Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-04
SEPARATE PRINTING BRANCHES
DEPARTMENT OFFICES UNDER
THE PUBLIC PRINTER.
Oldest in Service at Department Of
Agriculture-Chara of
Work at Each.

ing offices maintained for the convenience
of various departments is directly under
the public printer. though the branches
are Independent in regard to the charac-
ter of the work.
The Department of Agriculture Office is
the dean of the outside service. and is
under the charge of David ]. Roberts,
for many years a foreman at the main
office. Its establishment in June, 1878.
was brought about by reason of the large
number of small jobs requiring immedi-
ate attention, and the same condition ex-
lists today. Envelopes. letter and note
heads, cards, franks. monthly and other
lists and blank forms each total over a
million per year, and the total number OF
copies will run near 25,0OO,OO0 for the
same period.
The rush work OF the department is IL
Illustrated in two sets of monthly crop
cards. The copy for these cards is turned
over to the foreman at II O'Clock each
day and one set of 5000 is delivered in
side of four hours. The other set. OF
"a 900. is finished in an hour and quar-
ter. The fastest handled job press In
the government service is in use at the
Agricultural branch. record of 2o5OO
envelopes in six and three-Quarters hours
gives ar average of over 5000 actual i'm
pressions per hour.
Twelve Divisions Here.
The State Department branch is located
in the State, War and Navy building.
Since July 1. 1886, the mysteries of
state have here been perpetuated in cold
type. Albert Cottle, the foreman. has
during his life been thoroughly schooled
in diplomatic and state routine, and is in
his element among the intricacies of the
position.
Twelve distinct divisions and bureaus
furnish copy for the state branch, while
expert bookbinders are occupied in re-
facilitating musty tones and covering
proclamations and executive orders of the
President and parchment copies of all
laws passed by Congress-
War and Navy Branches.
The War Department branch became a
part of the government printing office Au-
gust 8, 1891, by a consolidation Of small
Offices maintained by the surgeon general.
ordnance department., adjutant general
and the Corps of Engineers. William T.
Hastings has been in charge for number
Of years. with an average force of about
twenty skilled workers The most impor-
tant matters handled daily are special
and general orders from the adjutant gen.
erals office, which are always in great
rush. and take precedence over other
work.
In the navy branch printing office refer
ence is frequently made to the copy while
in the hands of the printers by clerks
from different divisions and bureaus.
Charles 3. Buchanan, Chicago graduate
of the topographic art, Is assisted by a
force of about thirty workers. A large
amount of miscellaneous printing is rep
resented in the navy's daily routine. while
much of it can be represented as hurried
job work.
In All Languages.
Practically all the dominant languages
of the globe are printed on catalogue
cards at the Library of Congress branch
office. in charge of William H. Fisher,
who for years officiated as a division
foreman at the main Office. The compo-
sition is machine work with the exception
of cards printed in Russian, Greek, Yid-
dish, Hebrew and Gaelic, and it is rarely
that the proofreaders are compelled to
refer to foreign" readers, few en-
ployes being capable Of translating every
common tongue.
A serious check on the output is due
to the fact that some of the index-card
copy has been SO frequently edited in
the dim past that the printers have diff
Guilty In deciphering it. Interlineations.
transpositions Of entries. erasures and
additions in many different handwritings
and inks would drive an average printer
man to despair, 1t is said.
In Unique Position.
John C. Proctor, foreman of the Ma
tional Museum branch. holds the most
peculiar position under the public printer.
He is by turns foreman, compositor.
proofreader, maker-up. imposer, press
man pressfeeder. papercutter and book
binder; in fact, 1t Is a one-man shop. The
work consists chiefly of labels, blanks,
miscellaneous forms and sample sheets
for larger jobs sent to the main Office.
\ distinctive class IS type specimen la
bells" the Ink and paper used being nee
essarily of such character as to withstand
the action of alcohol, formaldehyde and
other chemicals used by naturalists IN
preserving specimens.