Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-01-09
a p TYPESETTING.

The Spirited Contest Between Nc
Canr, Of tho New York Herald,
and Barnes, of the World--Mc-
Cams Lively Work.
New York limos: Typesotters pour
cd into the large publishing house OF
Frank Tousey, in North Moore street.
for six hours yesterday, to witness a
contest between Joseph Mccain, of
the Herald, and w. &. Barnes. of the
World composing rooms. The match
took place IN the seventh story of the
building, and during its progress there
was no time that all the available space
in the room was not occupied. The
terms of the contest were that it should
be of four hours duration; the type
solid minion, without paragraphs;
cases full size; each contestant to cor
rect his matter after it had been set
up, and one line deducted from the
amount of work performed for each
minute consumed in correction, and "A
corresponding fraction Of a line for
each fractional part of a minute; each
contestant to empty his own sticks; tho
copy to be reprint, ard strictly identi-
cal; the measure to be twenty
five ems minion; the contest
ants to be limited as to spac-
ing; each to have his own proof
reader, and each proof-reader to read
the matter of both contestants; words
of four letters only not to be divided,
and no syllable of a single letter to
stand alone at either end Of the line:
the referees decision to DO final. Will
am White was agreed upon as referee,
and W. Ii. Bodwell-"Bod" of the Sun
as stakeholder. The men began
setting type at 11:05 a. m. At the end
OF the first ten minutes they were eX-
actly even. and in exactly a quarter of
an hour Barnes completed his first
stick, Mccain being half a second be-
hind him. The two men were sur
rounded by friends, those Of Mccain
being in the majority. He was also a
favorite in the betting, at odds of nine
to ten, the wagers being made in
whispers. McCann's sleeves were
rolled up to the elbows, and he wore a
large seal ring on the third finger of
his right hand. Barnes removed his
tUhS III COilak anu llcu IL Hd1uhpT-
chief around his throat before begin
ming. The two men seemed utterly
%oblivious to the presence of the great
crowd around them, picking up type
after type and placing them in their
sticks with the regularity of machines.
Barnes finished his fourth stick in 80
minutes, and led in time by . minutes,
Mccain consuming an even hour in
setting four sticks. In the second
hour Barnes also gained time, being,
ut its conclusion, 4 minutes ahead.
Barnes turned in his stick at 2:55
o'clock, and Mccain at 1902 o'clock.
The men had been setting on pretty
eve terms, and when it was finished it
was discovered that Mccain led with
S,0629 ems, and Barnes had 7951 ems,
or Ill! ems less, equal to about four
lines Of matter in print. The men re-
ceived the proof slips at 4:45 FIR cor
rection. In II minutes McCann called
'dOne," and in % minutes Barnes was
through, too.
II wish to SEQ his spacing" said
Barnes to the referee.
"All right" was the answer, sex
anime it," When Barnes had done SO
ne walked up TO McCann, extended his
hand, and said: II acknowledge you
to be my superior; you have
fairly"
"a shout that ratified the quads in
the boxes followed, and both men were
cheered Justify. The bost time made
for a single stick was fourteen min
utes by Barnes and fourteen and one
half minutes by Mccain, but the for
mer's stick held just one line less than
the latter's. McCann's friends, at the
conclusion of the contest, gave him a
gold medal with tho inscription
champion Compositor of the
World"
Mccain, Barnes and Ira Somers of
the World, have agreed to visit Chi
cago and st. Louis, and there. in pub
lie halls, set type against three oppon-
ents who are backed by a western
museum manager. The contest in Chi
cago will take place early in Janu-
airy.
Young or middle-aged men, suffering from
vpovunr, dahtltt. ~ LN-l..l