Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-14
ASSISTANT FoREMAN's DESK.

The bankman is Mr.. Syphers, Charlie
everybody calls him. He cares for both copy
and type as they come from the compositors.
The pages are made up by Arthur McNally.
and they are made ready for the stereotypers
by Imposer VIM. s. Brooks. The link between
the composing room and the proof room
which adjoin each other-is Steve Caldwell.
who has charge Of the proof press. Each of
the before mentioned has performed the duties
pertaining to his position for years past, and
the popularity and circulation of the Record is
continuous testimony to their skill.
IN THE PROOF ROOM.
The proof room is spacious but oddly shaped
apartment where the temperature is neither
oppressive or frigid. There eight men-known
as readers-sit in judgment on the work of
their fellow craftsmen, and generally succeed
IN giving them no end of trouble before they get
through with them. 1t is only on rare occasions
that a compositor votes a proof-reader into
ONCE Ill the typographical union. Four copy
holders and messenger aid the readers. In
addition there are two revisers-C NJ. Robin
son and John Connolly. Mr. E. NJ. Wheat is in
charge of the proof room. and he has under
his direction some of the best readers in the
entire Office. One of them is Mr.. A. +. Boomer,
known to all Washington newspaperdom. An
other well-known reader is Mr.. Charles Otis,
who has recently returned from the Pacific
coast.
Eight men do the stereotyping for the Rec
ord and when the plates are finished they are
sent down to the room where the Record press
Is ready at any time to run off the edition Of
lO.OOO copies, 80 pages at one time.
STITCHING AND WRAPPING.
When the Record assumes something like
fair average proportions there are fully twenty
girls employed on the final work of making the
daily edition. Their work room is in the same
apartment as that occupied by the giant press
and they operate the wire-sttching machines
and put the wrappers around the Records
These girls commence work at about midnight
and, as rule, they go to the Office in squads
Three men-employes of the office-go to the
girls homes and round them up" as a cow
boy would say: Some of the girls prefer to go
to the office without the escort, but the mid
night prowler had better let the apparently
unprotected one alone. She is invariably
"heeled." A woman who is self-reliant enough
to earn her own living by going to work at
midnight who has the grit and muscle
to work steadily for from ten to four
teen hours and who has deadly
weapon handy is bad combination for any
tough" to strike. These women are selected
by Superintendent Penicks from his large fold
ing-room force on account of their experience
and capabilities. One slow worker would at
times cause no end of Inconvenience and an
noyance. The remuneration of these females
is % cents an hour and they always work at
least eight hours. On extraordinary occasions
they have toiled along from midnight until
nearly O'Clock in the afternoon.
The city post office is not bothered to any
great extent on account of the Records which
are sent out OF the city, for the great edition of
that enterprisins journal is sorted and bagged
at the printing oftice-that great establishment
where the evolution of the Record is completed
and its distribution begun.