New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-02
Az OCTOGENdRTIN TYPESET7ER.

IO-uUN rNESTOw AT EIGHTY FOUR PROUD OF
ms SKILL NJ the CASE.
Norwich C,nin.. Jan / t-pcclal.-pn New Years
dny 10 lin I,nrstow. OF this CITY. WHO l. the oldest
printer IN active service IN the country. was
eighty four years old. and be gave MT" re-
ccIton day to his friends and fellow typos oil
Norwich Mr. Bar-,ow SIN sets type In town
o,cn.,o,nllv and is vet hale aud active. a small.
,onract squnrrly and ru:grdly built man. With
n,und broryrd almost unvrinkl,d face With "A nni
Of gray whiskcrs. and with clear. slrrwd. t"inkmg
blue c,es Ills hair Is SIN DARK th"iSh SprhMc"
with sllvcr threads. Mr. Inrstow joys about Town
at "A good pacc. Juggling along heavy stan bu' he
does not need the stan except for ornamental pnr-
noses ana 10 crack unrly dogs now and th"n
Mr. narsiow Ia very proud II his health ANA
strength 81 his nniniur,d eycslgt. which nc'iS III"
ayl NJ no spcclaclcs: especially fond Of his arr and
his cl,vcrncss at the Ca,r, hat a'Ove cveii'Wn- "S'
ne Il proud ~ the fact that he WAS once cnmnd" "i
Horace Greeley and set type At the side ~ 10" emn'
editor he not only set iypr With the founder of III"
Tribune but did what WIS Infinitely more wond rmi
no .ct Mr. Grcccys copy Into type. Mr.. inrS'o"
speaks with absolute respect of Mr. Hr"cle's e"py'
ana IS never weary Of telling anecdotes. both humorous
and grave. Of his beloved chief.
"r'nc,c Josh" was born In the adjoining rural Town
~ Preston aud developed his rngoh health ana con
stituiion doing chores and WORKING on mrm w 'h''
hard and lonely district. He learned M" printer :
trade In lS.i IN he olHc' ~ NV '''"'" "'"',
Courier" which, ncNt 10 " m" Hartford 'ouian'
* the oldest paper In Connecticut, ana alt'r u" ""u
become proficient In handling type b" set "r'h W
GOO the world lie drifl.d Into Sew-Nork ana w.rh''
at the case there for number of Years lie s'' type
ON The New York Gazette. then on Horace 'T'''S
Leg taMn." and later on TT" Tribune III
conversation the other diy u" SAID VIZ 'r'r''y WY
the most familiar man with his hands. or his hoys''
~ ne nlwa,s GALES, them. that ever snw. lie "as
, man of great mind. and when h" cam" to or went
,,, hi. work ar when he walked the streets. ID" was
always WORKING AT some train of thought. " re'
s,,, whcn h, went TO his Icsk he was ALWAYS ready
:, write. Ills thoughts came faster than his pen
conf, M, them down and no easily turned nut copy
for ak rapid compostors. Another peculiar thins
,tout Mr. Greeley was that he appeared 10 be able
., NIX and write simultaneously. and would go
-, with IA, work AMI Keep up u conversation ut the
s,,ue tlmr-a wonderful power. II may seem 700 IN
r,dlb, bui have seen him do II great many times
, accounted for n BY the fact that he used tn have
his matter 81 VOL thought out and formulated ne
,r,h,na Tim. writing n out was merely mechanical
n,oceedng I'm 1850 he was president Of the New
yor, Typographical Union lie was never n rapid
pr,ct.cal printer himself. although an exceedingly
careful one II was this fact. ] think. that led MIN
10 give mp his trade and turn his attention TO the
editorial pnrt o, the business. His charity WIS ms
,orical | remember ! In his Office ons day when
A poor woman came In and pleaded poverty. hr
Greeley wis very busy Mt the time. but ne put MS
hand in his pocket, hauled ont ~. which he gnve "a
MR. ' Mr w %reel S Sa not write mod" hand for
fact. but his poor penmanship has been greatly ex,
aggesd L. r Tsp sss u~ s. W oopy corres
ana M. Barstow not only the Oldest active American