The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-11-29
HUMORS OF THE pROOFROOM
horrible Mistakes for Which
Proof-Readers Have Been
Responsible
e. L.ui- tsia.t,. D.,apcrzt.

A New York proc f-reader. whose
experience dates back nearly twenty
i've years has contribute ali inter
esting series of articles on his business
la the Good Templar Gem. After
presenting vivid pen-picture Of the
many trials To which the proof-reader
r. subjected. both in book and news
paper Offices. the writer gives few
instances Of ludicrons mistakes In
printing. We quote:
In the course Of a famous trial in
Brooklyn lady was telling about the
defendant calling on her to relate his
vas. having done which, she said, he
.aid down Oh lounge and she cover
ed him with an afghan. The repor-
ters caught the sound and wrote
napkin" and it 30 appeared in the
reports of several papers next morn
,ns. The inpossibility of covering the
IUrtly and dignified form of the de-
PENDANT with napkin ought to have
struck the proof-reader, but it did
not.
4 gentleman, describing visi. to a
famous pnblic building. where he
Mad some difficulty in finding the way
out. finally found the western gate.
where, he said. cab awaited him.
tut the compositor insisted that a
"eop arrested him.
Speaking Of the innumerablc dogs
Ct the city. another writer !ongei for
the annual ST. Barth"Iome dog MAJ
sacre, but the types had it that he
yearned for the arrival of ". Eatho-
I AVIS dog museum" =
Some moralist Iikene-l something
which he though, very fat and stale
~ tcrchligh, procession by daylight
with last years political candidates
but the comEpsitnr though; "bursted
guns would be better than candi
dates.
"A gentleman from New York" ap-
peared in proof as cunningham
trnm Nyack."
The next blunder passed the proof
seader and copy-holder. and. it may
be presumed. caused the writer TO
think that the COW must have yielded
something other than milk. The
sentence Was written, "Seeing some
sailors engaged in picking oakum,"
etc. but the types made it read,
Seeing some sailors engaged in milk
Mg q cow"
AZ young gentleman was once
placed in an appalling situation for a
conscientious theological student" but
the types made him q 'consum ptive
theological student
A book reviewer spoke Of All author
Who had made "an argument for the
existence Of God, based Oh evidences
Of design in nature when printed,
the argument was for the existence
Of girls, based on the rudeness of de-
sign in nature" which was not COM
plimentary to the girls.
Describing fort, it was written
that "the guns were on barbette." but
the compositor thought it would be
better if 'all the guns were in
Baireuth.'
The heading to an account of a
college feast was trans Ormed from
1.-The Dartmouth Dinner" to The
Foulmouth Dinner" which was not
true, although there were many
speakers.
Speaking of the strain of labor
er's muscle. it WAS written, "when he
lifts big pipes or carries bricks in his
hod." but the compositor put the
bricks i'm his that" where, alas too
many of them are carried.
A reporter writing of an accident,
put the cart before the horse by assert
ing that the horse backed overheard.
dragging the cart after him. Of
course, if the prOofreader had been
thus mixed there would have been
trouble.
A traveller in Africa told of an ALI
gator which swallowed thirtv-six
missionaries" The printer must
have been Tilted. for. according to
him. the reptile made his meal of
"nursemaids.
A weekly news paper lamented the
prevailing tendency of English girls
to defy the conventional restraint.
ments of former years." The COM
positOr made it read "connubial re-
wraints." aud perhaps he was not far
strong"
Another inquirer wanted to know if
the police cannot do something to
prevent careless and dangerous blast
ing in the neighborhood of Third
avenue 7" and this is the way the
typo put it: "Cannot the police do
to prevent the camels and
1oor from, klos <sun 80 tho co:cb 10.