The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-12-30
Il LIFE or A TYPO


AAVS$AAno ~ !
Nothing About 1t.
To the careless observer the print
sr's trade may seem a very simple one
and easy to learn, but it is in reality a
that requires for its mastery |
and its highest rewards a service al
most as long and arduous as that
Jacob underwent in order to Sc
cure his chosen Rachel. No hurried
requirement or extraordinary ability
will entitle the novice to any short
cut to the full privileges of the trade.
The lines are drawn in newspaper
Offices, at least, as hard and tense
upon him as the divisions of the
castles in India. He must begin at
the bottom as a ''galley-boy.' and
spends four years in fitting himself
for full membership in the printers
organization. Not until he has done
so is he on a level with a printer who
has fully learned his trade, nor can
he secure the wages of such an one.
Foremen say it is difficult to find a
boy who is really fit to learn the trade,
but many of them will keep one who
is inefficient because the work a gal
ley-boy is required to do does not re-
quire special skill or ability. A boy
is first set at '.proving galleys," as it
is called, or taking proofs OF n mat
ter that has been put in type for ex-
animation and correction by the proof
reader. He usually spends a year IN
this work, and the second year is al
lowed to set type on a small weekly
salary. During the third and fourth
wears he is allowed two-thirds price for
the type he sets. In the third
year he is admitted to the Topographic
cal Union as an ~apprenticed member
and in the fourth year as a full mem
Der. He is then allowed full price for
his work. and is a good printer. if it is
D O ssible for him to become such.
There are two classes of journeymen
printers, those who r good: printers
and travel from choice and those who
are inferior and travel from necessity.
One-third of the newspaper printers are
tramps. If there is anything in a print
er a tramp will develop it, and print
ing is the best business in which to
tramp. Every paper has its regular
printers and usually half as many sub
%stltutes or ''subs," who work when
some of the regulars lay of. This
makes it an easy matter to get work IN
almost any city unless bus ness is very
dull.
The amount of money that a printer
makes depends chiefly on his rapidity
and accuracy. and to some extent on
his luck. HI is compelled to take the
piece of copy which is first on the hook
and if it is "fat" composition, or las a
wood-cut, perchance, in it, ne is in
luck, while if he happens to get a LIST
of roper names the fates have froWned
upon him. Some matter is paid for at
| double rates, because in such matter 1t
| is necessary to insert rules or ADJUST
figures accurately beneath one anoth-
er. as in the scores of baseball games,
| etc. Other matter is pad for at one
and one-half rates. In this city print
| ers are paid by the week for set
ting advertisements. The ra-
pidity with which a composltor
works, of course. depends largely on
| the legibility of the manuscript. The
| chief editors writing is usually the
| worst. The fastest compositors make
about 81 a day. Others will MAKE
less. and the slower ones average about
$3.50. The amount and quality OF
work done depends somewhat on the
| compositor's nervous condition. One
mans work will vary greatly in guam.
titv from day to day. 1t is not always
the man who is moving his hands the
most rapidly who is doing the most
work. He must not make false move
ments. such as reaching for a letter in
the wrong place, knocking it against
the case, as many do from habit. and
swaying his body from side to side
He is retarded by any movements thai
do not add directly to his progress. A
printer sometimes has a good memory
and is able to remember things and reae
illepible words by the context or by hi:
general information, and yet has not
Certain mechanical skill which is nee
essarv to efficiency. He does not SCI
the letter as he places it in the ''stick,
but tells from the hicks on it VIII CT
side is up. The copy in offices wher'
rapid composition is necessary, as II
newspaper establishments, is cut W
into very small takes. and the com
positor is often obliged to start in TIL
middle of a word or sentence, with n
context to aid him, and familiarity Will
different STYLES of handwriting is ex
ceedinglv valuable. There are extr;
inducements for avoiding typograph
zeal r When the proof is rea'
and returned to the proof-reader 1t ]
given to the printer who set up tn
first stake" that contains three errors
and he is obliged to correct not onl
his own errors but those OF all othei
in the galley until he reaches anothe
take containing three others: The
the compos tor of that take IS con
PEELED to correct in the same manner
the next take containing three errors
In this way those who do not max
more than two errors in one take W
! rarely have to correct any proof. A
changes in copy. after it has been Sc
nm. are corrected by what is known a
the ring-man." Zach union office hs
a man called 'the father OF the chapel.
: selected to settle disputes.
r The Technology Of a pr:nting-offie
is a stumbling-blccA to those who hay
not become fam Lar with it by actu:
contact with the things named.
t form is a chase the size of the page
. is designed to print. The type is fas
ened and t'ghtened in the form, whic
: 8 then said to be ''locked.' DeadtyI
I, S that which has been used and
ready to be distributed each letter to
particular Eox. "Pi'' is in no way +
lated to fruit and crusts, but is tyl
$ which has fallen down. and may ha,
derived its name from the appearane
: of the Greek letter of SIMILAR soun'
> A .take' is the amount VIII CHI is
- be set up from one slip OF paper.
y fiat take is one of the sfandal
q, figures of the language. and means
orally a printers take which conta
= but little type, but measures us mut
= and brings the tvpe-setter as mut
= oay as if It were "solid.' In the COZ
= pos,ng-room of a newspaper a print
= is not called by his name. but is Isl,
- ONE slug two,' slug SIX as t
case may be, and always puts at the t.
of his take" his number, sonnet m
spelled out as .'six,' or in figures.
Z ..13." This is done in order tn
the matter he has set up may be read
# assigned to him in estimating WIN
~ each man is to be paid. The mann
of est mating the pay is for the me