Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-20

and this Is the reason why the representa-
ton OF the plate and the attending line Of
description. or the name of an Individual.
IL portrait Is presented. do not agree,
though these misplacings. considering the
rapidity of execution and the number of
half-tones to go into paper at times, are
very few.
THE half-tone plates are tackled into the
stereotype plate with small, fiat-headed
tacks. and so quickly and adroitly is this
important work done that the time con-
sumed from the melting pot to the hands
OF the pressmen varies from one and a half
to two and a half minutes only, depending
upon whether there is ut one or half a
dozen half-tones to be tackled into the
plate"
II have noticed" observed the lady that
the pictures In The Star are wonderfully
clear and distinct. almost like actual pho
tographs. which II seems to me to be re-
markable after hearing from you how rap
idly they are handled. and then to be
printed upon newspaper press"
How the Presses Work.
TT is.' replied her companion, but they
show the progress of the modern daily
newspapers few years ago such results
were impossible OF attainment.
But it is now time for the troubles Of
the pressmen to begin. That plate which
the foreman is now inserting is the last
plato necessary to make up the full COM
plement OF that particular press, and here
comes into use that little piece of string
you noticed earlier in the evening, before
you took a fgurative and brief flight
through The Star establishment.
You will notice that he fits the concave
side of the plate over the convex rounded
cylinder, though you cannot see that from
mere. These plates are screwed into the
steel of the cylinder, and they must be
very tight and secure to withstand its revo-
lutions By placing that little piece OF
string around the outer end of the w
and giving II a dexterous twist, he sends
the long screw with a single movement of
the hand into place, saving thereby the
few seconds of time which II would other
wise take him to turn the screw into place
with wrench. But he has his press
wrench, too, and with this he gives the end
of the screw final and hard turn which
firmly holds the plates into place upon the
cylinder.
Now watch him. His press is now ready
to be started. He goes to the little wheel.
which is the counterpart of the brake on a
railroad car, only smaller, at the end OF
the press nearest us. This he gives at first
a slight turn, and then a few more twists,
and the press takes up its song and cheer
fully performs it's task of turning out
from 10000 to 1900 completed papers an
hour.
From Forest to Breakfast Table.
''Of course. you are observing that the
foremen on the remaining three presses
-.
ner as did the one to whom l directed your
attention. First one starts up, and then
the others. until all four are singing and
working for dear life as If they liked IL.
1t is now shortly after ii o'clock. You
see from now on all Will be hurry, and
the best test of human effort against the
advance of time will go in the press
room until the last form of the Sunday
Star comes down from the composing room
at about 2:30 am. The edition that they
are now running off is part " of the Sum
day paper. which l know you will look
at with peculiar interest tomorrow morn
ing when you find the paper at the break
fast table awaiting you. for In that part
there is much which is of especial interest
to the fair sex.
THE big roll of white paper you observe
on the far end of each of the presses, is
the best of It's kind made, and Ii is manu-
featured In several states, much of il COM
ing from Vermont. The rolls will average
about 1000 pounds each, and about 1000
eight-page papers can be printed from each
roll.
so you see, from the time the wood
leaves the forests of Vermont to be ground
into pulp and afterward made into those
huge white rolls until The Star is placed
upon the breakfast table for Sunday read
ing it is fight oe men against time, with
the odds in favor of the former"