Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-26
the rate Of from 1900 to $4,000 per hour each.


alone prints about soe,oeo volumes a year.
There are employed here foreman. ! assistant.
IA pIessmen and iaoorers, and 81 females
So hands are empIoyed The second door Of ne
premises Is indeed busy corner. suofivlded
INTO several departments. the most Important
street side is the ONCE of the "Paolic Printer"
where clerical force. telephone and telegraph
operators Chief and financial clerks are kept
ever busy IN directing the vast details OF the
works under the eye OF their experienced and
ever watchful CHIEF. just across the passage
are TWO large apartments, known as
"THB PROOF ROOMS"
In which are always engaged some 25 or more
Oh the most experienced and accomplished
practical-printer proof-readers perhaps I'm the
known world. Here are men who are csnan,a
OF reading all languages, through whose hands
goes the first proof. slips OF millions OF PAGES
annually and which, when read by the first
readers. the silent readers and the ''revsers~
will stand any criticism for absolute correct
ness IN point OF Typography, grammatical con-
struction, or punctuation.
THE DOCUMENT ROOM
Extending the entire three hundred feet or
front on street is what IS known as 1.-The
Document Room" or main composing room OF
the works. At the east end OF the rear room
in nearly enclosed private Office where the
printers" Assistant Foreman Davis looks out
upon an acre or more OF printing cases ranged
o. either Side. besides the hundreds OF Windows
In alleys as they are termed. each alley hav-
ing four skilled typos" as tenants thereon.
whist In the center are ''stones" and racks
and galley stands and the thousand and one
appurtenanceS or large Office. About $50
compoSitorS, representing all the states OF the
Union. are here regularly engaged, and at this
time over 800 hands are in employ In this single
room. There are 202 double stands: 23e0 pairs
OF cases; more than 200. 900 pounds of type
besides about $50 fonts OF type for title pages
$50 large chases; proof presses; l Washingto
press, 24x3S, and IA cabinets. with a capacity
for 500 cases The most difficult precise and
Intricate work In the art OF printing, In every
known language, Is produced here. such as
scientific Works-geographical and geological
reports bureau reports for all the government
departments. An average OF about 1000 600
500 600 100 monthly, or 500, OO0, 900 ems year,
which IL paid for by the piece would cash
$50 OoG year; but under the present system
In the states-at 40 cents per hour. Among the
compositors are three young ladies, who rank
among the pest typos on the force.
THE BIEDBRY.
On the third floor OF the building, fronting
On both H and North Capitol Streets is the
vast bindery Of the institution where the skilled
mechanic would be In his glory In the exami-
nation OF some Of the most ingenious intricate
and expensive machinery ever made for book
making, About 10000 square feet OF space is
REQUIRED to accommodate this branch OF the
works. In 1860 only 46 persons were employed
IN this department. The number now reaches
5l5. There are 1913 separate machines IN use,
among which are 20 ruling and cutting ma
chimes. SO standing presses, 5 board cutters, 10
Wire sewing machines, II paging and number
ing machines, stamping machines, perfora-
| tors, So plows and presses, &c. Attached TO
Which gives employment to large force. The
"Folding Room" is especially interesting,
owing to its yastness. Up to 1871 the space
occupied was 60 by 200 feet. A year later 60 by
| 113 feet was added. and again In 1879 60 by 90
feet more was added. From time to time the
force OF employees In this department have been
increased, unit! there are from 300 70 $50 n..;e-
ralives, principally skilled and aexterous
| females. No brief description does any iustica
| to this branch OF the work; 1t must be seen and
examined to be appreciated intelllglbly. Here
| the folding, FASTING, gathering, colIating, &c
| all distinct operations-are executed backed
| away in 500 sheet bundles until a volume is
| gathered, and then turned over to the binders
; ~ Isl tne Goeuments &C. required 100000
| Of the jobs are simply Immense. For Instance.
| an Agricultural report contains IL, 400 900
| sheets; an average hand folder-Who folds 900
sheets day, would be $500 days In folding
| this single work If working alone. Formerly
| this work itself would keep half the force en-
| ployed. Now it is principally done by ma
| reached 1905, $50 copies OF documents. For the
secoh9 SESSION last Congress there were
| l1..04 555 copies folded, With preserve docu-
ments' added ed oa a6ggregating st6Slooo. In
handled In this department. WV"
THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.
The debates OF Congress nave for many years
required large amount of labor. Up to the
present century all this was done by news
papers alone and their CARRIED accounts created
many disturbance In $500. however the
Old National IateHtgeRcer became a sort of
'uf11cfal organ" and published correct reports
A stenOgrapher was given a seat "within thu
bar" but Speaker Sedgewick claimed that the
public had no right TO know aughu or Congress
SIGNAL matters pending debates, aud the re-
porter was ordered first TO the gallery. and
nhally ''out OF the hall" The full reports con
tinued TO appear, however. just as usual Ia the
iftjelttgs1tcer. Various efforts were made, tut
without success up to 1924. when a contract
was made for the printing of the debates from
1859 to 1924. Gales Seaton published q add.
liOnal volumes In book form. bringing the work
down TO 1871, when the Congressional Globe
was begun. and In this shape-large quaruo
size-the Official record has been preserved
Gown 10 lS'3. In los volumes. In the year 1873
the Public Printer was given charge OF the
work, and then began The Congressional Record
Since that time the debates OF the 4Sd, 44th,
10th and 10th Congresses have been printed
under government control, reaching nearly
$4,000 pages of line print. The Record" room
Is o5X52 feet, and gives employment during
congressional sessions to from GO to 100 men.
There each days debates are printed at night
and delivered TO either house on the next morn
ing. The vast amount OF work thus done In a
few hours would seem almost impossible, as
there are frequently 40 to IS pages OF single
days proceedings. During the 10th Congress
40, geo volumes were printed. In 1875 Congress
purchased all the Old records, bound volumes,
plates, &C, OF the Congressional Globe. and now
| OWNS all the old debates down TO date,
OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
IN addition to those departments named there
are several other extensive branches OF the vast
works to describe, which would occupy too
much space for newspaper columns. THE
Specification Room" where all the blank forms
for the Patent once are printed, gives employ
TO about so men. The JOB Room" Is 5SXS0 feet
has AS fonts CT type Isl cases, 200 chaSe5 and
requires large force OF hands Here are
printed ali the blanks, such as bonds, contracts
schedules; Post Office. custom house, Pension
Office, Hallway service and other blanks. The
'Stereotyping and Eiectrotyping" department
Is another large concern within itself. and IN
addition to all these there are branches at the
Treasury, Navy, Interior and other Depart
mentS OF the government where smaller detail
work is done.
CAPACITY OF THE WORKS.
Tie capacity OF the Office for work is simply
wonderful to contemplate. Prom the last re-
port the following extracts were made OF work
done In one year, to June 30, 1850:
Blanks, envelopes, &C., (ex-depart-
mehts). 1872 49, S97
Blanks, envelopes, &C.. (Congress) . s'553.5,5
Pamphlets, mo. OF coplesl (ex-depart-
Pamphlets, {No OF copies iCongress.. los 7Ss
Blank books (eX-departments, ... 340'10S
congress-. ........... US
Miscellaneous binding (ex-depart-