The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-01-06
BY c. W. JENNINGS.

80 ENERALLY speaking, there
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A/T\.N isn't much known about
WlHHl lowers of the craft or those
closely connected with It,,
and the average father, particularly in
a country town, would probably not
consider it with high favor as an &C.
cupation for his son. believing, per-
haps, that about all there Is to it is
setting type and laboriously running
an old-fashioned press at not very
high pay.
However, there is not finer line of
work, nor one with better opportuni-
ties for acquiring a competence and
for advancement among all the lines
of human endeavor. The fact that
printing is one of the most important
departments of modern industry adds
to the opportunities that are open to
the earnest young man.
Like all occupations, to acquire pro-
fciency in printing the applicant must
begin at the bottom and devote sew
eral years to learning it. He has to
start as apprentice.
To get job in the first place, let
your boy Tor yourself) apply to the
foreman of the particular printing es-
tablishment you may select; for the
foreman is the boss of the workroom.
1t is we'll, if you have any choice, to
choose an institution of some standing
which does a large and varied class of
work, as the opportunities for learn
ing will be far better there than in a
little job office of the 'one horse"
variety.
Except in some country towns, SO.
called, the boy has to be registered
with the union as an apprentice right
any expense, as the typographical
union does not charge dues or other
fees until the neophyte has become a
journeylnan. Your boy must be about
sixteen years old, but he need have no
further education than the merest or
binary one.
His pay for the first year will be
about four dollars a week, and the
work eight hours a day, as obtains
generally in printing offices. His
duties for this period will be to get &C.
quainted with the cases (the fiat boxes
divided into compartments containing
tre type) and sorting leads. and to
run errands for workmen, etc.
During the second year his pay will
be two dollars a week higher, and in
this period he will get his first direct
work at the cases, learning to set i'm
prints (the insertion of names, ad-
dresses or other matter into type al
ready set) and small reprint (short
printed matter).
In the third year the pay jumps to
eight dollars weekly. and the duties
show a corresponding growth. BY
this time he will have a pretty good
rudimentary knowledge of the bust
ness, and will be able to acquire pro-
ficiency in setting longer reprints,
and locking up small forms OF type, /.
e., getting them ready for press and
foundry.
Fourth year-his pay is now $40 a
week, and he is almost printer; for
your boy is now setting plain jobs,
from manuscript and doing the ordi-
nary regular work of the journeyman
The fifth year he is senior stu
dent, known colloquially as a two
thirder" (this term refers to the pay,
which is $14 week, or two-thirds that
paid to journeymen), doing practically
everything the regular workmen do
and putting polish on his practical
education.
Then he is full journeyman and
drawing $21 week, and goes into the
union as regular member. The cost
of belonging to the union is. roughly,
$40 to SIS a year, part Of which goes
to the maintenance Of the printers
home at Colorado Springs. Any mem
Der Is admitted to this home when,
through age or disability he is unable
to earn his living, and even is allowed
there during convalescence after sick
ness, and all necessities furnished him
without charge. There is no such
thing as a member ever having to 70
to the poorhouse.
After your boy becomes a Journey
man, the foreman tries him out on
various phases of the work to find If
he has executive ability or a special
aptitude. The first special stunt"
will probably be to give him the entire
work of setting, making up, and pre-
pairing for the foundry of sixteen
page form, with, of course, such help
as he may require. and if he does this
we'll he will find himself before long
handling the most important work CT
the shop. and will then be eligible for
che assistant foremanship.
If an opening should occur, he would
be competent to take this position by
the time he is twenty-three, or seven
years after he started out as appren.
tice; and a couple of years or so later
would be able to take the foreman
ship. The foreman is the actual boss
of the composing room, employing all
the men and laying out the work, etc..
of the journeymen and apprentices.
iFore,uen are paid from $35 to $50 q
week, according to the size Of the e.
Establishment and the city they may be
in. Their assistants receive from SIS
to $40 weekly.
The next step in advance is to be-
come assistant superintendent st $50
TO SIS a week, and then superintend-
i00t. when your boys pay will be from