Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-03-15

SIS paper and watched the
tremendous whirring press
es pulling paper OF an end
less roll so fast that your eye could
scarcely follow it, and delivering at
tne other end of the machine count
less printed and folded newspapers SO
rapidly that the indicators on some Of
the modern electric presses record az
many as 100000 eight-page papers an
hour? Or have you watched one of
the tremendous multi-lithographic
presses that pull out roll similarly
and deliver at the other end colored
pictures that pick up six different col
ors OF ink in passing and come out so
last that no human being could count
them?
And has 1t ever occurred to you then
that here was an occupation for your
boy, that he could start in, without
any more education than the common
est OF common schools could give him,
when he was only sixteen, and learn
all about these innumerable whirling
rollers and cogwheels and other
wheels, and interrelated moving
things. and finally be at the! head of
the multitude of men that stand
around and touch levers now and then
and put in new rolls of paper to take
the place of the exhausted ones, and,
In short. know everything about it all,
and still while he was young man?
Well, your 10y can do this very
thing and. furthermore, he can rise
to a SUPPLEMENTARY Of the biggest
printing establishment in the land,
and, and all based on his humble be-
ginning when he was sixteen. And
when he reaches the top-which ID
within the compass Of your ambi-
tious. energetic son-he will occupy
place quite as high in development
and witha salary that will enable him
to own an automobile If he wishes to,
sooner than If he took job in the
first place that let him wear white
shirt and creased trousers. Get me
say emphatically that the best po-
sitions ip the land are generally won
by men who started In wearing over
alls.) All he needs is the desire, for
q Job is always awaiting an ambitious
boy who is willing to work.
The best opportunities are probably
found in the large printing houses that
get out photographic and job
work. books, and and perhaps print
magazines; for the work is more d.
versified and of larger character, and
there are openings to be filed by men
who have made good.
Your boy applies to the foreman,
and, II there is an opening, he will
start in as an apprentice at about 81
a week. There will be four or I'VE
years OF work ahead of him before he
will reach what he will consider a real
position; but the drudgery will pass in
about year. At first he will keep
things in order around the press. help.
wash the ink OF the rollers when one
Job is finished and prepare them for
the next; but ell this time he. will be
learning the details Of presswork, and
the mysterious machinery will be.
come familiar to him.
Pretty soon, say year or two aft
er he began, If he is bright and ambi.
tious. he will be set to feeding Cor
don press Zone Of the small job press
es that print cards, letterheads. en-
velopes. etc.,, and while doing this
his pay will be gradually increased to-
80 a week. His next advancement
will be feeding pony (small) cylin.
der press. when he will be paid as
high as $12, then larger cylinder
press, receiving $14 weekly; and
finally he will be competent to feed
the largest sheets of paper properly
into one Of the biggest cylinders, at
SIC a week.
At this time, which Is after about
four years Of apprenticeship, he will
be admitted to the labor union as a
full-fedged feeder. The days work
will last for eight hours. After con-
tinuing feeding for several months, he
will attract the attention Of the fore
man by his application and industry.
and will be put on as apprentice
pressman at $18 a week, to equip him
self to operate all kinds Of presses, UNI
til after years training, he will get
a union card announcing that he is a
qualified pressman and entitled to the
full scale Of wages Of $24 week.
Then he will be given direct charge
OF a couple Of cylinder presses. with
the feeders under him.
All this thine he will be reading and
studying everything he can find that
relates to a pressman's duties and con-
sulting with more experienced men;
In short, making himself capable to fill
any position in the department So 1t
will be matter of course that in a
year or 80 more, vacancy occurring,
he will be made assistant foreman. at
$50 weekly. OF course, this is in di.
rect line to the foremanship, the direct
head of the entire press department
of the establishment, who has some
times 100 men and boys under him,
a position that. conditions being IA
vorable, he will reach by the time he
is thirty or soon afterward. AS fore
man he might have charge Of as many
as IL cylinder presses and 20 job
Tho Last Word.
when he found he would have to
pay alimony he Withdrew his suit:
said II he had to support her he might
as well tive with her." Yes, and she
snapped back that he might make up
hia mind that II he was going to live
with her he might just as well support
her."