Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-08-29
PROOF READER PRINTER AND
" REPORTER "REMINISCENCES.
JOAQUIN MILLER scooPED
His Manuscript so Bad That it Beat
the Whole Force-GoIdwin Smith
Also an Atrocious Penman-Type-
writer Helps Out at the Case in
These Modern Times.

Inc typewriter LIDS WOTheu SItdt
change in the life of the printer, and
his work now is nothing like as hard
as in the old days." remarked the old
proofreader. 'In these days editors
dictate their editorials to stenog-
raphers or typewriters, or pound them
out on typewriter themselves, and
the printer and proofreader have no
trouble at all with them. Many edi-
tors have been noted for their bad
chirography, and apparently some Of
them did not know the art Of writing,
nom the appearance of their copy.
Many a compositor and proofreader
In those days lost bis sit for making
the editor say in type what he did not
intend to say, and in most offices
where the editors were VIGOROUSLY
bad writers was generally special
man to whom the setting up Of all the
bad copy was intrusted. Generally
he had carefully studied the style OF
the editor and chirography, and was
able to fairly make stagger at trans
lating the apparent Chinese puzzle,
and set 1t up in type. About the
worst writer / ever knew was Col. H.
M. Doak, now United States commits
sioner and clerk at Nashville, but then
he was the editor Of the Memphis Ava
lanche. He was then, and is now, one
of the most scholarly men In the coun-
try, and his leaders were long, as was
then the fashion, but they were deep
with thought; his opinions were ex-
pressed in chaste and elegant English,
and his articles were widely copied
and commented upon When he gave
up journalism for a lifetime position
connected with the federal judiciary,
one of the most scholarly editors In the
country disappeared. During the war
between the states. Col. Doak was in
the confederate navy and was wound
ed One bullet passed entirely
through his right hand. The healing
of the wound left his fingers drawn
up and his hand mutilated. He never
tried to write with his left hand. His
chirography was actually illegible to
all the composing room force, save
one man, and when that printer died
there was not man in the office who
could read and set up his copy. They
tried, but they could do nothing with
1t. They lost time an patience and
finally a chapel meeting was called
The men decided TO so on o strike I'M
less legible editorial copy was fur
nished. The late Congressman Phelan
of Tennessee, who was owner of the
paper, gave Col. Doak two months va
cation and presented him with a type
writer and there was never any more
trouble. l believe he was about the
first editor in the country to use a
typewriter In editorial work II is
said that no great epic has ever been
'milled,' but Col. Doak afterward wrote
a 20,0O0-word Greek tragedy in blank
verse on that typewriter. The type
writer is now great thing In news
paper Office"
'The worst handwriting | everunder.
took to decipher was that of Goodwin
Smith. the celebrated Canadian phil
osopher, scientist, economist and an
nexationist," spoke up the old printer.
He was the owner of a newspaper in
Montreal and contributed much mat
ter to 1t, although he had managing
editor and seldom appeared at the Of
flee. The managing editor had a call
to the States, which necessitated a
two-weeks' absence from Montreal.
and to get the paper out during this
time he engaged a young journalist
who did not know that Mr. Smith was
the power behind the throne of that
paper and that his money enabled the
ghost to walk for all hands every
Monday There were two of us In
the office who could translate and set
Mr. Smiths copy, but the new sub
stitute editor not only did not know
Mr.. Smith or of his interest in the
paper, but he had never seen any of
Of his manuscript or copy. The first
night he worked he was initiated. At
IL O'Clock messenger boy brought
big batch of copy to the office. The
editor found out from the boy that
Mr.. Smith had sent in the contribution.
The new editor puzzled his eyes and
and his brain on that manuscript, and
the harder he worked trying to desci-
pher IL the more puzzling became the
scientists characters, words and SEN
fences. Nothing coherent or connect
ed could the editor make out Of the
mater, and finally he lost his temper
and his patience. He called Mr.. Smith
over the telephone, and in no gentle
voice told him that his copy was IL
iegible and unavailable to the paper.
and with several uncomplimentary re-
marks applicable to any man who
would write such stuff as that, he told
Mr.. Smith to send a messenger at his
own expense for the manuscript, and
he hung up the telephoIN receiver,
wiped the perspiration from his brow
and returned to his desk. In few
minutes the telephone bell called the
editor to the box, and a meek and low
" voice from the other end of the con-
nection told the editor that Mr.. Smith
was at the 'phoae and that II the edi-
tor was having any trouble with the
copy and would bring ii out TO him.
Mr.. Smith would try to make 1t plain.
At this the temporary editor grew In
tiignant. and asked Mr.. Smith II he
knew he was talking tothe acting man