Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-06-25

the bottom as s.galley-boy," ana
spends four years in fitting himself
for full membership in the printers
organization. Not until he has done
so is he on 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 gall
iey-hoy 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 the mat
ter that has been put in type for ex-
animation and correction by the proof
reader. He usually spends year in
this work. and the second year is al
salary. During the third and fourth
years 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 men,
Der. He is then allowed full price for
his work. and is a good printer. if it is
possible fors him to become such.
There are two classes of journeymen
printers, those who are 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 print
er 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
stitutes or subs" who work when
some of the regulars lay off. This
makes it an easy matter to get work in
almost any city unless business is very
dull.
The amount of money that printer
makes depends chiefly on his rapidity
and accuracy, and to some extent on
his luck. He, is compelled to take the
piece of copy which is first on the hook,
and if it is fat composition, or has
wood-cut, perchance, in it, he is in
luck, while il he happens to get list
of proper names the fates have frowned
upon him. Some matter is paid for at
double rates, because in such matter it
is necessary to insert rules or ad Just
figures accurately beneath one anoth-
err, 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 compositor
works, of course, depends largely on
the legibility of the manuscript. The
chief editors writing is usually the
worst The fastest compositors make
about "a 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
man work will vary greatly in guam
tity 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 net make false move
ments, such as reaching for 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 that
do not add directly to his progress. A
printer sometimes has a good memory
and is able to remember things and read
illegible words by the context or by his
general information, and yet has not a
certain mechanical skill which is nee
essarv to efficiency. He does not see
the letter as he places it in the ''stick,'
but tells from the hicks on it which
side is up. The copy in offices where
rapid composition is necessary, as in
newspaper establishments. is cut up
into very small takes. and the COM
positor is often obliged to start in the
middle of q word or sentence, with no
context to aid him, and familiarity with
different styles of handwriting is eX-
ceedingly valuable. There are extra
inducements for avoiding typograph-
ical errors. When the proof is read
and returned to the proof-reader it is
given to the printer who set up the
first take" that contains three errors,
and he is obliged to correct not only
his own errors but those of all others
in the galley until he reaches another
take containing three others. Then
the compos tor of that take is COM
PEELED to correct in the same manner tC
the next take containing three errors.
In this way those who do not make
more than two errors in one take will
rarely have to correct any proof. All
changes in copy, after it has been set
up. are corrected by what is known as
1.-The ring-man." Each union office has
a man called 1.-The father of the chapel
selected to settle disputes.
The Technology of a printing .office
is stumbling-blcck to those who have
not become familiar with it by actual
contact with the things name1. A
form is a chase the size of the page il
is designed to print. The type is fast
ened and tightened in the form. which
is then said to be 'locked." Dead type
is that which has been used and is
ready to be distributed-eachle letter to its
particular box. s.Pi' is in no way re-
lated to fruit and crusts, but is type
which has fallen down, and may have
derived its name from the appearance
of the Greek letter of similar sound.
A take is the amount VIII CHI is to
be set up from one slip of paper. A
fat take is one of the standard
figures of the language, and means lit
orally printers take which contains
but Little type. but measures as much
and brings the type-setter as much
pay as if 1T were solid" In the COM
poslng-room of a newspaper a printer
is not called by his name, but is slug
one slug two" SLUG SIX" as the
case may be. and always puts at the top
of his take" his number. sometimes
spelled out as six" or in figures, as
ID This is done in order that
the matter he has set up may be readily
assigned to him in estimating what
each man is to be paid. The manner
of estimating the pay is for the head
man. who is chosen in each Office for
that purpose, to take care of the dupli-
Gates of all matter put in type. For