The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-12-21
THE TRAMP PRINTER.
New Conditions Are Putting an End to
His Glass.

His Glass.
In the morning he used to sit bumped
over the primer case throwing in a
handful. When the editor came to
work, it was customary for the others
in the shop to show the editor some
obeisance; the foreman to walk to the
editorial desk with the proof of an
''ad."; the job printer to hammer BUSH
ly with a planer ON the form of a
Rooms to Rent card, which was ever
being made ready for the press; two
lean compositors to shakes their cases
as though they had been working for
hours; the cub to change legs on the
lob press and clatter the throw-off with
more business than bird pup. But
the tourist-the typographical tourist
lat the primer case paid no homage to
rank; made no unmanly, ObsequiouS
demonstrations before potentates and
powers. He kept on rafting the type
in their boxes as though nothing had
happened. After whispered dia-
logue between the foreman and the
editor explaining the strangers pres
ence, it was the editorial privilege to
approach the throne
If it was winter the editor might
saunter out to the stove and back up
to it with palms outstretched. Then
he was permitted by the tourist to ask.
Where you from?"
After receiving reply the editor
was expected to ask:
well, how's work there?"
To this the answer required by an
unwritten yet inviolable law of the
craft was:
Rotten
Thereafter the editor might resume
his work or inquire about old friends,
or take up the regular order, or pro-
coed to unfinished business, for the
tramp printer had been duly and
formally installed and the opening SER
vices were closed. To the layman alf
this pomp and circumstances in well
coming the tourist may. seem empty
and idle.
Yet the arrival of the tramp printer
at the country Office twenty years ago
meant to the craftsmen there what the
return of Lentulus with victorious lie.
gion meant to Capua; what the delega.
ton from the grand lodge ready to
give out the new password and exem-
plify the work means to the brethren:
what the visit of an ordaining bishop
to convey the apostolic succession
means to churchmen. and what the
coming of new star means to an
astronomer.
For the tramp printer brought the
light into dark places. If there was
new ink-reducer in vogue the tramp
knew it, and could make it, He showed
the foreman how to set the disc of the
jobber, and print in coiors. The tramp
could make a paste that would never
sour, and tableting glue that would
stick and neither crack nor melt in all
eternity. He could white out line
Of wood letter, or make slugs He
could tie string to an end of the
folder table and cut two folios from a
quarto as fast the the "devil' could
fold. He could make rollers that
would print line of script, or bring
out the dapple in the TANKS of the iron
gray stallion for the livery stable job.
He could cut out reprint with his
rule for the copy hook when the old
man was away, and he could go to the
nonpareil case and set Up 4 piece OF
poetry for the first column from men,
DRY. He was a guide, philosopher and
friend to the editor. And in the back
room he revived the world, the flesh
and the devil.
Peter B. Lee, "Old Slugs" Biggsby--
whittier have they gone? Those old;
style faces with the hair lines all over
them, with their condensed Gothic
noses, with their wrong font eyes, with
their mouths blacksmithed full of fine
cut to justify with their double plea
cheeks! Poor old typographical errors;
they were cast before the days of the
point system, and they have been
thrown into the hell box of oblivion.
Yet they did their work well. They
fulfilled their mission in the world.
The tramp printers labor-saving de-
vices perfected and carried to their ul-
innate conclusions. have become great
inventions of this printing craft.
Archimedes said if he had a proper
lever he would move the world The
lazy tramp printer who first rolled a
cylinder over form of types had
found the Archimedean lever.
The lever has moved the world
further in century than it moved be- +
fore in thousand years. Its I'M
known inventor was as surely inspired.
was as surely working a divine pur-
pose toward man as he who chiseled
the law upon the stone at Sinai. For
that printers lever has twisted away
the sceptres of kings and has put royal
power into the hands of people. That
lever has pried the world from ignor.
ant selfishness to the Intelligent hui
man brotherhood.
The tramp printer, whose humble
habitation has become mechanical
sanctuary in score of years. is low
ly instrument with which to do mira.
cles. But so was poor. blind Bartime-
US. Miracles are not done with princes
-Emporia (Kan.) Gazette.