Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-02


rule in his right hand, commenced to tumble
in the boxes with his left hand.
A loud laugh went up from some of the
printers; but others looked gravely on, sus-
pecting that everything was not lust as it
appeared.
After rummaging about for a moment as
though totally at loss, and while the
merrlment was at its height, Rocky trans
ferred the stick to his left hand. Strengthened
the copy out before him upon the upper
case, and began picking up the type with
rapid clocklike motion.
At this moment a stern faced man came
up the alley way speaking sharply:
What's all this racket about?"
Nothing, Mr.. Rand, said Rocky, COM
posedly, in his natural tones. without for
an instant ceasing his steady click. click of
the type; only | thought / would like to
come back to work, and it rather amuses
the boys"
''It's Rocky Mountain' burst from more
than dozen pair OF lips, as the men crowd.
ed around to shake hands with their old
comrade, with some of whom he had la
bored on the Pacific Coast.
The foreman laughed with the rest
"Al right, RockyP' he said Pm glad
to see you"
And is this youngster comp. in dis
guise? asked one of the men, pointing to
Rob- who stood i'll at ease, seeming to have
just realized his uncouth appearance
the wilds of Maine. But I'm going to make
something out of him."
The thin face of the boy flushed under
their scrutiny.
is this the way they look in their wild
slater! asked another of the men regard
in Rob's long hair, loose homespun cloth
ing and strange as foot covering with mingled
OF them in the iungles of MaineT
Please let up on that, boys" said Rocky,
graYely. The boy is alone and friendless,
except for me, and you are hurting his feel
To divert Rob's mind, Rocky showed him
about the office; pointed out how each
letter had its own box in the case; showed
him how the type was placed in the stick,
then, emptied on the brass galleys. each of
which would hold column of the paper:
how the galleys containing type were placed
upon proof press, the surface of the type
linked with a soft roller made of molasses
and glue strip of white paper laid upon
the type, and then heavy iron roller passed
over it, leaving a clear impression upon the
paper, called a proof which was read over
carefully to detect the errors made in setting
up the type.
us this the way papers are printed?" ASK
ed Rob, after watching a boy but little
larger than himself take a number of proofs
mo, indeed" replied Rocky, when the
boy laughed as he drew ANOTHER proof from
the surface of the type. This would be a
rather primitive mode of printing an edition
of fifty or sixty thousand a day. After the
type has been proved and corrected on these
Gaeys, it is put into the forms, each one
containing page of the paper; the surface is
smoothed with mallet and planer or wood
CT block, and then they are sent down on an
elevator to a room where they are stereo-
typed. Then the stereotyped forms placed
upon presses capable of printing twenty five
or thirty thousand an hour, and the type is
sent back here for distributions so that~the
papers are not printed directly from the
type, but from molds made of type metal"
Rob's interest was aroused.
81 should like to see all this done" he
said forgetting entirely his former annoy
ance at the remarks of the men and boys.
"I'll take you in some afternoon and let you
see them stereotype and print" said Rocky.
Perhaps ] will today"
AS he smoke the door opened and the man
called Joe, who had accosted him and re-
ceived such summary treatment in the saloon,
entered.
''What made you so late: Joe?" asked the
foreman, as the man walked toward the cases
where the compositors were at work
II got injured" answered the man, rubbing
his shoulder. "A rough attacked me and
nearly stove my ribs in"
Then his eyes CHANGED to fall upon Rocky.
''There he is now! That's the MANI" he
said; -, , p If,
You've heard of him-haven't you" replied
tbe foreman. "You must be mistaken"
81 guess am; but can't work said Joe.
Us there sub in the houseY,
Gan gone out" answered the boy at the
"bank"-the place where type is emptied on
the galleys-"all except Rocky. Ask him."
Joe advanced to where Rocky stood.
"Keep this thing dark, he said, in low
tone, dand work for me- Go on slug thir-
teen"
ssAll right" rejoned Rocky.
And Joe went out of the door again.
1fYou can find your way over to Mrs. Ship
ton's~can't YOU, Rob?' asked Rocky, as
l., ,,roy,arad IN commence work.
ii think So" said Rob. 'I'll try"
Rocky gave him plain directions as to
Of the office down the corkscrew stairs, and
The long, straight flights, and then the bus
tie and noise of Washington street burst upon
him.