The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-08
FAMOUS KANSAS PRINTER.
Ed P. Harris of Topeka = Veteran in
His Profession.

The AIonotypit, a New York maya
zine. prints a department concerning
famous printers. In the recent issue
of the magazine Ed P Harris of Crane
& Co. was the subject. The article
follows
There are famous printers in the
ranks OF the workers as we'll as in the
Harris, who, after nearly Seventy -thrse
years OF youth. is still the active head
of the mechanical departments OF
Crane & Co, Topeka, Kan He is per-
haps the oldest man in point OF years
occupying a similar position in this
country; but IL you step out with him
as he takes his morning or evening
walk down Kansas avenue. across tho
bridge and well into North Topeka
round trip Of about four mi1e=yOu
viii PerfOrce admit that age sits lightly
on his brow, for unless you are the ex-
ception you will be winded long be-
fore he turns to the back track In the
office his energy is just as great He
gives his personal supervision TO the
details OF all the work Of a great pub
fishing house. house printing every
thing from q calling card TO a poster
and from pamphlets to school text
books Few printing concerns do
range Of work as wide as that of Crane
* Co; none excel that company in the
general excellence of its product
Mr. Harris was born in Hudson N
h, June II, 1884 At an early age he
entered a printing Office in Lowell
Mass. where he learned the trade In
1854 he went to New York CITY. whore
he worked in various offices for about
two years, the Tribune under Horace
Greeley. having been one of them. In
1888 Mr. Harris took a contract to set
up the Military and Naval Argus Of
New York. for Major John CrawIey.
Its publisher and editor. and did the
work for several months The press
work on the Argus was done by Street
& Smith. who at that time were To-
Gated in Beekman street
Late in 1885 NJ. Harris left New Yorl,
ana won't to Worcester. Mass. where
he worked on the Transcript and tho
spy. In 1856. while on the Spy Mr.
about the outragcs in the territory a
Kansas. where civil war was at tina.
time raging over the question as 10
whether Kansas should be admitted
state Murders. home burninSs. and
all the attendant horrors Of civil war
were Of daily occurrence At last one
day there came q dispatch telling Of
the burning and sacking OF Lawrence
by United States authorities. and when
the gravity of the news dawned on the
Spy printers. Mr.. Harris laid down his
stick with the remark. Fellows. I'm
going 70 Kansas. Cheney. sub for me
while I'm gone''-which Cheney rro-
ceeded to do and Mr.. Harris left for
the west IN company with 81 others.
seven OF whom were printers. Ten years
after that Cheney sent him word that
he was still holding down the cases for
him.
Mr. Harris arrived in Kansas terri
tory August T. 1856, and during the
summer and fall assisted in building
block-houses for the protection of the
settlers when he was not in the saddle
chasing boarder ruffians His included
all the varied experiences incident to
life on the border at that day. Here's
what he says to me. incIozed in marks
OF parenthesis: CThe first money 1 earn
ed IN Kansas territory wasn't at types-
sticking: il was mOwing-making hay.)
Ed Monotypit1
But things took a turn for the better.
and at the close Of 1856 Mr. Harris was