Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-10-23
OLDEST "IYpo."
Robert q. Johnson Has Set Type Longer Than
ANY augusta Man.

compositor, who for years could wrestle
with the paradoxical manuscript of the late
James G. Blaine aud ex-Minister John l.,
Stevens, and at GA years of age stand up to
the case, and without the use of glasses
"put up" his 10000 ems day is, to use a
slang expression, "no slouch."
But this is just what Robert B. johnson.
the Oldest compostor in Augusta, has done
and is doing today.
1t is doubtful if half the people of An
gusta know what Mr.. Johnson's first name
Is. Years ago, in the days when Chief Jus.
tice Fuller hung around the printing offices
OF Augusta. and Mr.. Johnson was a Young
man, the boys in the office nicknamed him
''doctor," and by that name he was ALWAYS
known and is today. 1t was always "Dr.
johnson" on his pay envelope, and it is
doubtful il he would respond if addressed
by any other name.
Mr.. Blaine, meeting him in the Office or
on the street, always addressed him famil-
iarly as doctor and Chief Justice Fuller,
when on his visit here few weeks ago,
while inquiring of an old friend about the
old printers who were in the harness hen
he was reporter on the KENNEREc JOUR-
NAL, asked if Or" johnson was still
alive.
He was informed that he was very much
| so.
"There is not much that can be written
about my life" said Mr.. johnson, modestly,
to the writer. cit has been a very quiet
and uneventful one.
~ went to work at the printing business
when l was IA years old. Being GA years
old now, that makes just 80 years have
been sticking type.
81 learned my trade with the late Treby
johnson, who was for many years treasurer
of the Granite National Bank in this city.
At that time he WAS publisher of the Age,
which was the leading Democratic paper in
this section Of the State.
"In those days the Age and KENNEBEc
JOURNAL were prioted in the same builiing
and on the same floor, with only an iron
door separating them. Although they were
opposed to each other politically, ana would
assail each other numerically through their
editorial columns about election time, the
publi-hers were on the best of terms per-
son4ly, and their editorials were often read
TO each other before they were given to the
public.
"At that time there was no daily paper
| in Augusta, but during the sessions of the
Legislature, which were then held every
winter, both the Age and JOURNAL published
a tri weekly alternately, 30 the people got
paper every day.
The cost of getting the legislative matter
was borne equally by both papers and
swapping type was an every day occur
renee.
"rreby johnson soon after sold the Age
to Smith & Weston. Mr. Smith was the
late VIM. r. Smith, for many years
treasurer of the Augusta Savings Bank.
Mr.. Weston was an uncle Of Chief Justice
Fuller, for whom the chief justice was
named.
lone year l worked in Boston on the
Boston Journal. At that time it was pub
lished by Sleeper & Rogers. With the ex
ceI ton of this year l have always worked
in Augusta. s.--
81 went into the KENSEDEc Journal Of
fee when it was owned by Stevens & Say
ward. Mr.. Blaine had just left the office,
but he furnished great deal of manuscript
fer several years. He was prolific writer
but his manuscript was hard to set up and
harder to correct. for he always revised his
work ia the proof. But the compositors
not make much difference to them.
but the greater part of my life has been
spent in the book room of the JOURNAL
Office. Isaac Reed was foreman of this
department for many years. After his
death was promoted and served in that
capacity until the count out in 1880 when
the book department was shut dowr, ow-
ing to the State printing going to another
office.
when I first vert into the Journal
office Mr.. Vickery, now the well-known
publisher, was foreman of the job depart
ment. When was thrown out of employ
ment in 1880 Mr.. Vickery kindly offered
me a situation in his publishing house.
"When first began sticking type the
best printers received from Sc to 81 so a
week. The hours of labor were about
the same as now. The devil generally
had to board at the proprietor's house, aud
do the chores AMI milk the COW. They
had to take their pay out of the stores,
and were glad to get that. The devil
of today is generally bigger man than the
proprietor
"The old printers were p. o. Vickery,
Howard Owen, Hosea Reed, Isaac Reed,
Thaddeus A. Chick. Charles Barton and
Elias Hedge. Mr.. Vickery and Mr.. Owen
are the only two living today, but they are
not sticking much type. They have got
beyond that.
There we're no women employed in the
offices then. Of course women compositors
have tended to bring wages down late years
Il think the printers of 40 and 80 years
ago were more competent than those of
today. The reason of this was that they
were more thoroughly disciplined and gave
more time to learn the trade. But better
work is turned out now, for the offices are
better equipped with printing material OF
all kinds"
Mr.. Johnson's family consists OF wife
and three boys. The boys all attend the
VIM r. Smith grammar school, and all are
members of the Episcopal choir.
Mr.. johnson has always been an enthu-
siastic disciple of Isaac Walton. He has
fished every trout brook within radius OF
so miles Of Augusta, and enjoys day IN
the woods now.
He has never been obliged to wear glasses
until within few months. and does not use
them now except to read over his "stick
full" He works at the case every day and
-. h,-h ho, oh