The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-02-12

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and the matrix, face downward, is al.
lowed to dry for few seconds. 1t is
then ready for the casting box.
THE CASTING BOX.
The sheet or matriX. is now placed
in a semi-circular iron box and the
Semi-circular cover is placed upon it.
A space of half inch intervenes be-
tween the matrix and the sides of the
casting apparatus.
Two men grasp the iron handles OF
bucket that reposes on the casting
pot. dip it into the boiling metal and
lift the mass to the casting box. The
space between matrix and cover is fill.
ed with hot lead. 1t solidifies in short
order, a dash of cold water upon the
outside of the cover aiding it some.
what, and the box is opened. showing
the plate completed, but in a rough
shape.
The first of the trimming machines
employed is the tail cutter, which saws
off the mass of metal upon the end of
the plate. From this it goes to the
chiseling block. where the rough
edges are trimmed off and deep cuts
are chiseled out. Once more the
plate is transferred, this time to a
machine which shaves inside of the
plate. Then it is ready for it's plunge
into the tub of cold water and it's trans
fer to the press.
All this has been accomplished in a
very few minutes. It's hot work and
the men who do it have no time to
stop and tell stories to each other. but
it's done from nine to twelve times a
day in the News-Democrat building,
and little oftener on several days
of each week.
The machinery called into play in
making this plate by no means ex-
hausts the list which this well-eqEpped
department contains. There are rout-
ers for cat work and casting boxes for
cuts. machinery for mounting cuts on
blocks, and many other machines, the
uses of which are mysterious to the
uninitiated.
Next to the great press of daily
paper its composing room Is generally
the most interesting to an outsider
making a tour of inspection. The
lightning speed at which everything
must be done, the rapid conversion Of
the written word into the leaden multi
plier, the ever-closing and ever-opening
forms that go down and come up as the
editions are being made, all tend TO
fascinate and interest the unaccustomed
beholder.
The News-Democrat composing room
like those of the big Boston and New
York dailies and leading newspapers
generally, is on an upper floor of the
building. There are two distinct de-
partments-the machine department,
in which is located the battery of
Mergenthaler linotype machines, and
the form department, in which the
pages are made up for the stereotypers
casting and where an hand compost
ton, for heads and advertising is done.
Both these departments are in one large
room.
The Merganthaler department prob
invested than any similar amount of
stated that two machines have
been added at cost of 5000. it will
readily be seen what an expensive in
yestment battery is.
Nearly everybody has seen type set
ting machines or read description of
them, so that lengthy technical story
is not needed at this time. Pressure on
one of the keys in bank very similar
to that of typewriter releases little
brass mold in the storage place above
the operators head. This mold, or
matrix, slides down a grooved channel
until 1t rests against the letter preced-
ing 1t in the horizontal channel in
front of the operator. When the line Is
full 1t Is swung around by the pressure
of lever into the casting box. While
the operator Is setting his next line the
hot metal from the melting pot has
been cast into solid line Of type of
the standard height, and the brass
molds have been lifted by an arm and
distributed automatically into their sew
eral places, ready for use again at the
next call.
The value of these machines, which
at first were looked upon with consider
able doubt, can not be too highly esti-
mated. Greater expedition in handling
matter is secured. The paper looks
handsomer, with its new dress of type
every day. Compositors who have
worked for them any length of time
cannot be induced to go back to hand
composition II they can avoid 1t. And
the machine, instead of driving men out
OF the business and depriving them of a
means of livelihood, has simply made 1t
possible for the public to have a much
greater amount of reading matter with
out increase of cost.
The News-Democrat has feature
that not all of these plants possess, In
the shape OF machine which sets the
nall fuliface headings, 20 many OF
fhieh are used. This y made neoes-