The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-08
MARVELLOUS rYpE-sETrrNG.
The Recent Contest i'm New York-An Aver
age of Over 1000 Ems an Hour.
Naru RI

The Recent Contest i'm New York-An Aver
age of Over 1000 Ems an Hour.
New York herald.
feature of the day was the type-setting
between Joseph Mccain and Ira Somers, for
$500 which took place in the afternoon. in the
composing room of the Sunday Star IN the pres
ence OF about 800 Observation-Disclosures TO the
International Typographical Union and repre-
sentatives OF nearly all the city offices. Mr.
| William Foster, of the Philadelphia Evening
| Call. acted as referee and time keeper and two
men were appointed to empty the sticks OF both
contestants. The measure was twenty five ems
the type minon. solid. without paragraph. and
the time OF the race was three hours.
AT five minutes past o'clock time was called
ana the contestants. a trifle nervous, started
with the word. Bets on Mccain were offered
but not taken.
McCann finished the first line about ems
ahead of Somers, who distributed three-fourths
OF the second line having set the wrong words
and thus falling behind one line at the start
McCann gained gradually upon his opponent
and was two lines and half ahead on the first
stlckful, which he set In I'm, while 1t took
Somers ION. Each stickful contained 500 ems
AeCann finished his second stickful in exactly the
same time as the first thus setting up his first
1000 ems in % minutes Somers lost no time on
the second stickful but remained TWO lines and
half behind. He set his first / 900 ems in 30as
minutes. They then both appeared to shake off
what little nervousness they felt, and picked up
tue ype With more assurance anu accuracy. AS
McCann lnreased his speed, so did Somers. al
though the latter did not quite keep up with Nc
Cam, as he lost another line on the second stick
full.
At the end of the first hour McCann had set
2 l23 ems, which beats ArenSberg's record by 60
ems, and. allowing so ems more for the four
paragraphs allowed to the latter, his record was
beaten by $50 ems.
On the second 1000 McCann kept creeping
ahead, and 8 600 ems were set in In. 25m. by Nc
and in [0Y,1 NE k,x-S
Tie men changed eases on the next stickful.
McCann had lost few seconds the previous
one by shaking his ease twice Four thousand
ems were set in H. 53m. Dos. by McCann, and
| lh. 59m. 2Os. by Somers. During the second
hour Mccain set g 10 ems and Somers 2,025
ems. The work for the first two hours was
Mccain, A. 233; Somers, 4,025.
Five thousand ems were set in 2h 22m. 20s.
by Mccain and Oh 29m. los. by Somers.
Six thousand ems were set in 2h 50m 20s. by
McCann and 2h 5Sm. 30s. by Somers. This left
McCann 9m. 40s before his three hours were up
and Somers 2m 30s-rhirteen lines behind.
During the 9m 10s Mccain set up fourteen
lines more, thus reaching the phenomenal figure
of $500 ems in three hours-which had never
: been accomplished before, and had heretofore
been thoughs impossible. Somers set 6.075 ems
which is no mean figure, considering that he is
but twenty-five years old, and that this was his
first public performance.
When time to stop was called both contest
ants dropped their sticks to allow the proofs to
be read They started on the correction at the
same time. Mccain finished his correction in
I'm. 30s. Somers in lin. 30s.
AS Mccain took one minute more to correct
his proofs owing to an ''out," which compelled
him to overrun and make an extra line one line
was deducted off his matter. which still left him
thirteen lines ahead. or 325 ems.
Dedueting one line for each minute required
for correction leaves the record for composition
and correction in three hours-McCann, 6062a
ems; SomerS, 3, 1873.
McCann's motion is like fash of light
ming. He snatches the type out of the case in
about the same way that an unsuspecting child
would touch red hot stove. He hardly
misses type. except when he undertakes to
read his copy and set type simultaneously. when
he will occasionally make false motion" in
placing the type ia his stick; but. even then, he
takes it out of the at the first attempt If
he were to hold his stick more over his case and
follow his right hand with his left to a certain
extent he would undoubtedly set 100 ems per
hour more. He sets type with his body erect
and his head mocionless. While he does not ap-
pear to look at the type his quick eye is con
stantly ahead of his hand, and he sees at glance
just how the type is placed in the case before he
gets his fingers on it.
Somerss motion" is graceful, but not quite
so rapid nor SO sure. He misses the type occa-
sionally and holds his stick trife too high.