Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1882-05-31
VOLUME XII.
The Printer.


out making any puns on the words
and phrases, take" "quoins," "out
of sorts" etc, and if we succeed we
will be the first who have written
about the printer without distorting
several languages to make puns on
the technical terms Of his trade.
We would rather write of the mod
esty, diffidence and sobriety of the
printer, and of his unobtrusive piety
and his transformations domestic
habits, but for the fact that the
printer has none of these vices. We
would prefer describing him in the
quiet retirement Of the family circle
in his coy parlor on winter night
the revered father of a numerous
ofspring-teaching his little ones
their catechism; or as he sits in the
mellow twilight of a summers even
| ing, on the honey-suckle covered
porch of his modest cottage, earnest
ly reading, by the fading light of
day, comforting precepts from the
inspired page. We repeat, that is
how we would love to write of him,
but, alas we cannot do such inus-
tice to our reputation for veracity as
to describe him thus, as he is-not.
The printer begins life as a devil,
and remains in that chrvsalis condi-
ton for period of several years,
during which time his duties consist
of distributing type in wrong cases,
larassing the editors for copy, fall
ing down stairs with galley full of
type, and consuming early and UNI
ripe apples, mammoth water-melons
bottles Of homemade wine, and
such painful compliments that are
| presented to the editor, and which,
not appreciating himself, he sends
to the devil. When he ceases to be
a devil he becomes a composition,
and assumes all the rights and priv.
ileges of the craft, especially that of
raising the devil every Saturday
night when he gets paid off.
The printer is gregarious and con-
vivial in his habits, but that is no
excuse for people who continually
libel him by representing him to be
in a condition OF inebriety from one
years end to another. These peo-
pie are prejudiced, and they allow
their prcjudices to overshadow their
sense of justice. We know the prin-
ter better than they do, and although
| 10 has treated us shamefully at
times in the matter of insisting on
having his wages paid more fire.
quently than once in a while, and in
declining to take our due bills in
lieu Of cash, yet we propose to fairly
represent him, and we cheerfully
bear testimony TO the fact that we
know more than one printer who
has been sober for one consecutive
week at time, We could point to
one who, we are satisfied, has not
been intoxicated at any time during
the last two years, and we will an
swer for his sobriety for the next
two years to come. if Gov. Roberts
does not pardon him out before that
time. The printer is migratory and
impecunious as rule, but he is us
ually honest and pays as he goes.
He has been slandercd by writers in
all ages, but no one has ever accus-
ed him Of building himself S1O,-
600 homestead and then compro-
missing with his creditors and pay
ing 10 cents on the dollar. 1t has
been the habit of writers to represent
the printer as making extraordinary
blunders in composition, substitu-
ting one word for another, and thus
altering the sense of a whole article
To those who are familiar with the
sort of manuscript received in news.
paper offices, the wonder is that the
printer makes so few mistakes. j
| he had not more than average intel
| ligence and patience, he would prob
ably make as many mistakes as hi
gets credit for. He does occasional.
| ly try to improve on what the editor
has written. He thinks that the edi
tor certainty could not have mean
it that way, SO he drops in a word 0
his own selection ''to make sense,
as he expresses it, which subsc
quently causes the editor to us,
harsh and unfeeling language
Sometimes the printer really doe,
improve on the editors copy. No
long since we had occasion to writ
of the old Texas veterans, and We
alluded to them us "battle-scarret
heroes" 1t was printed BADLY
scared heroes" and when we sait
that "Gov. Roberts was above bein,
influenced by bribe," the printe
got it that he was ''above being in
fluenced by the Bible" which woul,
60 to prove that occasionally tn
printer is inspired.
The printer is one Of the indis
pensable adjuncts Of civilization ar,
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