The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-01-30
Making a Newspaper.
Mr. Bunby Tries TO Explain to Mrs. b.
the Inner Mysteries of a Printing Once.

1t was an exceedingly cold night and Mr. and
Mrs. Bunby hugged the stove closely, he passed
the time in reading pape-, and she sitting
looking at the fire.
Without any preface whatever, she dropped
the poker. With so much force did it strike
the hearth that Mr.. Bunby stopped his reading
abruptly, and looked over the top of his specta
cles inquiripgly.
Mrs Banby had happy thought; quickly it
was transmitted to Mr. B.
John" said she. "you remember some time
are made''
eyes, yes; but some other time, love-"
"No. now, please, John''
Again he tried to content her with promise,
but it was Of no avail; she wanted to know.
then, just chow papers are put together
He hestated. The longe he hesitated the
more impatient she grew, and he feltit See
ing that postponement was of no avail, he-
heaved sigh, laid aside his paper and re
luctantly- began to unravel for his wife's edf-
cation the Inner life of newspaper"
"ln the first place." said he, ''tbe copy is
sent 10 the composing room :"
".Where does the copy come from?" she gus
'.From the editors and reporters, of course"
"Oh, see."
,"Then it is given to the type-setters-"
what do they do, sit on it?''
"No-thunder, no; they are the compositors
who set it up.'
"o6, they compose the copy, and then set it
up. But how does it sit?"
He drew another long Sigh, and calmly re-
piled: "The editors compose the copy, then
send 1t to the composition room, and the type
settlers put it in type"
What! the copy?"
Yes; they set the types up SO that they will
"Oh, see."
A pause ensued.
John" said Mrs Bunhy, "you stopped at
the compositors setting the type. What do they
set the type iD?"
Sin stick"
"a stick! what kind Of stick?"
20, stick is device that is just the width
OF the columns Of the. paper and holds II lines
of BREWER"
sAnd what is brevier?'
"a kind of type that is pleasing 10 the eye
and easily read"
"Oh, see."
"When the printers get stick full" he
went on. "they empty"
Are the printers different from the COM
positors?"
'.Nov' he replied little ont of temper,
they are one and the same"
COB, see."
when they get stick full of type as was
about to say, they empty it on galley
"And in throwing 1t upon galley. don't it
60 all apart?"
"No; they lift it from the stick, and place it
gently, very gently, on a galley"
"And what's galley?"
"A long article made of trass, in which the
matter is proved"
What kind of matter, and how do they
prove it?''
''Will you wait moment; if SO, will try
and explain-but give me time" he said,
nettled little at her cross.examinatiop.
.All right go on"
TYPE, when it is set up, is called matter
they call it-''
Compression of what?'
"Ob, bother-tbe type! when it is first
printed on the galley, that is called proof,
and they call it proving the NATTER"
a0h, see Does the galley print it?''
ooh! Johu?' she cried in tones of reproaoh.
"Why will you use such vords?'
81 was not swearing. The apprentice around
printing office is known as the DEVIL"
1.-THE proof sheet which he makes, after GO
ing to the proof reader, is returned to the print
ers and the corrections are made"
Corrections made in what?"
"The matter, my dear. 1t is then given to
the foreman"
what, the proof?"
mo, the matter"
"And what does he do with it?'
"Will you wait a moment?"
"The foreman takes the matter and places it
in the FORM
"What kind of form?'
GA iron chase, which, when it has all the
news i'll it which is in type, and it is locked up,
is called form"
LOCKED up! How?"
"With quons and side.sticks."
"Sticks and coins-ha, ha, ha-what kind of
coips2"
mot coins, but quons, u-o--n-s."
"At what are they?"
"Goodness gracious, any more questions? A
quoio," he resumed, "Is small block, and is
wedged 10 between the chase and side.sticks
with shooting stick
"a shooting How does it shoot?'
'Shoots the quoins into place with the aid of
a mallet."
Sne did not quite understand, but saw by the
white of his eye that 1t would not be we'll to
question him too much, so she bided her time
and he went on.
Sometimes the matter ia 'pied'--"
SLOWS that?'
''Why, when some type is knocked over or
dropped on the floor, it is useless, and is called
by the fratrrnlty pr"
He thought he had gotten through but the
irr. pressible wife continued:
"Wh-re do they make the form up?.'
"On the stone, - was the rtjuinder.
"What kind of stone-a round oDe?
'No, flat one-a piece of level marble"
"Oh, see."
"Well, when the form is made up it Is put on
the printing machine, and the edition goes to
press"
"What do they press the papers for?''
"They don't press the papers, press means
printing, and after they are printed, are circu-
lated throughout the city,"
ooh, see," and after waiting some little
time for him to continue, Mrs Bupby asked,
81 is that all?"
"Tnank Heaven, yesr he grumbled from be-
bind the paper he had resumed. Silence fol-
lowed. He read on undisturbed for fully an
hour. HIS wife having regained her hold on
the poker, was occupied in twirlng 1t, at the
same time murmuring, while looking intentiy
at the ashes, "Types, matter, galley, proofs,
devils, coins, presses"