The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-06-06

tion and approval --or disapproval. d
Niter all this work, the printing is not
done directly from the types. The best Of
types could not be put on the big presses
and stand the strain and wear Of running off
the thousands OF copies which are printed
every month. So each page Of type and
cuts, each "iorm, is electrotyped. The
eleetrotyping room is the most interesting
in the plant - and the dirtiest The form
is first washed then busted over with fine
black lead over this is laid heavy
sheet Of wax, not white soft beeswax, but
black, tough mineral wax. A heavy weight
comes down to make the mold, and produces
on the wax sheet a perfect impression Of
the form--every letter and every line Of type
and illustration.
A strip OF metal is fastened to the wax
sheet, and oil il goes to be hung in a bath,
vat OF copper solution through which runs
a powerful electric current The form is
then held in rack, for resource in case OF
accidents. The electric current, generated by
abusy little dynamo, carries the inhni,esimal
particles of copper in the solution through
the metal strip, which is connected with
positive pole down on the wax sheet Lift
il after few hours, and there Is a coat Of
shining copper, reproducing beautifully
every detail Of type and cut. When the
wax sheet has been melted of by hot water,
there is left shining shell OF copper, thin
as writing paper This shell, Of course, is
not strong enough to stand the thousands Of
impressions wanted but after il has been
strengthened by backing Of molten lead
poured over it by careful workmen, after il
has been cut and trimmed and otherwise
improved, il comes out heavy, durable
beautiful plate. perhaps a filth OF an inch
thick. The cost Of making this elecirotype
Is less than dollar; and il can be handled
aud packed and shipped at pleasure. and
will give a hundred thousand impressions
or more, the last as clear and good as the
first, and then be ready for more work,
When the time comes for printing, down
stairs to the press-rooms go these plates,
at least two hundred and fifty Of them 10,
every issue Of The Century, On som,
presses they are fastened hat, on o,hcr
they are curved to Fl biz cylinders. Thirty.
two. sixy.four sometimes Of these elcc
trotypes are fixed in place. the ink is tested
and adjusted to feed the rollers just right;
the paper is placed in position, either on
immense roll, for the unillus,raied pages
or piles Of great sheets Of coated paper
where there are fine hali.iones 10 bepfinled.
In at one end Of the magic presses goes the
paper. Out from the other end drop the
magazine pages, aud boy gathers them up
and carries them OF to the bindery, up, up
again. The most Of the work done now
Yes and no. AZ this stage The Century
Magazine is In the form OF twenty-five OF
more different sections OF folded paper
scattered In as many boxes, The mex, pro-
cess Is to get them together in regular or
der The magnitude Of this task viii be
better understood when il . known that the
sum total OF these twenty-five OF more pieces
Of folded paper in an ordinary edition OF lh'
magazine Is never less than FIVE million. and
in a large edition Is often s.S million pieces,
To put one piece opt Of ~ order is 10 spoil !
copy perhaps tSo copies !, Is necessary
that the work be done with eSaeiness bu
equally important ,ha, il be done with speed
A rotating table carries the sections rap
idly and easily to girls who gather and place
them dei,ly together in the proper order
Stitching machines iasien the pages securely
together; and then clever machine pick
up each copy. covers is back With melie'
glue. presses on the cover and there Is ih'
finished product.
More to seep Well, even this bird's-ey'
! view has taken the better part Of the visi
tors day lie, him spend twenty years il
The Century Co.'S Offices, and IN the gfea
building where is printing and binding ar
done. trying to 6t harmoniously' helpiull
into the mechanism which makes Possibl
the smooth running Of all this eomplieaie'
business and the inielligenily direete'
magic Of Il all. the skill Of brain and ham
, necessary 10 accomplish IL, will be more
= wonder than at the hrst glimpse
1