Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-02-25

| II required 10 correct his own errors This done
| another proof is taken and returned to the
| proof-readers. where it is read 10y a gentleman
| known as the "reyisor, and all errors remain
| ing are marked by him. Meanwhile the type
| has been making gradual progress westward
| from shelf to shelf and from table TO table.
| WA6n the corrections Indicated by the Teyisor
have been made the type il laid on another table
| or stone and arranged an new galley. This
galley is two columns i'm width. and holds inst
| the amount OF type required To ill page of the
| Recod Another proof impression is taken
| from the type then. and ii is reviewed again in
the proof-readers room for the last time before
making its descent to the region Of the press
! room.
The type finally reaches
THE LAST STAGE
on the imposing stone. Here it is made up in
fiat forms for the press the forms being so ar
ranged as to hold eight pages of type The
| headlines and numbers of the pages having
| been inserted in their proper places the chases
are firmly locked. a truck is wheeled up to the
| imposing stone, the form is laid upon il and
rushed away to the elevator. where it is lowered
| 10 the press room. The first sheet from the
| press is brought Immediately upstairs and il is
thoroughly reviewed by the proof-reader max
ing the filth and last time that the matter passes
under the eye of the reader before publication.
THE PRESSES.
The number Of presses employed on the work
depends on the size of the Record TO be printed
The first two presses set to work print. at each
impression, 16 pages of the Record. The other
| presses, and sometimes several of the large
presses in the office are used on the work print
| signatures of pages. After the daily Record
OF when 5000 copies are printed. has been run
| Oh the presses. the forms are returned to the
/ composing room Here the type after being
released from the chases. is handled by no less
than SIX different men before it finally goes to
| press again to print the permanent Record which
! appears In the bound volumes. The type is
released from the chases Ii any Representative
or Senator has ordered. as is frequently the ease
copies of his speech in pamphlet form, his speech
I is taken out and the type rearranged
for such special publication. After this is at
| tended TO the type is tied up and iald away on
large platform to take its turn in being correct
| ed. All the errors and omissions i'm the daily
| publication having been mended, the type is
again made up in forms, and sent to the stereO-
| tipping foundry. where the plates from which
| the bound editions are printed are made The
| type Is then returned to the composing room
! and placed on the dead board" whence it
makes its way back to the boxes in the printers
| cases.
TONS OF TYPE.
| BY the time the reporter who had been guided
through the intricacies of the office by Mr. Ford
reached the west end truck bearing two of the
forms of the last edition of the Record was sent
| back from the press room, being hauled in from
the elevator Two men taking hold of form to
lift it upon the ''dead-board," staggered under
| its weight THAT weighs three hundred
pounds, said one of the men to the reporter
Every page oftype" said Mr. Ford, weighs %
| pounds. What do you think the last new dress
of type We got weighed?" The reporter not be-
ing able to make an estimate Mr.. Ford con-
tlnued, 1900 pounds. The last dress of type
we had lasted seven years which is doing prt.tty
Mr.. n,I
suggestion from the reporter I'VE will have to
nave larger office. The Record grows every
session. 1t has been heavier this session than
ever before. OF course as the session grows
older, the Record will grow larger"
+! REVISING SPEECHES.
One great source OF annoyance to the printers
In getting out the Record is the fact that nearly
every Congressmanwhowants to revise his speech.
deems it necessary to keep the manuscri pt or
proofout of the office until after midnight II
think we have them now" said Mr.. Ford,
speaking of this, ''by the IL o'clock rule II a
member does not have his speech i'm now by l2
O'Clock we put in a line Withheld for revision
or something to that effect. and let it go
That makes them get in earlier OF
course c, when such thing happens.
the speech appears in its regular place
in the bound edition" VERY often members fur.
nish the manuscript of their speeches. much to
the disgust of the typos. among whom Congress
sonal chirography does not bear a very good
reputation for egibilty. The copy furnished by
the reporters and their amanuenses is written
IN bold, plain characters, on alternate lines. and
is very easy to decipher.
THE REFRIGERATOR"
"There, said Mr.. Ford pointing to a large
wooden cabinet or box sis our refrigerator"
Refrigerator said the reporter
"fes, our refrigerator. When a member
sends down his speech i'm advance to have it set
in type, SO as to savetme, the gaileys are locked
up there. Sometimes a member wants to get
proof slips OF his speech to send to the newspa-
pers, or something of that sort The type is
locked up in the refrigerator until the speech is
delivered. Then, as the speech becomes public
property, it is taken out, and any one can
see it,"
ODDS AND ENDS
Mr.. Ford said that if the copy was furnished
uninterTuptedly from six o'clock in the evening
he could send fifty-six page Record to press
at two o'clock in the morning. He has now
tfty-four compOstors at work. When CODY
runs out they are fed with document room,
copy. of which there is always an abundance so
the government is not charged with 'swaitinc
time" AS the demand on the Record increases
towards the end of the session the force will
be propoItionatey increased After the Record
Is printed, the copy, or manuscript. of each edi-
ton together with the revised proof Slips are
done up in bundles and deposited in pigeon
holes. where they are kept for several weeks,
to be referred to, in case the accuracy
of the Record is brought into question. Such a
perfect system is in operation in the Office that
not only can any piece of copy be found at any
moment, but by reference to the record kept by
the assistant foreman when he gives out the
copy, any paragraph that may be called for can
be rescued from the sea Of type in mo
ment OF time. When the reporter left the
Office and emerged into the night air. the
light in the lantern in the dome was shining in
the southern sky, sign to the world indi-
eating that the legislators were extending their
labors into the night In a few hours the roar
and ciang of presses announce that the weary
printers work is ended. The next morning a
copy Of the Record. fresh, crisp and clean.-con-
tanning complete photograph of the session Of
the previous day up to the time of adjournment
late at nights laid upon the desk Of each
member. who, probably, as he glances through
its pages, gives no thought to the skill and toll
of a hundred hands, and the mighty energies
that have worked during the night to bring it
into existence.
LETTER FROM FLORIDA.