Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-05-28
HUMOR FOUND ERRORS.
Typographical Blunders Are Often Ex-
ceedinQIy AmuSinQ

Golden Penny-Charles Kingsley is
said to have expressed his surprise
that the Newgate Calendar does not
appear to record the case of any
writer having been hanged for muir
dering his printer. Authors who are
fortunate enough in having to regular
ly correct proofs Will appreciate
Kingsley's feeling in the matter. 1t
would seem at times as if Erasmus
were right when he stated his belief
that Satan himself presided over the
composing room. We can readily IN
derstand that the bishop who was re-
ported as having stated that ''he had
been on the drink for some time" in
stead of ION the brink" would be in
cordial sympathy with this sentiment
So would the company promoter, who
must have been startled when he saw
his new venture described in a lead
ing London daily as the issue OF 100,-
900 new snares of one pound each" A
remarked that the printer had uncon-
sciously spoken the plain truth. OF
course, the natural enemy of the spirit
of mischief, who at times presideS
over the destinies of the composing
room, is the proofreader, and a large
part of the humor is strangled by him
at birth, but it is surprising what does
get through.
Often so small thing as a comma
gives a Iudicrous turn to the sentence.
A Scotch divine whose sermons are
eagerly looked for must have had his
Christian forbearance put to a strong
test when he found that he was re-
spOnsible for the following utterance:
only last Sabbath, my dear friends,
young woman died in this parish
very suddenly, while l was endeavor-
ing to preach the word in a state of
beastly intoXicatiOn. Of course it is
in provincial papers we get the chOic-
est bits of humOr. A piece of writing
always considered sacred is an edito-
rial comment. He would be a bold
compositor or proofreader who dared
to interfere with it, so we must not
blame them for the following choice
comment added to poem which ap-
peared in the Poets Corner Of a York
shire weekly: ''These lines were writ
ten fifty years ago by a man who has
for many years lain in his grave for
his own amusement"
The printer and the advertiser share
the blame for the following advertise
ment: "Wanted-A youth to attend
poultry of a religious turn of mind"
The addition of a mark of punctua-
ton will often cause as much amuse-
ment as the omission. A New York
society journal a short time ago had
a strange story of ball at the white
house. The reporter was describing
the dress and, it would appear, was
rather hurt that certain lady who
usually supplied special copy by her
in gowns did not on this
occasion come out in anything new
Her fall from her usual standard Of
originality and excellence was evil
IDENTIFY to be dismissed in the few
words: Mrs. Nesbit wore nothing in
the nature of dress that was re-
markable," but the demon of the print
ing house was loose that night and
the next morning New York was hor-
rifed to see: Mrs. Nesbit wore moth
ing in the nature of dress. That
was remarkable"
In the manipulation of type letter
often gets loose and drops out. It
usually happens that the defaulting
letter is the only one that could alter
the sense of the word or passage. In a
northern university a year or so ago
the members of class in Hebrew de-
cided on making a presentation to
their lecturer. In replying to the
speeches Of his pupils the reverend
professor was duly credited by daily
with the following utterance: CDR. x,
in responding, said he was never so
happy as when he was with his lass"
etc-a sentiment which must have
shocked the unco' guild until it was
that the SC" had been omit
ted in "class."