Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-10-01
MANY TONS OF WHITE PAPER
Some Interesting Facts About the Bis
kk-sar- Fen Number.
WORK AND MATERIAL USED BY THE BEL
Splendid Index Of the Advance Omaha
Has Made within Year
Afforded by the Great
Iaaue.


The Bees big Ak-sar-Ben number. while
interesting as demonstrating in a most
forcible manner the forward strides Omaha
has taken In the last twelve months,
brings out some surprising facts incident to
the making OF a great newspaper as to
the amount Of material and labor which
enters into its makeup. incidentally 1t
proves beyond question that the business
men OF Omaha regard The Bee not alone
a newspaper of the highest standard, but
an advertising medium without an equal
Assuming It possible for one man to
comprehend and intelligently discuss the
hundreds Of different phases and stories
which make up the news columns of The
Bees Ak-Sar-Ben number. writing con-
tinuously day and night without inter-
mission for sleep or meals, at an average
speed OF forty words each minute, it
would take him over eighty-seven days to
put the copy on paper. Had he worked but
eight hours per day It would have been
necessary for him to have started the work
eight months ago in order to complete his
copy in time for this edition.
some Mechanicar Facts.
With the improved linotype machines in
use in The Bees composing room it would
have required a fairly rapid operator. work
ing eight hours per day, over eighty-four
days, or nearly three months to set the
news matter alone.
1t took SOL hours to set the display adver-
tising for this number Had this work been
performed by one man working eight hours
per day. IL would have taken him sixty-nine
days to do the work. When 1t is remem-
bered that all of this work was done in
less than two weeks, and without inter
rupting the publication of the paper daily,
fairly comprehensive idea is conveyed
of the number OF men required to get out
paper of this size.
After the matter is set and proofs read
the type is locked In a form and sent to
the stereotype department Here a papier-
mache matrix Is made and from this matrlx
plates are cast, each Weighing approx
mately twenty-five pounds. An average
of two plates are cast for each page. AS
there were seventy-two pages in this num-
ber, not including the four pages in color
1t is easy to see that nearly four thousand
pounds of stereotype metal was required
for this issue.
The width of The Bee as you open It,
showing two pages, is thirty-flve inches
IL all the pages OF the Ak-Sar-Ben edition
were laid side by side in a continuous
line they would cover a distance OF 81
miles or would make a streamer two fee
wide reaching from Omaha to ChicagC
and have over no miles to spare.
You have often seen heavy trucks haul
ing immense rolls of paper TO The Be,
building. These rolls OF paper are sevent,
inches long and thirty-five inches in diane
ter. II all the rolls OF paper used In tn,
I tAk-Sar-Ben edition were set on end, on
| above the other. they would reach a i1eigh
equivalent to the combined height of tn
post office and The Bee building, or the,
would make two immense pillars neari,
three feet in diameter as high as The Be
building.
Over 800 pounds Of black ink was require,
for this number and over $4,000 pounds o
paper.
Advertising Statistics.
Over 5000 inches OF space was require,
for the total advertising If laid column
upon column they would make continuou
band of metal two and one-half inche
wide extending the length of nearly tw
blocks
Perhaps no better Illustration can b
found than a comparison of The Bees AK
Sar-Ben number OF 1906 with that Of 1sOi
The total amount OF display advertisn
September 30. 1906. The Bee published So:
inches being gain OF over 1000 inche,
In 1905 The Bees Ak-sar-Ben number con
talned but forty-eight pages; in 1906 1t re
quired close figuring to keep the numbe
of pages down to seventy-six.
The edition was divided into eight part
requiring a large force OF mailers an
carriers to properly assemble, and over q
carriers and assistants for its delivery
the city OF Omaha alone II is matte
of pride on the part of The Bee to kno,
that the paper was delivered on regula
time, and fewer complaints were receive
than on ordinary editions.
The number of advertisers and III
amount of space used by each shows
material Increase over the edition of twely
months ago The 1905 Ak-Sar- Ben numb,
contained but four full page advertisement
against seven full pages this year, ar
only five half-page advertisements again
nineteen this year II is also worthy
: note that this edition contained the large
amount Of space ever used In a sing
D paper by an Omaha advertiser the lar,
: department store of Bennett using almo
three full pages.
4 showing the Growth.
The growth OF omaha's department stor
as told in The Bees advertising column
Is interesting. The following table shoy
the amount of space in inches used eas
yeaE
1906. 1906
e Bennett ................16l inches 40 inch
> Brandeis ...........,..1O inches 300 inch
1 Hayden ................1s2 inches 81 inch
Z Five banks whose statements appear
= each edition show a gain in deposits oy
. 1906 of nearly 100000.
$ The growth OF Omaha is reflected in L
: columns OF The Bee. her representatf
newspaper. Omaha will continue to gro
The enthusiasm and loyalty OF her busine
\ men assure a conservative growth and It
. Omaha Bee, aO in the past will be fo,ir