The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-01-21
BLUNDERs or PRINTERS.

tons, books, magazines and newspa-
pers. Perhaps the most perfected sys-
tenn of proof-reading extant is that en-
ployed by the London Times. Once
upon time Lord Winchester wagered
that he would find no less than thirty
misprints in six numbers of the Times,
The wager was for five hundred dollars,
with fifty dollars additional for every
blunder, more or less. Six numbers of
the Times Were taken at random, and
three misprints We're discovered. Lord
dollars.
Many years ago in France book was
published which the author had given
careful revision, He made his boasts
that the volume was free from errors.
When he critically examined the print
ed book he discovered no less than
three hundred typographical errors.
Becoming SO enraged over his discovery
he died in a fit Of anger.
Kingsley once said, after he had been
severely handled by the printer: 81
wonder that the Newgate Calendar rec
ords no case of an author being hanged
for killing his printer"
There are said to be but three books
free from errors: An American reprint
of Dante, a London edition of Horace
and the Oxford Bible. When their BIZ
BILE was published the professors of the
University of Oxford offered reward
of guinea for every error that might
be found. The reward was unclaimed
until, some years after, keen-eyed
critic discovered an error which he
pointed out and was given the reward,
The mistake was corrected and it is
now said that the Oxford Bible is en-
tirely free from typographical errors.
During the last century the profess
sors of the Edinburgh University at
tempted to publish book which should
be perfect specimen of typographical
accuracy. Every precaution was TAX
en-. Six experienced proof-readers were
employed. They devoted many hours
to the reading of each page, which,
when thought perfect, was placed upon
the walls of the college and kept there
two or three weeks, with the notice that
two hundred and fifty dollars would be
paid to anyone who would find an err
TOR. None were found, and the profess
sors congratulated themselves upon
their success. The book was published,
and upon examination the first thing
they found was an error in the title
rage and another in the first opening
chapter.
The Mazarin Bible, published more
than four hundred years ago, was full
of errors. In an edition published two
hundred years later, the word mot
was omitted from the seventh com
mandment, from which error the book
received the name of the "Adu1terous
Bible" The Pearl edition contains the
following:
Know We not the ungodly shall in
a1erit the, Kingdom of Cod Another
edition declared: 'tAll Scripture profit
able for destruction" In the printed
directions for conducting Catholic SER
vices appeared the line: "Here the
priest will take off his calotte' The
word calotte means an ecclesiastical
cap or mitre Culotte means in broad
Saxon a mans underclothes A blum
der equally as scandalous was made in
a review of a historical work, as fol-
lows: 1T was well understood what
were the plans of the opposition after
the queens chemise' For "chemise''
read demise"
The Rev. DR.. Todd was given some
relics to present to a museum In pre-
sentting them he alluded to "the lives of
the saints" The remarks when pub
lished alluded to the lilies of the
saints which SO enraged the giver
that he wrote to DIR. Todd and demand
ed their return.
Goldsmith, who was known as a most
fastidious writer, fell a victim to the
errors of the press. In a beautiful
poem, In speaking Of the nightingale,
he wrote:
Joy! JOY! Joyl
And that low tone, more sweet than
ALL"
The printer said;
jug, jug, Jug:
And that low tone, more sweet than
ale"
At a large public demonstration in
England a popular and prominent man
arose to speak and was greeted with
enthusiastic cheering and shouts. In
speaking of it the newspaper said:
1.-THE vast concourse of spectators
rent the air with their snouts'
An eastern newspaper, in describing
the journey of the Tunisian embassy
from Leghorn to Paris, said: "They
went through Mount Sinai" meaning
Mount Cents. A Polish newspaper once
startled the world by publishing the
telegram that "the states of Italy was
pregnant with lamb" when the cor
rect reading should have been "Preg-
nant with alarm
Some years ago the Philadelphia Post
published this erratum: 'In our last
issue biography of Newton was said
to contain this: Yes, the immoral
Newton lived just like other men, 1t
should have read The immortal New
tom"
A New York editor who wrote an
obituary on the death of a man of some
celebrity said: "He began life as a le-
gal practitioner, but was diverted from
it by love of letters" He did not see
the proof and was confronted the next
morning by this: HE began life as a
legal politician, but he was diverted
from it by love of bitters."
A convivial host once offered a toast
to a woman at dinner party. He
said: "Woman-man without her
would be savage" When the words
appeared in print the next day they