The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-02-10
KNnESf rRISlIAG OFFICE
A Description oTOnc Of the Most Exten.
ave Establishments In the world.

A Description aTOnc Of the Most Exten.
sINs Establishments In the World.
Special Correspondence Of he lntelllgcutcr.
WAsnISGToS, February,s,-The Govern.
ment Printing Office is one Of the iustitu.
tons Of Washington that the general pub
lie appear 10 have little acquaintance with.
1t is the most extensive printing establish.
ment in tie worId-employirg over two
thousand hands and doing all kinds of
work pertaining TO printing, except the
manufacture Of type. Tie most cOmpe.
tent wOrkmen TO be found are employed
here, and being under the control Of the
Government II is al course complete in all
OF its appointments, and Consequently the
very beat OF work il turned cut and IN i'm.
mense quantities. II is the opinion OF the
employees Of the otlice--And they are good
judgeS-that the present PnbliC Printer,
Mr.. S. p. Rounds, Ia the most competent
man that nus ever filled the position. And
1t requires no mean ability to bring out
harmonious and systematic work in all the
manifestations OF such an txtpnsive concern
as this. Mr.. Rounds Is ably seconded by
Captain Breen, Foreman Of Printing, a
gentleman in every respect, and one emf.
nently qualified to I'LL tho important place
he occupies.
Not GgreRt number Of years ago all print.
ing for tho Government wis given out on
contract, and II WAS not until 1861 that the
Government purchased the present site Of
the Government Printing Office and Eup.
piled ito own material for doing the work.
The Office is situated on the corner OF II
and North Capitol streets, and since It's
purchase in 1861 there have been large ad.
ditions made To it. The printing done for
the Government here was by Gales & Sea-
ton, the well known publishers OF the
National Inielligncer, q paper Of great re.
putAtiOn In It's day as an anti slavery organ,
and in which frst appeared Mrs. Stoves
"Uncle Toms Cabin" Among the candi.
dates for the office OF Public Printer In 1852
were such distinguished names rs Horace
Greeley, "PATson" Brownlow, and Ii. ].
Raymond. In 1851 John D. Drirees was
appointed, and was the iirst man OH whom
the title OF "Public Printer" was conferred.
The work OF the Office up TO this time had
been done by contract TO the lowest bidder.
Mr.. Deirees held the office three times
different intervals intervening
A few items cleaned from the late re.
port Of Mr.. Rounds will convey better
idea Of the magnitude Of this office than
anything could Eay. The expenses OF the
office iGr the fiscal year ending June 30,
1851, were $I,B3i, 1905. During the year
there were printed blanks and envelopes
TO the number Of 1869, 255, and copies Of
pamphlets and documents TO the number
Of q, OH, 40 copies, In the job room over
one million money order blanks arc
printed every six weeks, nod the House
and Senate officers have had at times as
high "a four million envelopes printed.
Some OF the works printed here are
astonishing In extent, and very expensive.
For instance, the Rebellion Record"-O5
large volumes, 500 pages eaCll-lOOOO
copies Of each-060, 900 books. For Gxpen.
siye books. the Pacific Railroad Survey"
eleven volumes, completed ln 1850, cost
the Government SS03,OOO. The "Msxican
Boundary Survey" two volumes-cOst
$4,000. These two works were published
before the establishment Of the Govern.
ment Printing Office, and show how expen.
ave the work was under the contract sys.
tenn. The facilities for doing rapid work Is
illustrated by the fact that document
Of one thousand pages received In man.
1script at 5 o'clock Wednesday evening,
was put 10 type, corrected, and bound
copy delivered to the House by noon Sat.
lrday. Itrequires an immense amount Of
machinery and material Of all kinds TO
'un this establishment. The press room
contains between sixty and seventy presses
In thu dornmpnt fOonl alona fhaFe aFo
lsed over 100000 pounds Of type. The
atgeSt order ever Issued for type at one
line comes from this oiIice-75, 900 pounds.
receipts from sales Of waste paper last
ear amounted 10 nearly $780, OO-which
I'LL give an idea Of the immense quantity |
paper consumed.
As, perhaps, more strikipgly illustrating
10 exiensiYeneN Of lie Government Print.