Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-09
Arabic Type Coming.

| printery also handles about 600 acquisitions
annually for various kinds of printing, in
Guiding cards. envelopes and pamphlets, not
exceeding twenty-four pages. Those of
greater size are printed at the main print
ing office.
Mr.. Herbert Putnam, the librarian of
Congress. takes the deepest interest in the
unique little printing office, In which the
languages of the world are handled by
American printers. and since its establish
ment, more than four years ago, he has
aimed to give 1t the highest standing. Pub
lie Printer Palmer, Mr.. o. ]. Ricketts,,
foreman Of printing, and Chief Clerk Brian
are frequent visitors to the office and watch
its world printing with interest and pride.
The Japanese and Hebrew work done in
the branch printing office Is said to be
to begin at the last word in the bottom
line of the last page of a pamphlet, for
instance, and set type backwards to the
first page. A font of the queer Arabic type
has been ordered for the office. and will be
in use in a few days. Mr.. Fisher, the other
day, received letter from Egypt which
was written in Arabic. and said the char
acters were like a series of curves, angles,
half curves, dots, dashes, broken-back 'e's"
and what not.
Many strangers visit the library printing
office and seem never to tire in watching
the typos engaged in printing in the various
tongues or the nations and tribes of the
globe, and In some language that are al
most extinct.
In Office and Bindery.
Mr.. William H. Fisher, the foreman, is
native of Philadelphia, and has been in
charge of the office just four years, taking
his present post soon after the printery was
established. He has been employed in the
government printing office twenty-four
years, and has filled every position from
QomDOSitor to foreman. He Is sixty wears
of age says he Is not a believer In DR..
Oslers theory that the average man is past
his days of usefulness when he crosses the
ferty-year mark The other employees In
the library of Congress branch printing
Office are: Reviser. Hugh Reid; readers,
VIM. r. Bolten and ]. r. Bradley; linotype
machinist. s. c. Rooms; copyholder, A. J.
Ward: cofnpositors, s. L. Battles, H. V.
isbee, T. c. Crews, II. Clay Evans, Martin
N. Evans, Charles Il. Forsyth. C. W. Hen
shaw, Chas. A. McMullen. r. A Nelgner,
G. FL. Transporter and Charles NJ. Sizer;
pressman. ]. M. Little; feeders, Mary q.
Andre, Blanch Hurley and Edith s. Par
ish; laborers, Frank Bell, William McMul-
Ian and John Mann.
Representative Richardson of Tennessee,
former chairman of the printing committee
of the House of Representatives. said on a
recent occasion, that the library printing
Office with its facilities for getting out work
In every known language, was 1.-THE only
establishment of the kind in the world"
and that 1t stood alone an American
accomplishment"
Connected with the branch printing office
at the Library of Congress is a complete
bindery. In which seventy-flve hands, men
and women. are employed. 1t Is provided
with all the improved machines known to
the trade, including cutting machines. per-
forating machines, punching machines and
backing machines. All the repair work on
the thousands Of volumes in the great
library Is done in this bindery. besides the