Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-30
THE GOVT PRINTERY
GETTING READY FOR THE LIMO
TYPE MACHINES.
Compositors Practicing on the Key
board at Odd Times-Gen-
eral Notes.

The statement that thirty-f1ve Mergen-
thalers will be installed in the government
printing Office about August 10 has caused
a revival Of interest among the compositors
in the big print shop in everything that per-
tains to 1.-The machines" Realizing that
the installation Of machine type-settlng IN
the office Is nearly at hand, many OF the
typos have become students and are en-
deavoring to master the mysteries or the
machine.
Some Of them are said to have utilized
their annual leaves by entering the Brook
Ign factory of the company for the pur-
pose of familiarizing themselves with the
keyboard and other intricacies of the Mer-
genthaler. This also enables them to study
the construction Of the machine. which Will
give them additional advantages as opera
tors.
The Mergenthaler and Lanston companies
have sent keyboards to the government
printing office. on which not few or the
typos practice during their spare time.
These keyboards are said to have been fur-
nished without charge and are proving OF
great assistance to the learners.
There are some .compositors In the office
who have made keybOardS OF their own and
burn midnight oil practicing al their homes.
Others are taking evening lessons from ma
chine type setting schools which have been
established about town. In view of this de-
learn the machine, Public Printer Palmer
feels assured that there will be no dearth
of operators once the machines are added
to the other labor-savi machinery In the
great printery under his management.
There are said to be upward Of 200 compos-
itors in the office who can be put to work
on the machines when they are installed.
1t Is said that the machine average will
be 5000 ems hour. Whether the high
standard of work required by the govern
ment can be maintained by machine work
remains to be seen. 1t Is expected that
before the end of September all the ma
chimes ordered, including those Of the Lam
ston type, will be installed and in operation.
The Thaler keyboard, which is being used
by a number of government printing office
employees in practice work. Is said to be
the invention of Mr.. Joseph w. McCann
well known in typographical circles here.
Coming Meet in st. Louis.
The District delegates to the interna-
tional meet in st. Louis next month have
been informed that their entertainment
there will include "a night on the Pike
Referring to this proposed trip. Mr.. r. H.
Witter, chairman Of the committee of ar
engagements at ST. Louis says:
You cannot imagine the Pike Nothing
like 1t ever happened. You turn from the
illumina ted main picture Of the fair as seen
from the plaza of st. Louis, and entering
the portals of the Pike begin the entrance
ing survey Of this street Of concessions. The
phrase Is Going down the Pike Among
the first objects to interest you will be
Under and Over the Sea-. You go down a
hatchway into a submarine boat. which
sinks down to the bottom of the sea, and
the voyage begins powerful searchlfght
reveals forests, marine growths. coral reefs.
mermaids' Fairgrounds. etc. as the vessel
goes on to Paris, where, ascending the
Eiffel tower, you take an airship for a re-
turn voyage to your starting point. Fol-
lowing this under and over sea voyage
Hereafter is in order. This Is an original
conception from Dante's Inferno-an illu-
sion of heaven and hades; cabinet Of
death. skeleton travellers, the region of
chaos. flowers in the garden Of paradise.
where is unfolded the biblical story of the
three wise men Of the desert. Next to
Hereafter and its paradise Is the Irish
village imported straight from the ould
sod, redolent of Irish life and manners. of
Irish wit and music. Mysterious Asia is
Just across the street from Ireland. Here
are the fakirs and strange peoples of the
east, their curious costumes and manners
contrasting strangely with their surround
ings At 'Hagenbeck's' ferocious Wild beasts
prowI about with perfect freedom. but there
is no danger to the beholder. The infant
incubator might have been located in Ha-
genbeck's with entire safety to the Infants.
There Is the Magic Whirlpool the jap
anese Village with it's demure geisha girls.
the Russian village tho Siberian Rail-
way.' the Deep Sea Divers .EIaIe's Fire
Fighters and the Creation companion