the first number, and accordingly lac
was chosen from among the youth of the
town to be the printers imp Of the !Sdi'
Office.
How | admired, with just flavor Of
envy, his sudden elevation! | used 10
peep in at the windows, for | was too
shy To enter by the door, and would
watch the linking of the forms with the
hand-roller of those days. And ! act
ually came 10 think my brothers good
looks were improved by the smutCh Of
ink he habitually wore over his eye or
on his nosnl
We'll, it was here, lowering about the
.Sdr Office. helping occasionally to wash
the forms-aftcr / had grown bold
enough 20 go in-and lending "A hand TO
pick up the type, clear away the ri and
sweep out, that had my first dreams of
the life awaiting me in the busy world
True, there was no fountain Of inspira-
tion that flowed for me there. unless il
was the ink fountain fthc old Washing
ton press. but my visions were shaped hy
an object hanging against one Of the
casc-stands; and that was-the foot Of
AN old boot
One dag. exploring that dark ABYSS in
the Star Office, found "A lot Of types that
were only slightly dcfaccd; and then
came 10 me the lucky thought that
could beg these, and pick up enough
more like them 10 set up by-aud-byc a
printing Office of my own
No prairie gun-nowcr ever grew SO
quickly as that idea, and soon I walked
with my head among the stars. 1t hap
pcned, too, just about this time, that
everybody was expecting shower of
mctcors, or falling stars ~ they were
then called; and although did not see
them, was constantly thinking about
them and the &dr, and trying 10 work
out in my mind plan for starting nv
printing office. and. at lcngth-how the
thought thrilled mc-publishing "A paper
all my own! How should / print it.
What name should give it' My spare
hours were spent in trying TO find
answers la these questions. And all
the time that tantalizing old lSar was
coming out as regularly ~ any heavenly
body in its course. Ny paper must have
a name taken in some way from the sky
but what should IL be?
Meanwhile. no stamp collector over
worked more diligently in gathering
varieties than ! in getting together the
type for my enterprise. The proprietor
Of the SIr gave me the contents of
tho old boot, and ! searched daily the
EgEEHntnwa nt Tho ,.nf,ag g. Ill
stock. ! did chores" " for a friendly
carpenter. borrowed his tools. and
finally took him into my confidence.
made type case by boring in thick
plank rs many holes as there are letters
in the alphabet. with extra holes for
numerals, spaces. "quads. points.
double letters. etc. | made press hy
mailing TO the end of wcll-seasoncd
strip Of two-inch oak piece Of hard
wood foot square and AN inch thick.
Tn" strip Of oak WAS two feet and half
long. and the hard wood piece formed an
upright, the strip. smoothly plancd and
levolcd. making the bed of the press. 4
g cleat,' nailed along the upright on it,
inner face, furnished a fulcrum. and a
stick four or five feet long was the lever.
You will see presently how this
homemade press was worked.
Give me the fulcrum," said Archi-
modc=. and | will move the world" |
had q fulcrum and lever, and with them
! hoped 10 lift into existence new body
Of celestial name.
But | was like young bcar-mv
troubles were all ahead Of me When I
began to set up my battered type.
brought about me very hornets nest
OF disrouragcments. Still | held brayely
90. - l. IL
duty Strengthening up the sides. or
monding the faces of the crooked and
pcrycrsc little letters when "sorts."
or particular kinds of letters failed me.
| had 10 reconstruct them entirely. al-
ways 80 far mindful Of my "p'sh and
"q's' MS to turn those letters upside
down when ! was short OF IDS" and
h's.' ] maze capital rs" with
" + Is" just chopping off the lower limbs;
and a %" learned To cry 90" after
had cut away its tongue. The scverest
strain. however, was TO make two" VS."
stand for Wv" Imagine the editorial
of paper opening with the quotation
"NNhen. in the course of human events.
ii becomes ctcl
Through these many similar difficult
ties | led my little columns Of broken
English. until they stood at last in hat
tie array on the bed uf my press. which
had been made true with the aid of n
spirit-level. -Four hardwood strips
formed the q" chase" or frame. in which
the columns were locked up 10 COM
pletc the form" had two pages Of
two columns each. the size Of the page be-
ing three inches and a-half by five inches
| linked the type with printers ink,
applied by bali made of buckskin
stuffed with cotton. laid one of my
dampcned sheets of printing paper on the
linked surface, then a square Of wooden
cloth. then piece Of hard wood board
ten inches square, planed smooth and
true. and then. on top of that. another
block half the size Now came the su-
prcme moment. graspcd the lever.
fitted IL beneath the hilcrum, and
swung myself over the other end
seemed TO sit astride the handle of the
Great Dippcr. in this the proudest
moment Of my boglife' tel. you.
there is no satisfaction like that which
comes from hard-earned success.