Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-01-04
TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS.
Several Examples of the Havoc Caused
a NIiSnlaced Letter.


Who is there says The London Echo, that
has any claim TO the name of author that has
not been shocked or amused at some time or
other of his existence, by the appearance
in print of a word or a sentence that he
has written, which, by the simple change OF
a letter, has turned perhaps a sublime
thought into perfect nonsensea OF course, in
newspapers misprints of this character are to
certain extent excusable, and particularly
when it is remembered how rapidly they
have to be produced in order to satisfy the
demands of a public ever clamoring for the
Every latest" Still, errors sometimes creep
into the columns of our daily journals for
which there is no accounting-hurry, bad
copy" and everything else considered.
Sir Robert Peel was the victim of a mis-
print in the earlier part of the present
century, which was contained in one of the
most ludicrous announcements that ever APP
peared, perhaps, in a newspaper. Sir Robert
was with shooting party in ireland, and
the chagrin of the politician may be imagined
when he read that 'sSir Robert Peel and
party of friends are shooting peasants in ire
landn
Speaking of Ireland, a curious blunder oc-S
CURED the other day in an editorial on the
all absorbing question, wherein it was in
tended to state that IA reduction of rents on
a certain estate was to the tenants matter
of living and thriving-of life and DEATH
but the alteration of couple of words made
it read "a matter of lying and thieving," and
thus somewhat diverted the sense.
Poets just budding FORTH of an unsuspect-
ing nature, have suffered much from the
confidence they have placed in overworked
proof readers. What must have been the
thoughts of the man who wrote
See, the pale martyr in a sheet of fret
when he saw his effusion translated
See, the pale martyr with his shirt on fret
Of course the error was discovered by some
lynx eyed reviewers, with the result that the
aspiring poet was momentarily extinguished.
Burns has not escaped the misprint misfor-
tune, for there is an edition of his works we'll
known to book collectors which contains the
line,
o gin my love were yon red nose!
This is an old substitution-the word ssnosen
for ''rose'-a passage in one of the Christmas
books a year or two since, relating that
though young ladies sometimes affected,
through coyness, a dislike to be kissed under
the mistletoe, 'ithey did not object to it under
the nose"
Misprints of substitution and commission
AtSo
with. Pope had an addition made to some
authorizations, which gave quite another
color to their meaning. In note in sMeas-
ure for Measure" he gave as an authority
sc 'Cinthio,' dec. nov. s." meaning eighth
decade and fifth novel. The authorizations
were distasteful to the printer, who altered
the note thus; "'Cinthio,' December Sth,
November 5thn
Numerous other instances, just as ludi-
crous, might be given. For instance, where
railway train is described as running into
COW and cutting it into ''calves'' instead of
"halves;" or a soldier is called 'sbottle
SCARED" instead of "battle scarredn veteran:
or lady is spoken of as having sung very
sweetly Gounod's s'Avenue Marian and a
planlste entranced her audience by her rem
derlng of a celebrated symphony in ga Fat
Major" But these suffice. One other form
OF error may, however, be mentioned, and
this IS that of mixing up two separate items
OF news in the same paragraph.
An instance lately occurred. 1t read: "a
large cast iron wheel, revolving 900 times a
minute, exploded in that city yesterday.
after long and painful illness. Deceased
was prominent member of the local tenn
perance association"
Printers, however, are only human, and
have the same propensity to err as any other
of their race So, probably, thought Tom
Moore, when, in his ''Fudges in England,n
he recounts where
To please my own aunt had tried
To commemorate some saint of her clio1e who
had died.
Having said, The had taken up in heaven his posi-
tion,"
They made it, she had taken up to heaven his
physician
A request was once sent to rare Der, Jonsgh
to revise some proofs full of Typographical
errors, but he respectfully declined, and
recommended sending them to the house Of
correction. Many an author has wished an
unfortunate proof reader there, no doubt
ere now.