Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-12-06

WE have received copy OF the Hartford
Epening Post having on the nrst page an
engraving Of the Thorne type setting
and distributing machine and Q startling
article on that great invention. The reader
gets the shock from the frst linss, especially
II he IL compositor or . skilled artisan OF
any trade where machinery may some day
do the labor he now does. This IL the
shocking paragraph. "Every line Of read.
ing matter In TO. days Issue OF the Evening
Iost isprinted from type set by machinery I!
Everybody familiar with the mechsn icsl
production of anewspsper, and particularly
OF daily paper tho slzs OF tho Post, will
understand the Significance OF this remark.
able statement" The Post Is an eight page
paper, and boasts that 1t Ia the first journal
In The country and probably In the world
to use fnachiuery for all lis com position,
though several of the great New York
papers have recently act part OF their type
with the Thorne mschine. An illustration
also shows the machine ct work in the Post
composing room, with two women oper.
atlves seated at work a. though they were
running type writer. Three persons sre
required to operate each machine and In.
teliigont girls are found equal to men at
to run q half doEsn machines ana the
electric motor is used In the Post office a.
well as the steam engine that runs the
machinery OF the press room. "With ex-
pert help one machine will set and dis.
tribute six thousand ems per hour, or from
i've to six times "a much 40 the most rapid
hand compositor. The type IL set
more promptly and with greater accuracy
and under system which keeps the forms
open for news several minutes later than
could bedone under the old regime without
the employment OF reserve foros (" The
Post loftiy asserts that It 10 now 10 far In
advance Of Its Incorporates % TO render
comparison absurd. All this may sound
very grand and progressive to some, but
thousands Of type settlers will read It with
sinking heart and It can only be said for
their encouragement that 1t will DO long be.
fore they are driven from the fold by this
dalicate and expensive machinery, And
consolation may be In the thought that
shaking onG'H self all day over lot Of tyne
IL not healthy work for . human being.
Perhaps by the time the type sottins
machine, tho Edison phonogrsph and
electrical appliances OF both have been
prrfected thore will only be few news.
papers In the country publishing editions
simultaneously by telegraph In every city
and village. A genius In now at work on
an electrical device for operating tho KEY
board Of type setting machine by q wire
from q distance, and the time may be
coming when an operator In New York
Will set up type at the same instant In a
dozen or moro otiicss hundreds OF miles
apart.
But perhaps by that time the editor will
also be less numerous, and the printing
press vanish In the old iron pile, for the
subscriber will just slip his morning or
evening cy lindor into the phonogrsph aud
listen TO the news road to him by a ma.
chine reproduction OF a we'll selected voice.
Meanwhile we will try to get the tariff
amended 30 that whom those days come
prosperity In commerce aud man ufsotures
may give work tor us all.