Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-26
HuMoRs OF COMPOSING ROOM.
A Sheaf of Errors of the Press and a
Collection of "Nixes,o

A contributor to the December No. or
Macmillan has been keeping note or
amusing instances of errors Of the press
arising partly from the vile hands which
some authors write, and partly from the
conditions under which compositors work.
Some OF the errors here collected seem
10 us as amusing in their kind as any
ever recorded says the London Daily
News. But, perhaps, our readers may De
able TO rival, IL not to better them. Even
books which have been corrected by au-
thors at their leisure are rarely without
lists of "Corrigenda," but the periodical
press is produced in hot haste, and here,
as will be expected, the largest crop OF
blunders has been found. 1t was In
London newspaper that the late Sir
Robert Peel was described as with
party of fends shooting peasants in Ire
land" Nor Is this the only occasion on
which the "r'' in the word friends mas
accidentally dropped out with some In
Jury to the sense. 1t is not many years
since the readers of an obituary notice
were startled to find appended to Ii the
note: "Ffends will please accept this In
timation" Macmillans contributor cites
a theatrical criticism upon young ladys
performance in "The Merchant or
Venice" in which II was observed that
"her love for Porter made her acting
easy" 1t should have been her love for
Portia" When, on another occasion,
worthy advocate Of female suffrage was
described as exhorting her lady hearers
10 maintain their tights" Ii was propa-
bly guessed that tights" should have
been rights" II Is to be hoped tnat no
more difficulty was experienced In the
case Of the handsome breeches, the git
of the bridegroom" which were stated 10
have been worn by the bridesmaids at
certain wedding Clearly brooches" was
the word intended. Sometimes the mere
parting OF two letters has had a disas-
trous effect, as when the contributor
wrote: "The masses believed him., ana
found that the composttor had maze IL
Them asses believed him." In another
instance Il was a mere broken letter that
did the mischief, and made the reporter,
who had desired 10 speak only or
"sbouts" declare that the entire au-
dlence rose and rent the air with their
snouts." 1t was, It seems, West cotn-
try journal that one day shocked the
readers OF an announcement OF the death
az n gallant officer by describing him as
"a battle-scared veteran" This case was
considered grave enough to demand the
Insertion OF the following humble
apology: aa
''The editor was deeply grieved to ma
that through an unfortunate typographl-
col error he was made to describe the
late gallant Major Il as Daltle
scared veteran He tenders his sincerest
APOLOGIES for the mistake to the irlehus
and relatives of the deceased; though 10
every reader OF this journal acquainted
with the feats Of the Major, 1t must nave
been apparent that what the editor "rote
was 'battle-scarred veteran.
Even an error in punctuation may
volye serious consequences, thoush III .no
examples here given 1t Is oily just " eno
oomnositors 10 say that faulty construc-
ton must bear part OF the pidiiie'
a Dublin paper made a reverend gentle-
roan I'm discoursing Of the evils or IN
temperance, say:
1T was only last Sunday that young
GIRL fell from one of the benches OF TINS
Church. while was preaching In BEAST
ly state of intoxication.
The writer also quotes from newspa-
ner the paradoxical statement;
"a very handsome memorial mas Deeh
erected in st. Jerome's Cemetery 10 the
late Mr.. John Philips accidentaiy sho'
as n mark OF affection by his brother.
A somewhat different class OF printers
errors are those that arise from what are
technically known as mixeS-that 10
The accidental running together OF SEN
tonces or fragments of sentences, when
have no connection. II was, II appears
In London daily paper that a warm
eulogy of a new tenors singing peiore q
sashionable audience concluded with the
s,artI,ng statement: HE was sentenced
an five years penal servitude. so that So
ciety will for some time be rreeo rum
the infiction Of his presence" more ap-
propriately, perhaps. there appeared IN an
trish tournai a description OF the iabors
ns Roman Catholic missionaries In Cen
troll Africa. which ended by saying
.arhev are accustomed to begin their work
NV buving heather children ana eou-
citing them. The easiest and best way
20 nrenare them Is to first wipe them with
a clean towel, then place them In drip
n,ng mans. and bake them until they are
sender After which cut them In slices
GA cook for several hours" A special
iII-lck appears TO have waited on .ne
to,Iowing remarkable instance or a'mix
which Is quoted from that well-known
DubIin journal, Saunders Newsletter
aDr n. has been appointed resident
,,ad,ca, officer to the Mater Misericordia
UosnitaI. orders have been Issued py tns
Cemetery Committee for the fmmedlat'
sv,ension OF Glasnevin Cemetery. The
works are being executed with the ut
most dispatch"
The last instance Of mix" here giver
.nneara 70 have arisen from the simple
accident OF a line Of type relating 70
s,,,h,,c meeting finding its way into al
announcer.e in the births column. INT
result was The following bewiidering para
con the Sd instant. at ELLINGTON. tn
wife of J. s. Terry. scnoolmaster. o.