Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1896-01-10
OLD PRINTERS. STORIES.
Type In Bag and \ Chalk Mar
Casa

There was one story which big In
jun" told which may rank first in the
collection. II was prompted by the
boastings of fellow comps as to the
number of thousand ems they could
set in day "Big Injun" was some.
thing of liar himself, as we'll as a
rapid compositor.
"Pshaw," he said to the boosters,
you're not in it with me, not even a
little bit | can paste up a bigger
string than any of you in day, but
that amt what | started ont to tell
YOU. 1t is of my experience one night
in printing Office down south. 1t
was during the war. / had struck a
deserted town-twas nearly deserted
| can tell you-and l picked out va
Gated printing Office to bunk in. 1t
seemed more homelike, you know. 1t
was good, quiet place to sleep, bar
ring the rats, but somehow / couldn't
sleep. Strange bed, perhaps, though
the floor wasn't any harder than usual
and had fairly good pr ess blanket
for covering.
II tossed around for awhile, and
finally, to relieve the monotony,
thought I'd stick little type and
make believe was getting out the
morning paper. / love to work, you
know. / found battered composing
stick, but there wasn't handful of
type in all of the cases. The owner
had evidently dumped 'em all before
he fed I didn't suppose he had car
ried the metal away with him, SO !
rummaged around and finally found
the whole Office outfit in bag.
"Then / was happy. l threw off my
coat and went to work. didn't want
to disarrange things too much, SO
didn't bother to put the type in a case,
but set it from the bag. ] had nothing
to make light, not even candle, but
there was a bright moon, and l carried
each type to the window to identify it,
except the upper case letters, which
could tell by feeling of 'em. 1t was
setting type under difficulties, but,
timing myself by the village clock,
put up two thousand ems of BREWER in
an hour"
No one attempted to match this
story, and what the printers thought
of it may be inferred when it is known
that the average printers string" oil
BREWER in an hour is one thousand
ems.
Talking about setting type without
a case" put in Rocky Mountain
Jones, reminds me of little expert
ence of mine out on the fringe of civ
ilization. l had struck little town
with printing Office. Leastwise they
called it printing Office. 1t didn't
look very promising, but sailed in
and inquired if they wanted first
class printer. The boss looked me
over and told me to go to work.
Where's the type?' says ]. Over there
in that bag, says he. Where's the
case?' says |. Case be bowed say.
he, or words to that effect. Here,
handing me piece of chalk, go mari
one out on the floor, if you're sc
BANKED particular.
"You didn't stay long / guess" re
marked Holy" Joe, SO named becaus,
of the odor of sanctity, not to mention
other odors; "'tisn't we'll to stay unit
you are fred was never fred bu
once, and that was done so slick tina
forgave the chap. 1t was in an of
fee down in Texas. l had stayed
little longer than usual, seeing as hov
needed new pair of shoes, and hat
got SO acclimated that | enjoyed an in
dividual nail in the wall on which t,
hang my hat. Well, one night ] cam
in and found my nail driven clear int
the wall up to the head. suspecte,
: the devil and went for him. i didn'
do it,, he said. Who dido asked
The foreman says he, and tina
means that you are bounced. didn'
wait for any more ceremony."-Nev
Haven Register.