The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1911-03-09

X basement of big building
NINA belonging to great news
| Slg paper and watched the
~ tremendous whirring press
~ es pulling paper off an end
less roll SO fast that your eye could
scarcely follow it, and delivering at
the other end of the machine count
less printed and folded newspapers so
rapidly that the indicators on some of
the modern electric presses record as
many as 100000 eight-page papers an
hour? Or have you watched one Of
the tremendous multi-lithographic
presses that pull out a 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
fast that no human being could count
them?
And has it 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 a young man?
Well, your boy can do this very
thing and, Furthermore, he can rise
to 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 is
within the compass Of your ambi-
tious, energetic son-he will occupy
place quite as high in development
and with salary that will enable him
to own an automobile if he wishes to-,
sooner than if he took a job in the
first place that let him wear a white
shirt and creased trousers. Let me
say emphaticallg that the best po-
sitions in the land are generally won
by men who started in wearing over
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 di-
versified and of larger character, and
to ho nv
who have made good.
Your boy applies to the foreman
and, if there is an opening, he will
start in as an apprentice at about 81
O. week. There will be four or five
! years of work ahead of him before he
} will reach what he will consider real
i. position; but the drudgery will pass in
. about year. At first he will keel
. things in order around the press, hell
wash the ink off the rollers when one
| Job is finished and prepare them fol
the next; but all this time he will be
learning the details of presswork, ant
I 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 thi
:. his pay will be gradually increased t.
50 a week. His next advancement
will be feeding pony (smalD cylin
! der press, when he will be paid a
high as $12, then larger cylinde
. press, receiving $14 weekly; ant
finally he will be competent to fee
the largest sheets of paper properl,
r into one of the biggest cylinders. a
SIG a week.
? At this time, which is after abou
I four years of apprenticeship, he will
. be admitted to the labor union as
/ full-hedged feeder. The days worl
: will last for eight hours. After cor
I tinuing feeding for several months, h
will attract the attention of the fore
man by his application and industry
y and will be put on as apprentic
7 pressman at $1S week, to equip him
self to operate all kinds of presses, ur
til after a years training, he will &c
!, a union card announcing that he is
t qualified pressman and entitled to tn
d full scale of wages of $24 weel
!. Then he will be given direct charg
/. OF a couple of cylinder presses. wit
y the feeders under him.
All this thine he will be reading an
studying everything he can find tha
relates to q pressman's duties and Col