Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-14
HORRORS OF COLD TYPE.
Fearfully and Wonderfully-C Con-
trived Typographical Bulls
Samples of Literary Art Produced by .
Combination of Erratic Pcnmanship and
the Mind Wanderings of intel
nsent Knights of the Stick.

It has been remarked that "to err is hu-
man" II that be SO, says the Chicago Times,
the humanity that clings about the compos-
itor must be beyond all computation The
errors of that frail piece Of humanity are
fearfully and wonderfully contrived. That
he has 10 combat many difficulties no one
can doubt; that he takes at times an awful
revenge every one knows. How often has
the gifted writer dashed of a stirring srti-
Gle, which, with a smile, IS handed TO the
compositor TO be put into the obedient types
that give il a million voicesi and, by gianc-
ing at his paper next morning, the author
discovers that his name is Dennis" and
that he hasn't any other. An, yes how
oftenl
But the strange, sad thing about the err
rors Is, and this may appear paradoxical,
they are always funny. They may knock
the legs from under a production that would
create sensation in the political world;
they mag change entirely the writer's
meaning In bis brief tribute 10 the worth OF
a departed friend; they may shatter with
one fell disp acement of comma the grace
full acknowledgement of favors received;
or they may "pi" the sentiments of a piece
OF poetry-but in one case as well as all,
they are funny, very, TO everybody but the
writer. Even the compositor who made the
bull, and the proof reader who passed II,
will say hal har' in their sleeves while
being dragged over the powders by tho
foreman.
OF course, the compositor is not always
to blame-not always. The penmanship of
some writer's is in its swaddling clothes
yet, and when they go a little beneath the
surface of o subject the compositor has
only TO rely on his sight and "set up" the
copy for what it looks like. AS rule,
ministers write manuscript compared with
which the figures on Chinese laundry
check tell plain, unvarnished tale II was
said of well-known Presbyterian preach.
er that if he had jotted down his thoughts
on piece Of yellow paper and presented it
to the Chinese laundry clerk he would have
re ceived any bundle in the wash-house
Some Of the errors made by compositors
which have found their way into print may
bear repeating. A parson who preached
fairly good sermon, but wrote viliainous
hand, was shocked to find q sentence that
should have read; "But sorrow not, nor
grieye take the final steps now, and sin no
more" appear in print as: Take the
fhal stiffs now" etc. Perhaps the good
brother was in need of his own counsel at
that particular time.
Vesselmen Of this port were amazed to
learn some time ago that 'the schooner
Jessie Lee had left last night for Erie with
a cargo of cats" When the marine editor,
who had written oats, saw this he felt
grieved.
A literary woman, whose headquarters
are in Boston, and whose handwriting, had
it been on the wall. would have proved a
poser for Belshazzer, appears every week
In one or two papars. She writes about
philosophy and Buddhist poetry, and things
of that sort, and is very choice in her Ian
guage. A short time ago she wrote . cou-
pie Of paragraphs about Emerson. In which
she said that gentleman was the indefatiga-
BILE "keeper Of diary" The compositor,
who, doubtless, was an old and trusted
friend Of the philosophical gentleman, knew
better, and the readers were gravely in
formed that Emerson was the indefatigable
"heifer OF a dairy" That gave an oppor-
tun!ty for display Of philosophy.
A poet whose writing is like nothing in the
heaven above nor any where else, once
wrote:
Statesmen. princes, rulers all"
The quiet night and heaven alone knows
what his remarks were when he found the
line printed:
Steam boats, schooners, tags and all"
A dramatic critic in handsome notice Of
. charming young actress, whose treat
ment of Portia afforded him much pleasure,
said: "Her love for Pcrtia made acting
Easy That was all right, but what the
types made him say was her love for
Peoria" etc.
A I'D
with the geography of the West than with
Biblical lore set up the phrases From
Alpha to Omega as "From Alton 70
next morning
An art critic, In writing fsvorsbly Of q
picture by Bizzaro, was shocked 70 find that
by some means known only 70 the con pos
tor and proof-reader the following sentence
had go. into the criticism: ''l3, La, o7o shows
one of the fines; in the collection"
A revIvaliss, who was preaching a. the
Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church in this
city, said: Eye were born 70 suffer as ys
were born TO be rewarded. for wei hath IL /
been written; No cross, no crown" The I
latter part Of the sentence appeared ia print: /.
40 COWS, 10 cream" which, sltho.gh ss !
truthful as the assertion 81 the minister, 4
~ - A-SS ~RESPS9-
Errors are quite frequen. IN headlines. /
The sentences are usually 80 short aid there /
Is so little context 20 read by that very I
man Is Hs5.e 70 60 wrong In SET /
ting Up manuscript A head that attracted 1
sosre attention, more indeed than the cne 1
"Eere and There" appeared as /
Heads and Tails"
Another head, written "Partisan Strife
was printed as ''PS.rlck's Strut" 'presby- !
terrain Synod" glared OF. Of tie types as i
sPresunptuoGs Snipe" Hebrew Tnes:rIc /
Notes" attracted so1e at,entlon when az
nouncing lie Blew tie CRITICS. Nose"
Many ether errors Of a Ike nature could /
be noted; those given VIII show vaa. /
writer's and conposstors have &c conten5 4
with Il rarely happens, however, that .
plain writer frds lis articles n3zprinted- /
TIE conposisor IL, in most cases. tn;e..lgcn. I
and pzins.ssang and nos iufre2zently mora /
,sp~ole CT writing i5e article he Is putting /
z &, pc than the one VITO peuned L.
a cxsrAx Hftse soy iz-Eks Santa Cxns
hould do rs gTcas annual toc- CO eff