The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-05-29

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The printing up to 1916 was ordered and
executed in various ways. In that year
the work was given out by contract, and
continued to be SO ordered by Congress till
the appointment of superintendent Of
Public Printing" in 1861, in the person
Of Hon. John D. Defrees, of Indiana. He
remained in that office till 1866, when he
was removed by Andrew johnson, and
Cornelius " endell was appointed in his
stead. Mr.. Defrees was again appointed
in 1867, and again in 1877, and continued
in that office till i'll health caused his res
ignation. He died shortly afterwards at
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. The
present Public Printer is Hon. S. p.
Rounds, of Chicago, Illinois.
The law requires that the Public Printer
shall be a practical printer and binder.
His salary is $4,000 per year, and he is
appointed by the President and confirmed
by the Senate.
BOOKS
All kinds of books, in all styles, are
bound here for Congress and the Depart
ments. The largest ever made was one
foot four inches in width, contained 1000
pages, and weighed 81 pounds. This man.
Rioth volume was bound in sheep-skin and
Russia leather 1t was made for use at
the Capitol building at Washington, where
it attracted much attention on account OF
its enormous size.
Over 900 men and women are engaged
in the bindery connected with the office.
Among the finest specimens of printing
and binding exhibited at the great Cen
tennial Exhibition from all over the world
were books from the United States Gov
ernment Printing Office. Capt. FL. T.
Brian, present foreman of printing, repre-
sented the Office on that occasion.
HURRIED WORK.
As an evidence of the expedition with
which work can be executed, the printing
of the Revised Statutes, short time since,
is given The copy was furnished to the
Public Printer at five o'clock, p. M, We'd
nesday, and bound copy was placed in
the hands of Members of the House of
Representatives at II o'clock noon on the
following Saturday. The number of pages
printed in this volume was 1,039. The
matter was read by the proof-readers by
copy three separate times. No greater feat
than this has ever been accomplished in
any printing Office.
Another illustration is the printing of
the proceedings of the great Star Route
trial The official papers of the court were
used as copy, which fact prevented the use
of the usual marks printers make on man
uscripts to facilitate their work. The copy
was received at p. m, and it was put in
type and printed by sunrise the next morn
ing, making 433 pages of solid BREWER type.
A BIG JOB.
The printing of the Rebellion Record is
still in progress. About 20 volumes have
been issued. 1t is estimated that this work
will embrace about ninety large octave
volumes. This work, like any other that
is issued from the office, can be procured
by paying 10 per cent above the cost of
printing and binding.
PATENTS.
During the year ending April, 1886.
there were issued by the Government 25,-
525 patents, l, ,140 trademarks and 627
designs. These are all printed at the Office,
and bound in huge volumes for reference.
The largest volume yet issued contains
4,209 pages of long primer type, and is
nearly twice the size of an ordinary Web
ster Unabridged dictionary. The expense
for printing of patents is about S12, 900
per month. Nearly 200 men are thus en-
ployed at the printing Office alone.
CONFIDENTIAL PRINTING.
The printing of the. messages of the
President to Congress is executed at the
office. This work was formerly done at
the Treasury Department. On several oc-
casions the messages appeared in the pub
lie press before Congress received them
through the proper channel. To prevent
the enterprising reporter getting the matter
in advance, the Public Printer caused an
iron vault to be constructed, and in this
vault the making-up, proving, &c, take
place, and the type in the form is kept
under lock and key. Since this precaution
has been adopted no message has appeared
in newspaper previous to its delivery to
Congress. As much as $4,000 is said to
have been offered to bribe printers for a
single advance sheet of President Cleve-
lands first message. Other confidential
matter-such as certain State papers, trea-
ties, &c--is printed with the same precau-
tions to secrecy as the messages.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.
Some of you may not know that the pro-
ceedings of Congress are printed every day
during the session in book form, and this
publication is called the Congressional
Record Each Representative and Senator
is supplied with a copy the day of issue.
At the end of the Congress it is bound
nicely, and our Legislators are each again
furnished with so many sets. This work
requires the services of many men and wo-
men, and involves large outlay of money.
The Record is printed on press which
prints on both sides and folds at the same
time 80 pages This wonderful press has
but recently been introduced. 1t cost
$4,000, or nearly what three ordinary
locomotives could be bought for. Although
the Record, as it name implies, is sup
pOSeu W Dc u ISCOAu VI ehC PlOOCCuiuS5o vi
Congress, yet many things transpire in that
body which never appear in its pages.
For instance, when Members call each other
liars, scoundrels, &C., &C., which they often
do, such remarks are expunged from the
proceedings, and unless we happen to hear
of them through the public press they are
lost to the general public. And on the
other hand, many speeches appear in the
Record which were never delivered at all.
This is accomplished under the rule of the
Houses aLeave to print" A Member
will address the Chair with great flourish
and say: "Mr. Speaker, am in favor of
this measure" or opposed to it, as the case
may be, and then ask unanimous consent
to have his remarks printed in the Record
Many of the brilliant speeches which thus
appear were not even read by the Con-
gressman to whom they are credited.
Little does the constituent think when he
reads the fine effort of Mr.. Blank that it
was written by one of a number of men
who make business "helping" the Con-
gresham.
In concluding, I will say that though