The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-04-22
THE ENGLISH THUNDERER.

THE ENGLISH THUNDERER.
The London Times Sketched by an
American Editor-A Wonderful Old.
Time Establishment.
London Letter to the Philadelphia Press.
Printing House square which sounds
so grandly from across the seas, is in
London so modest place that one can
readily pass by it unwitingly, as I did
even after having fixed It's general local.
ity from the map and started out to
find it. This, however, is because Of
the magnitude of London, which is "a
immense that one only comes to a con.
ception of it slowly and by experience
such as this.
The Times building is really mas.
eive pile of solid brick of fair architec.
tural effect, which in New York or
Philadelphia might be one of the fea-
lures of the city. In London it is
simply lost-crowded away among
square miles of similar structures dense
~ packed and pressed together.
Printing House square, the castle OF
modern Thunderer stands on the re-
puted site of an old Norman fortress.
There is something dramatic in this
coincidence, which makes the spot the
suggestive vignette of whole centuries
of history, and starts a thousand poetic
and philosophic dreams on the local
correlation of force.
had no acquaintance with the Times,
but q warm note of introduction. sent
by the kind thoughtfulness of leading
New York editor, opened widely and
Hospitality its doors; and yesterday I
spent portion OF the day most profita-
bly, in an exhaustive inspection of its
daily work. Let me tell of some of its
wonders.
In this letter shall con6ne m yself
chiefly to the mechanical features, as
being the most popular interest and
best picturirg the establishment to the
non- professional world. The editorial
side is of professional rather than of
public interest, and, besides, why should
the arcana of the profession be laid be-
fore those eyes which see not?
shall avoid also the familiar figures
which simply prove colossal business,
and which would be equally impress
sive in recording the results Of q pork
packing or brick making establishment,
and attempt to briefly outline some
of the features which are distinctive to
the Times and characteristic.
THE BUTTREssEs OF THE BUSINESS.
Solidily established for years, founded
on the strong basis of the university
and the government classes of England,
conducted by men every one of whom
is an expert and vetern in the business,
the Times enjoys an income that now
comes in of itself, and stretches out
like some of our great railway COM
panies, it now employs portion of its
surplus revenues every year in buttress-
ing itself, by extending it's works out
to the permanent manufacture of it's
own supplies. These things are perma-
nent Investments, not expenses, and al.
though costly in the start, in the long
course of years save money.
Let me illustrate some of the most
important as illustrative of the scope of
the plant. The Times
Observation-Disclosures its own presses.
Second-Founds it's own type.
Third-Provides its own lieht-elec.
trio.
Fourth-Feeds its employees on the
spot.
F,fth-Has its own electrotypins
shop.
sixtn-Has its own telegraph service
and wires-in the main; and
seventh-Repair shops for all these
different machineries.
All these great shops and Offices are
under one roof, and the cluster of them
with the other ordinary departments of
a newspaper office-editorial, compos-
ing, proof. stereotyping, making-up,
press, business, advertising and distri-
button rooms-form the 1imks building.
THE PRESSES.
The Walter presses are made here
for the market, as well as for the pro.
prietor' g own paper, and in these shops
l found the workmen in the busy clat-
ter OF turning out great machines as in
any great factory or foundry.
In the press room of the paper stand
eight; six 60 every night, and two stand
by as a reserve brigade. Each press
prints whole copy Of the Times, both
sides, sixteen pages, at the rate of IL 600
per hour. The edition, therefore, goes
off at the rate of Y, 600 an hour. These
presses are ranged in three columns in
an immense room on the first floor OF
the building, the enormous weight sup
ported by arches. The paper room,
another large space, is just below the
press room, the paper being hoisted up
by lift American elevator) into the