Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-02-25
THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.
How and Where it is Printed.

THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.
How and Where it is Printed.
THE LARGEST DAILY PUBLICATION IN THE
w0RLD-scENEs IN THE PRINTING OFFICE AT
NIGHr-soNE FACTS ABOUT THE WORK DONE
A little over hundred years ago, i'm England.
1t would have been considered an offence only
one remove from treason, for printer to dare
to publish reports of the proceedings of Par
lament. The celebrated contest between Par
lament and tn press began in ITO. The staid
Old English legislators, utterly astOunded at
the impudence of certain printers of London
Journals who dared to publish a summary Of the
parliamentary proceedings, ordered the rash
men into the custody of the sergeant-at-arms
1t so happened that the arrests were made
within the precincts Of the city Of London and
the lord mayor and aldermen of that city,
Jealous Of their privileges placed the officers of
the House who arrested the prisoners
In custody for making an assault
The House thus defled waxed furious
and ordered the confinement of the Lord Mayor
and one Of the aldermen in the tower. When
Parliament was prOrogued these gentlemen
were set at liberty, and the city was Illuminated
in their honor. Parliament finding itself power
less to oppose the growing public opinion in
favor OF the printers conceded the point and
from that day reports Of legislative proceed
ton affirming it to be high indignity to, and a
notorious breach of the privileges of the House to
publish its debates remains unrevOked. Ifthese
queued and periwlgged old lawmakers could re-
visit the glimpses of the moon on this side Of
the Atlantic and behold the national legislature
actually keeping printing office of its own.
doubtless they would thank their stars thar
they were permitted to die before the world
| arrived at an age where it could regard such a
shocking state of affairs with indifference.
THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
varies in the amount Of it's contents, of course,
according to the length Of the daily sessions of
Congress- and the amount of business trans
acted but. as it averages it is the largest daily
publication in the world. For several years
past, during the months when Congress is in
session, the wayfarer at night, through the parts
of the city bordering on the region known as
SwampOodle-on account of a legend that there
was once a swamp there and the buIlfrOg and
mud turtle held sway where now continuous
rows of houses are built-was cheered by a long,
bright row of lights in the upper floor of the
Government Printing Office This was the
Record office but within the last few months it
has been removed to the new wing Of the build
ing, and being located on the second floor, no
longer hangs out alOft its CHEEKY signals to
guide the belated traveller. To this Office. where
the utterances of our legislators are immortal
lied in type. and which is usually sacred from
intrusion, u STAR reporter gained admission.
THE RECORD OFFICE
is spacious room or hall with arched fire proof
ceiling, supported by two rows of strong brick
columns. which divide the space in the hall in
to three different apartments. The visitor enter
ing by way OF the stairway at the left steps into
the middle apartment, which is the runway"
of the office, devoted to imposing stones galley
racks, copy cases and other furniture. At the
eastern end OF this runway is the desk Of the
assistant foremen, who gives out copy and keeps
track of the matter as it is set up The galley
boy and ''devil," also disport themselves in
this central part of the hall, and the typos
make use OF it as passage way
when on their way from their cases to "dump
their type and get a new ''take" Near the
stairway where the visitor entered is a small pri-
vate Office used by the foreman. The space on
the right side OF the hall is given upto the typos
Here there are rows and rows of printers cases.
and at night the eye gets bewildered by the long
line OF lights half hidden by shades. The space
on the right side is taken up with an inclosure
where the proof readers sit; colony of printers
Tor whom there is not room on the right side of
the office; fonts of type dead-bOarls, and cases
for storing away the type that is tiled up" wait
ing for the stereotyper.
Such was the general arrangement of the
printing office which THE STAR reporter in
vaded just at six O'clock. 1t was the hour
when the work of the night was to begin All
was life and hustle. Half hundred printers i'm
their shirt sleeves and wearing shades over their
eyes were crowding about the desk of the as
siStant foreman.
GIVING OUT COPY.
That gentleman had a large pile Of manu-
script already cut up in cakes on the desk
before him. The business of distributing the
the copy was disposed of very rapidly Each
printer as his number was called stepped to the
desk, took the piece of manuscript handed
i'm, md 10
was all PACED in order AS it was given
out the assistant foreman made q rapid
record on slip of paper properly
ruled and headed, which showed tine SLUG or
number Of the printer to whom the COPY had
been given, the folio or number of the take
Of manuscript, and the number of the galley on
which the matter" should be emptied when
set. AS the work of giving out copy was going
on, Mr. Byron A. Ford, the foreman of the Of
fee. stood by watching the proceedings. Soon
every printer had captured a morsel of manu.
script and hurried of to his Galley to dispose
Of it. and there was a brief respite in the labors
OF the assistant foreman. A messenger from
the Capitol with leathern haversack or bag
here hurried In. however, and dumped upon the
desk several huge rolls of manuscript which
were to pass under the shears aud pencil of the
assistant foreman, to be numbered and divided
up into takes and distributed among the typos
just as the first batch had been served.
THE SIZE OF THE RECORD.
1.-The RECORD" said Mr.. Ford to the STAR re-
porter. sis undoubtedly the heaviest daily pub
LEGATION in the world. A 6fty-six page Record,
is equal to any two Of the New York papers and
100 page Record is equal to the Herald. Tribune
Times, World and San all put together Look
here" continued Mr.. Ford taking down book
in which daily record of the amount of tvpe
set is kept, 81 think it would Brighten any news
paper publisher to have any such bills as these"
The record showed that during the first twenty
seven days OF the session there were set $685.
100 ems The daily amountsranged from IL 600
ems to 757, 500 ems. The latter was 112 page
Record, made unusually heavy by the publica-
ton Of the index of the Record
THAT does not inclnde," said Mr.. Ford, s'what
we call our dead horse the standing matter
such as residences of members &C., which are
put in so as to make up the proper number of
pages"
THE PROCESS.
The matter that comes from the stenOrraphic
reporters at the Capitol, after it reaches the
printing Office, makes its way gradually from
the desk Of the assistant foreman down the CEN
ter OF the room until finally, the forms are
wheeled out Of the west end of the room on
trucks and lowered to the press ROOM If one
y,;p of folyn EN-