Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-26
PUBLIC PRINTING.
Prodigious Progress from Past to Pres
ent--0hanges Of a Century.
1889 10 ISL.

kABCUTED-ETGHT
ACRES OF SPACE ocCUPIED-AN ARMY OF PkorLs
BMPLoYBD-Two MILLIONS OF DOLLARS YsAR
EXPENDED-STACKS OF LITERATURE PRODUCED
The average American has but an imperfect
idea OF the gigantic proportions OF the govern
mental institutions of his native land and not
until he has visited and inspected the grand
central headquarters of the several departments
OF the government at the capital, can he real
fZe the vast magnitude of the several parts
which are needed to complete the whole to sup
ply the requirements OF nation of f1fty mil
lions OF people. No matter how well posted
or how thoroughly familiar With state or ma
u0nai institutions elsewhere, the visitor 10
Washington after an inspection OF our great pub
lie buildings and glance at the interior work
1ngs OF the several departments invariably ex-
hausts the adjecuves In calculations OF surprise,
ard leaves more than ever impressed with q
feeling of pardonahle native pride, that he
on earth" The Capitol, the Treasury, The
Presidents Mansion, the Army and Navy de
paTtmeDt, the Patent Office, the Post office
tue Pension Office, the Census Office. the Agrl-
cultural department, the Smithsonian fnStItp-
tjor, the National Museum and a host OF lesser
oo]ects or interest all come in for fair share OF
Wander1ng Criticism. But there is another In
slltutlon In washington which is an
ALL IMPORTANT ONE,
which furnishes vast amount of the necessary
working material" for all these several de-
pertments and which Is possessed of attrac-
tons for the stranger second to none other-at
least, for all those who can appreciate the
growth, perfection and development of the art
pre- servatlye, the art OF printing. This insti-
tuition Is what Is now known ana noted over the
CIVILIZED globe as the largest OF its kind In ex-
istence," and which excites the wonder and adj
miration of the representatives OF foreign ma.
lions who come here, at the discovery Of the
fact that the youngest nation has taken fore.
most rank, even among all the older ones. In its
government literature, or printing supnltes.
The reader may know that reference is had to
THE Q. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE,
the like OF which may not be found anywhere
in the known world. 1t is located in the north
eastern section Of the city, not far distant from
the Capitol, and although plain ard unpreten-
iious In architectural appearance, at once
strikes the eye OF the stranger as a structure
imposing in its vast magnitude, II not In its
exterior attracttveness- Toward the close OF
the DAY % p. m.) when the ordinary laborS OF
the day are over, the shrill whistle of steam
engine In the works sounds grateful music to
the army OF skilled artizanS and employees en-
gagged therein. and within few minutes host
0f'men and women-fOr both sexes are en-
ployed at the works-pour forth from the many
entrance doors, and the streets and avenues
are fairly alive with cheerful, buboiing, hur-
rying mass OF humans, who wend their way to
pass by, and the number soon reaches 800, then
eco. anon 1900, and ere the rear rank has passed
oyer 9a LOO Of them ZENITH the most expe
tiyes OF their profession In the country,
have gone by: Mingled among them,
all tmbued with the same seemingly
wont to express it, go.a.head. a-tiyeness:-
noticed as many as 500 to 600 females of all
ages, from the grandame OF sixty TO the miss
in her teens, whose def fingers have been
handling thousands OF snow-white sheets at
the presses" Or other thousands OF printed
pages. In the s'folding-roorns" preparatory to
their being gathered and "bound" into books
for the use OF the millions In our land These
operatives. reader, represent at least 5000
dependent ones, at perhaps, thousand differ
ent homes In Washington. which homes are
ceeds of their labor. The men represent every
state In the union and they furnish a rare
study OF human character and personal pecu-
hsrlties; but there is band of Brotherhood
among them which permits 10 needy or
atlllcted one to suffer the pangs OF want or the
woe OF poverty's biting hardships and prlVa.
tons. The female operatives are. many Of
them, widows OF the nations soldier heroes,
whose deaths deprived home of bread winner
and the widowed mother of helpless children
went forth to be both mother ana proVider for
her offspring.
ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF The PUBLIC PRINTING
Before going into description OF the great
| works which sustain this army of employees it
|, hay not be ainiss to trace the early history.
fLctpient growth and present magnitude OF the
The first American Congress met In Nav
1ork, March 4, 1ls9, at the old City Hall, and
second
SIGN was held In New York In 1890. The third
session In old historic carpenters HalI7 ia
Philadelphia, when all OF the original "th1r-
teen states were represented Congress con
UnUed to meet here up TO May IA, 1900. Tne
| second session of the Sixth Congress was held
IN The Old Capitol building In Washington, D.
G., that year, and from that day to the present
has never left the Capitol. 'Puolic printing"
logan Ia lIS9 in an awkward way, but for years
tie United States Senate sat With closed doors.
al q only the lower house agttated the printing
N
WaS passed which contained a quaint and re
fIeshing paragraph, as follows:
.t0r the expenses OF Hre'roOd, stationery and
printing rorh and all other contingent ex-
penses of the two houses OF Congress, Ten tt0U-
sand dollars"
This was fought most vehemently as an
Mr.. Randolph first proposed public printer err
put 1t failed to carry. Up to 1919 the con
tract system for the printing of Congressional
proceedings prevailed, both houses refusing to
create national" printing office. About this
time 1t was decided that each house elect its
own printer, and Gales & Seaton received the
Joint appointment for both houses of Congress.
lucy continued for several years but In 1921 a
hot fight was made for the Senate printing be-
tween Duff Green, Gales Il Seaton, Peter Force
and Thomas Ritcnie without choice At the
Gales Seaton the House. From this time UP
TO lS4O there was always contest for the work
as IL was now assuming considerable magni-
tuCe.
were Gales q Seaton, Blair & Rves, Thomas
Allen, Richie d Harris. The cost OF the House
printing alone had now reached 5000, 000 and
there was universal complaint OF extravagance
The wings wanted rates reduced 20 per cent,
and they were reduced, but under Gales d Sea-
ton were advanced again. Thomas Richie OF
the old Richmond EnlUiref, was the next
printer, but was ouSted through the WING in
nuence OF Garrett Davis. who again introduced
the contract" system under joint Congress-
ional committee. Under this renewed system
thipgs seem to have grown from bad to
worse" under Wendell, Van BenthuZen and
Boy Hamilton. who was bursted and ruined
as contractor. The public printing for the
six years up to 1852 reached S. 500 900 as total
and In that year a superintendent OF Puoiic
Printing" was created, who Was made strictly
accountable for all public printing uole under
government auspices. john L. Towers, an old
line wing, was the first appointee. He was sue
ceeded by A. g. Seaman, George ". Bowman.
and ia 1859 by John Heart, Who served no TO
May u, 1861.
A NOTED QUARTETTE.
In 1852 memorable contest was had for the
positions OF Senate and House printers in
which figured four prominent personages,-
Gen. Robert Armstrong, Horace Greeley, VIM.
=. Brownlow and Henry j. Raymond. The
last lamed trio were defeated, and Armstrong
won the race. In 1856, Cornelius Wendell
who Is really the FOUNDER OF the Government
Printing Office, had close contest against
John ID. DefreeS, the present printer. Wendell
was elected and expended large amounts 10
buildings and machinery, hoping to hold 1t.
Ia YlnlD O yU frrn