St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-01-15

lZOU persons, enough W PoP"'"
country town. We entered the library,
where we found the leading magazines OF
the day upon the central table ana refer
ence books in the alcoves tor the use OF
the editors. Upon the wall hung the por-
trait of the first editor and proprietor,
Nathaniel Willis, father Of Fanny Fern
and n. P. Willis. He was once one OF the
editors of the Boston Recorder, now the
Congregationalist. In an old-fashioned
writing desk we were shown one OF the
early copies Of the Youths Companion,
first issued April 16, 1927, small, TOUR
PACED paper with but one picture IN IT,
and not great deal of original matter,
but selections well chosen, OF hlgh
order, and the paper cost 81 80 per year
1t is owing to the large number OF adver-
tsements which makes paper paying
business now The subscribers IN 1901
80 years after it was started numbered
1900. while in 1871 it amounted to
10000. Mr.. Wilissoldhis paper IN 1857
to Messrs. Ford & Olmstead, and in ten
years Mr.. Olmstead sold out bis share to
Mr.. Ford and he assumed the name OF
Perry, Mason & Co. for convenience. In
1889 Messrs. Pratt, Upham q Drake
became associated with him in the bust
ness department of the paper. In 1889,
for business convenience, the present
building was planned and constructedin
1891. Our conductorexpained the great
advance made in the pictures for the
Illustration Of the paper; from the slow
method ofwood engraving that prevailed
from 140S until 1862, until in 1892 the
photo-engraving was adopted for this
paper and picture could be had in two
and half hours, which before required
two and half days. He produced the
blocks of wood, zinc and pictures from a
writing desk. The New York World
declared that it had obtained picture
in 35 minutes. The great superiority OF
the modern picture was evident, and one
picture only cost $50. They never
destroy manuscripts, but if not accepted,
return them to the writer. Three editors
read and two approve OF articles.
In the art department were the original
designs oil Taylor, Rh,inhart, Mrs. Ste
vens and many Others, for the paper.
Beyond were two rooms Tor the employees
who desire to eat lunch or rest. We saw
the type set up in the press room, which
is electrotyped, printed, examined and
corrected seven times before being printed
in the Companion. We were given ten
minutes to inspect the exhibition Of
teurphotographs. On February 81,
1896, $3.50 were offered Tor the best
amateur photographs to be submitted
before June 80. Six thousand four hun
dred and seventy-two photographs were
received. Eight prizes were given, the
first OF 500, to Emma !. Farnsworth of
Albany, N. Y. Halftone reproductions
of these pictures are arranged on the
walls OF the room, with hundreds of 9TH
ers of all descriptions, small and large,
light and dark, with home and foreign
views, by sunlight, in shadow and by
moonlight. 1t requires much time to
examine aud enjoy; good study Tor
young photographers. We stepped into
one OF the fourteen iire-proof rooms for
safes, where three hundred thousand lei
tiers were filed in small space of six let.
tiers OF the alphabet, and by means of the
card catalogue letter could be found
inside OF one minute. These are connected
with the premium department and are
not kept longer than six years. The
Youths Companion pays $1,000 pei
week in advance to the U. S. government
for its postage in 10000 towns. We de
scended into the basement to see The
monster motors importation. They alter
nate with the two dynamos, using one
this week and the second the next. The
dials register the power and time, etc.
in the power room. -Four freight elevat
ors transferred the paper to and fro iron
the shipping department.
In the machinery room were the great
rolls OF white paper, averaging about
700 pounds each, from the mills at Cum
berland, Maine, marked rs. D. w" Sixty
nine years ago a boy OF 16 brought VI
two flights OF stairs one parcel of pape
and that boy became the owner of tina
mill, and it was one of the partnership
not broken, Tor the mill still supplies thi
paper We could not but admire tn
curved type rollers Of the printing ma
chimes, which do the work five time
faster than the fiat ones The pape-
were printed on both sides, 1000 sheet
per hour, The value OF the presses i
$15, 900 each. There were at least $12O
600 worth OF machinery on this floor
The building and land beneath it cos
$500,000 We returned to the CORE
spondence room and there were told tina
last January on their busiest day, 10 AS
letters were received and answered, Will
in September perhaps not half that nun
Der. In one state there were 300 town
and III great many Of them there wer
subscribers. They were obliged to guar
against the same names of towns /