The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-04
AUTHOR AND PRINTER.
often Hard for the Former TO Adapt
Himself to T~cchnicnlities.

j. II. Mcfarland, in the Worlds Work.
Some excellent authors cannot cut or
"fll' TO meet The usual topographic needs.
1 remember one good brother who SAID that
he couldn't, and That / shouldn't, but 4 eau
tiously did; and the fun Of it was that he
was unable to find the places where, TO
make harmonious work, a word or two had
been cut out or aGdcd. He was entirely
happy: so was 1. 1t should be explained as
one canon of good book making, that a
paragraph must not end on the first line Of
a page. Where this happens. the printer
asks the author either To cut the line, or
to add some words to Ii. Also, a chapter
may not end with bat two or three lines at
the top of "A page; it must be cut down to
not quite fill the last page. or padded" to
fill at least one-fourth Of the short page.
If the printer reluctantly cuts OF adds, n is
religiously careful not 20 alter the sense in
the least.
One author, a man of deep learning and
wide general cultivation as we'll. is an ideal
editor. He can add or cut TO perfection,
and he knows just where to 40 ii so as to
cause the least topographic inconvenience
or expense. After he has done this work,
too, the result is clean, terse English, the
admiration Of his readers. But this dear
mans copy 1t is 4 collection of scraps
Of all sizes on all sorts of paper. One
would think manuscript paper was scarce;
yet I have sent reams and reams of suit
able stationery 10 him. No one knows what
becomes OF it, for the stream OF
scraps continues. l have had copy
from that man on the back OF
Il liz = CAt1Bl1A- ain Alt
chapter of a recent book included odds
and ends Of paper the other side OF which
showed that they came from ten of the
United States and two countries of Europe.
Among the scraps was a friends wedding
announcement; but the Wedding date was
past. at least, as / was gravely informed
upon a gentle remembrance TO the author.
His assistant tells me tnat the only safety
for the wedding certificate of our friend is
that 1t is framed, and therefore inconven-
lent to write upon
But much may be forgiven to such an au-
thor, who is a continual JOY TO the printer.
What matter the backs of envelopes or the
scraps of foreign letters when the copy
they are covered with is perfect in diction.
absolutely legiDle, and ready for the COM
pOsitor without revision2 And then the lit
tie private notes which cone dropping in
with the COPY and proofs from this busy
man-they bubble with fun. and one Won
ders how he has had time TO acquire so
much delightfully."- expressive slang, or 70
devise the wonderful phonetic spelling.
Sometimes the copy is bad-the Door
printer calls it blind" Good handwriting
is greatly TO be preferred. however scrappy
the paper. to poor typewriting. One au-
thor used q pale pink s. typewriter. and
did his numerous a still
paler lead pencil. After the book was out.
/ respectfully suggested the use OF an ak
ON the typewriter. 7 am afraid the author
did not appreciate the RIGHTEOUSNESS Of
my remark. for ne wrote me that 1t was
indecent" / have wondered since if he
may not have thought that my sanguinary
suggestion was meant for the operator and
not for the ma chine.