Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-20
FROM PEN To. PRESS
Story of the Making of a Daily
Newspaper.
ALL THE PROCESSES USED
Work Of Gathering, Editing and
Printing the News.
WHERE EVERY MINUTE COUNTS
How Unforeseen Accidents Are Met
by the Preparedness Of the Els
tablishment to Face Mishaps.
WHERE EVERY MINUTE COUNTS

mex on 18th street are open to the view Of
the public. The large windows come down
to a level with the pavement. During the
running Of the presses there Is usually
a crowd Of interested pedestrians leaning
against the iron railing which protects the
windows, watching the pressmen working
off the edition.
The scene Is one of unusual activity on
Saturday nights when preparations are be-
ing made to run off the different parts
which go to make up the entire Sunday
edition. A few evenings since among the
crowd were a lady and gentleman. They
were returning from the theater, and had
stopped for a moment to take in the sight.
1t happened that the pressmen were just
locking the last plate preparatory to rum
ming off the part selected to go to press
first for the Sunday edition.
II don't see how that man can tie on
that big. shining, silvery plate into the
press with that little piece Of cord" said
the lady, wonderingly, she pointed to
one Of the pressmen adjusting new stereo-
type plate.
The gentleman laughed, as he replied:
1T does look strange, but, you see. the
man doesn't tie it at all, though it appears
SO from where we stand-you will observe,
If You look closely, as the men are moving
very rapidly, that he has the little piece or
1.-The sound caused by the rapid running
Of large printing machine is peculiar unto
ITSELF and to me it possesses singular fas-
cination, perhaps in the manner that some
waterfall. These big presses are both
singing song and telling a story at the
same time, and, since you can listen to
their song, I will relate to you the story
they are telling"
The lady said she would be delighted.
ION a daily newspaper" he said. and
especially on one published in the afternoon,
from the time the local staff assemblies in
until the foremen Of these four presses
turn the starting wheel, every man, from
the editor to the pressman, is working
against time, either doing something every
minute as the hands Of the clock tick away
the hours which eat up time to the last
minute of going to press, or in making
preparations to take up the threads In the
skein Of labor which, when finally twisted
combined efforts the finished and the pub
lished paper.
Story Of the Paper.
VERY few people have had an oppor-
tunity of seeing the inside Of the work
rooms Of a modern daily newspaper, except
those who work there, for they are places
for work and not of exhibition, and visitors
and the public would be in the way. This
largely accounts Tor the rlSlQ rule on near
ly all large papers which limits outsiders
to the reception rooms and halls.
This Is an additional reason why the
press rooms of The Star. facing the street.
offer such attraction to the eye. Beyond
the instance of the New York Herald, In
its new building at Broadway and 35th
street, where the entire Broadway side Of
the lower floor is open to public view
through glass, and where the presses may
be seen nightly at work, do not recall
any other instance where this highly inter-
esting street view may be thus obtained.
Usually the press rooms are in the base
ments or the cellars of their newspaper
homes, far from public sight.
THE daily work Of eating up the minutes
begins in all sections of the newspaper
plant with the opening of Its day, but we
will not go beyond the editorial, news and
mechanical work rooms. 1t is enough to say
that in a newspaper plant, from its bust
ness Office to its composing rooms. loafing
is conspicuous by its absence. Newspaper
men are not unlike other men in that they
too enjoy relaxation, but 1t Is part of the
business to take such moments after and
not before the paper goes to press-until
the final minute is devoured by the system
which makes all this which you are now
witnessing possible and comparatively easy
Of accomplishment.
But for the frictionless working of this