Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-10

have you not Mr.. Carver?"
"Yes, | have been at the business now
something over fifty years-that is, both as a
compositor and proofreader. followed
the latter occupation till a few years ago
when it became little too hard for my eyes
and was obliged to drop it,
"Of course you have seen some ludicrous
things in the shape of compo errors during
that time"
Yes, good many of them but proof
reader soon loses an eye tor the ludicrous
side of such things unless his bump of humor
is abnormally developed. There is one
thing have yet to find however"
Whats that"
"A daily paper in which there were not
more or less typographical errors. As mat
ter of fact absolute perfection in this line on
a daily is an impossibility. Some papers
come nearer to it than others, but | have
never taken up one yet where did not find
more or less of them"
"Why should that be-"
well its the hurry and rush with which a
daily paper is got together. Proof reading
to be absolutely correct must be very care
fully done and closely revised. This can be
done very well on weekly paper but is i'm
possible on daily. Very large papers en-
ploy number of expert proof readers, yet
the tickle types will escape even their expe-
rieuced eyes"
Smaller dailes of course cannot afford
such an expense and as result contain many
errors In fact have often wondered how
they manage to get out the clean proofs that
they do
Did you have to deal with the outraged
public when typos occurred"
No. In New York offices the proof reader
is exempt from such troubles All talk is
made at the desk and the editors and em-
ployes are never disturbed unless the nature
of the business is such as to require personal
interview"
Il suppose good deal depends upon the
compositors?"
Yes very much so, though the fact that
proof is read by copy is generally sufficient
to shift all the burden of responsibility from
their shoulders when errors occur. Errors
are of two kinds and it makes very much
difference which kind are made"
"What are those;"
well there are little mechanical errors,
such as upturned letters, wrong font letters,
transposed letters, etc. These are of no ac-
count, because they never obscure the sense
of the article, The other kind of error is
where the sense is obscured either by the
omission or substitution of words. This kind
of an error is rare compared with the other
kind and there is less excuse for it, 1t gem
positor There are two kinds of compostOrs
you know"
What are those?"
Well, one will take in the sense of the
article as he goes along. and if he sees any
thing wrong will call attention to it. Work
at the case is a constant education to such
man To another man all copy represents
merely so many words to be reproduced in
type. lie goes aDOut HIS "OIh Ill HetDdhi-
cal way and very often after he has set up
an article is unable to tell what it is about.
Such men. however rapid they become, can
never be first class compositors. All work
to be done well must be done intelligently.
The same difference is to be found in proof
readers, but person who does not take in
the sense of the proofs he reads has no
business at all in this latter occupation"
What do YOU find the most difficult thing
in proof reading
personal matters are the most difficult
to secure correctness on. The reporter may
catch them wrong, or the copy may be OBJ
scure and correctness in personal matters
depends wholly upon the copy. There is no
context to serve as guide. People should
pay special attention to writing proper names
in a legible manner, but matter of fact,
there is nothing concerning which they are
so careless. Take, for instance, the aver
age hotel register and look at the illegble
scrawls upon it, is it any wonder that even
those skilled in the business make errors in
| irving TO decipher them'
The society papers at summer resorts are
composed almost wholly of personal matter.
For this they are dependent largely upon
hotel registers, and | will venture to say
that fully third of the names used are in
correctly printed. Why have often known
the percentage of such errors to be as high
as IN nor cent in letters which we have re-
ceived from prominent watering places, Civ
inc lists of the leading New York society
people sojourning at them.
The compositors and proof readers are not
responsible for such errors
Certainly not, nor for a good many others
WHY when was a young man working on
a small paper in my own State, have seer
reonle come in and rave around about some
thing. and when the copy was placed before
them felt exceedingly cheap to find the blum
dor their own. Some men seem TO run OF al
idea that compositors and proof-resders cal
, decipher most anything and they send in cop,
, that is simply horrible. Then ten chance
To one they get very indignant if they dis
E cover an error. Printing offices get muc
better copy now, however than they use to
How is that?"
"Well the type writer and stenographe
have reyolutionized things very much.
1 Most leading lawyers in the large cities
and nearly all the prominent business me
have them. The bulk OF the telegraph