Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-02-22
The Oldest Printer,

Fifty-seyen years at the CASE" said
the foreman of the World composing
room to the reporter last week, as he
pointed to an old grey-bearded man
picking type in the corner of the room.
The old man stood where the sunlight
fell upon him, and he was chewing
tobacco under his green shade and
clicking the type unconcernedly. He
never stops chewing. He comes down
here at six o'clock in the morning and
works till six in the evening. He
never eats a morsel nor takes drop to
drink he lives on tobacco"
"Uncle Bob," said the reporter, as
he approached the old type. setter and
touched him on the shoulder, chow
old are you?"
The old gentleman looked up kindly
into the reporters eyes and answered :
81 was seventy-five day before yester-
day."
His name is Robert Tappan, but
everybody calls him Uncle Bob. Il
was born in Kingston. Ulster county,
in 1903. 1 entered the Office of my
uncle-the Ulster Plebean-in 1921. I
worked on the same press that Jesse
Buell. used. came to New York in
1924 on the James Kent, and we took
Lafayette on board at West Point and
brought him to New York with us.
When I came to New York went into
Major Noah's Office, the Inquirer, then
on the Courier and Enquirer, where !
worked steadily for twenty-one years.
Mr.. Webb presented me with mag
nifcent Bible and I've kept it twenty
four years."
On the day following the above
Uncle Bob came down to the office
with the Bible in basket. Here,
he said, as he opened the book and
pointed to the fy-leaf. " Read this: :"
Presented to Robert Tappan on Xmas
1854, as a slight testimony of respect
and regard for his character and appre'
citation of his valuable and faithful SER
vices in the office of the Courier ana
Enquirer from 1882 to the present time
by his friend.
J. WATSON WEBB.
December 25, 1854.
The old man then whipped out his
genealogical record written with blue
ink ON a narrow slip of paper. 1t went
SO far back that it was perplexing to
dive for. He skipped few generations
as he pointed about an inch from the
top of the slip, and said: GIVE got O
pair of sleeve-buttons belonging to
Christopher Kiersted, who was the
father of my grandfather Luke. Luke
was surgeon in the revolution with
Washington at Newburg."
And then, as he travelled by pan.
handle route over the blue ink, he said
ga granddaughter of Governor George
Clinton married my grandfather's sister.
I was married on the 10th of December
1881, to Maria G. Lowe, of Flatbush,
whose grandfather was Col. Bauman,
Of the artillery regiment that placed
the flagstaff on the battery on the day
the British evacuated New York. He
was afterwards appointed first postmas'
ter of New York"
"Uncle Bob" lives in Brooklyn with
one of his married sons. He is fond OF
life and enjoyment, and on Hallow eve
played blind mans bluff and "but.
ton, BUTTON" as lively as any of the
family. He has been at work on the
World ever since he left the Couie,
and Eaquirer, which is now nearly fiji
teen years.
You have read many handwritings
in your time, haven't you, Uncle Bob p
Yes, indeed; but old Benefits was
the worst ever tackled" he answered.
And once more the click of his type
sounded in the corner.-N. Y. World.