Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-24
UP-TO-DATE JOB WORK
BIG PLANT OF GOVERNMENT
PRINTING OFFICE.
Object Lesson Afforded by Visit to the
Office Personal
Matters,

ment printing office is one of the principal
items at the establishment. To enumerate
the different varieties of work turned out
by the job room of the big printery would
be laborious task; but among the larger
items are to be included blanks and cir
culars cards, letter and note heads and en-
velopes, over 100000 of the latter being
required each month Much of the work
comes under the head of blanks and of
this there is said to be infinite variety,
\ ON the order card of a few square inches
to that of as many feet. Enormous quanti-
ties of paper are said to be used by this
division. the value of the material approx
mating $350,OOO per month. Cardboard Is
necessarily one of the important items.
100000 sheets being an average months
run.
The job room also does the work of this
character for Congress, and, 1t is under
stood. the proficiency of this branch of the
work Is most clearly demonstrated in han
dung the acquisitions from 1.-The HILL as
tie Capitol Is generally designated by the
employees. In anticipation of the character
OF the work required the practice Is said
to be to have the franks and other routine
work plated the order for any amount
simply requiring the services of an imposer
for few minutes and the use of one of the
rapid presses of the annexed press room
In fact, it Is said that the Of plates
has become a science with those In charge,
enabling the office to do much OF the work
that was formerly given to contractors by
the departments on the ground of excessive
cost. One Is instanced where the low
est bid by contract for a certain job was
over 81 800, the office doing the work for
500 and clearing over $500 in consequence
of having the matter plated and saving the
cost of composition.
Approximately 10000 plates are said to
be stored in the job vault. each set prop
eriy tagged and indexed, ready for the next
order In order to prevent the accumua
ton of obsolete plates the officials throw
out every set that has remained in the
vault for four years without use.
An Object Lesson.
A visit to the job room is an interesting
object lesson, it is said, for many of the
conveniences in use are a revelation to the
average printer Improved sort fonts, ca
pable of containing tons of the various
kinds Of type used, immense galley rack
stands for the reception of matter In type,
slug. lead and furniture racks, improved
cabinets for large type, small cuts and
iron lines, for the most part devised by
those in charge of the work, assist in the
perfection of what is said to be the largest
and best-equipped job room in the country:
One Of the most valuable publications OF
recent date issued by the office Is the cen
sus of the Philippine Islands, consisting or
four large volumes. The superintendent OF
public documents. l.. {. Ferrell, says: Inc
development and the maps and illustra-
tons contained in the first volume Will De
a valuable addition to the literature on the
subject now before the public" The edition
is said to be limited, the distribution of one
set to each of the 800 Libraries designated
by Congress being the only provision for
publicity. 1t is thought that when Con-
gress becomes aware of the value of some
parts of the publication and the excellence
of the Illustrations a reprint Will be or
dered of the most interesting portions for
a wider circulation.
Pressmen's Ball Team.
The personnel of the pressmen's base ball
team Is announced follows Catchers,
Beckwith, Dean and Lnkins; pitchers Will
liams, Tapley and Hickman; infelders,
Veatch, Birmingham, Keames, Barnholt
and Coffee outielders, Webb, Sullivan.
Bishop Bolen and Lednum. Acting Man.
ager Keames reports the team in first-class
shape for the opening of the season May
with the Record team, having been con-
siderably strengthened by consolidation
with the team from the bureau of engraving
and printing The ladies of the press
room presented the team with two bats
and a league ball, and their enthusiasm is
said to exceed even that Of the players.
The last meeting of the managers of the
Government Printing Office League before
the opening of the season May l Will be
held Tuesday evening to consider final ar
rangements. Everything Is said to be
ready for the opening game. the grounds
having been placed in as good shape as the
weather would permit and the benches
made ready for the faithful fans who have
assisted them in the preliminary expenses
The superintendent of the paper ware
house and his force have been very busy
for some time, the filing out of broken
lines and an exceptionally heavy run of or
ders requiring the handling of immense
quantities of paper daily. In one day the
past week wagons We're drawing paper from
ten different cars and one river boat over
500 tons being received and stored during
the six days. The printing of the annual
year book of the Department of Agricul-
ture was one of the heaviest orders of the
year, requiring over 25.OO0 reams Of book
and nearly 5000 reams of double-coated
paper for its production.
The freight-rate hearing before a con-
gressional committee is said to be respon-
sible for a small night force in the sixth di-
vision, composed mainly Of machine opera
tors and floor hands.
James B. Rogers and Ed Novels, said to
be two of the most ardent fishermen in
the big printery, report small white perch
biting freely, but the larger fish either
scarce or refusing bait.
w. II. Kent, an employe of the Official
Gazette division. has been appointed pastor
of the Methodist mission at Ivy City. Quite
a number of the employees of the Office are
said to be engaged in mission work through
out the city.
Thursday Of last week the general man.
ager of the Lanston Machine Company ac-
companied by party Of stockholders and
directors, made a critical inspection of the
battery of machines at work in the Official
Gazette division.
Much regret is expressed In the job room
incident to the death of G. E. Clark,
proof reader of that division The chapel
rendered a beautiful floral offering and des-
ignated six employees to attend the funeral
as representatives of the division
Personal Mention
W. F. Council Of the first division and
Mrs. Elizabeth Cross were married at Phil
adelphia Tuesday. Both parties have many
friends in the big prfntery.
Joseph E. Casey of the job bndery has
been i'll for several weeks. Miss Fannie E.
Levy and e. l.. McLain of the same divi-
sion are also on the sick list.
Dennis Montgomery, manager of the
pressmens base ball team, has been called
to his home at Palmetto. Tenn. by the Sc
rious illness of his father
Fred w. Cromwell has been appointed to
the position of stenographer and typewriter
in the Office Of l.. c. Terrell, superintendent
of public documents.
The foreman of the folding machine divi-
sion of the press ROOM A. w. Reynolds,
has moved his family to suburban home
~ ST Elmo Va for he summer