The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-29
House
warming Proves Nov
city to Visitors.
GREAT PRESSES
CATCH MOST EYES
Sing Joyfully Above Music of
Band, While Clatter of Limo
types Fascinates Crowds
That Linger About Mys-
tic Machinery-Revela-
ton to Home Folk.

To the strains Of All orchestra the
whir Of highpower presses aud the
clatter OF type-setting machines, the
magnificent new plant OF The Times
Dispatch was formally opened yester-
day afternoon with public reception.
which attracted about 5000 visitors.
They were given the opportunity OF
seeing the mystic machinery OF tile
daily newspaper grinding out sections
in white and black and colors with in
credible speed
The prospect Of penetrating the Inner
shrine OF newspapcrdom was an out
look that appealed 10 the most sophis-
ticated. Young and old. women and
chldren-ail TO whom acceptance OF
the public invitation was possible
yielded TO curiosity and inspected
the new home OF The Times Dispatch
from basement 10 roof. The readers
OF this newspaper responded to the in
v!tation in the spirit In which ii was
given. and came to the housewarming
to see the wonders promised them.
See How Paper Is Made.
Before they lef, the building they
had seen and examined every step in
the construction or metropolitan
newspa per. from the moment that the
reporter enters the city room with the
notes OF his story. TO the second that
the printed folio odorous OF new paper
and vet stick with ink. drops out from
the NAV Of the whirling presses in
dizzy succession. ready to be laid OH
the breakfast tables of Virginia.
Few there We're who left the build
ing without an inward awe OF the ma
chinery and human ingenuity which
has made possible such miracles of
printing as aro worked daily in the
office of a big newspaper. No visitor
was allowed TO depart without an arm
full OF souvenirs-carnations from the
advertising department, sets of postal
cards showing views of The Times
Dispatch plant from the auditing office
name plates from the linotype ma
chimes and papers fresh from the ro-
taries in the prcssroom.
In anticipation of the festival the
marble halls and cold stone stairs OF
the new skyscraper were almost hid
den behind rows of graceful palms and
green's, while the various rooms on the
first four floors were massed with
flowers. All day Thursday the dccora-
tors were busy covering the symbols
of modern building skill under banks
of foliage. and succeeded in dressing
up the imposing structure as probably
no other skyscraper in the city has
ever been garbcd.
This pastoral effect was heightened
by gifts of immense bouquets of pink
roses. carnations and American Beau
tics from business friends OF The
Times Dispatch, which were sent in
during the day with the compliments
of the OCCASION. Thousands of carna-
tions had been laid in by the manage
ment for distribution to the guests
Later in the evening the bouquets and
carnations rema ming from the reccp-
tion were sent by The Times Dispatch
TO the Shcltering Arms Hospital
rhronE In Pressroom.
The pressroom, among the handsom-
est things of its kind in America.
fought with the celebrated composing
room for the honor OF receiving the
closest attention. There was fasci-
nation about the simple lines of the
tiled and green coated room. with the
Two giants of rotary printing slumber-
ing in the centre OF the concrete floor.
which held the visitors to the press
room even after the sight OF revolving
rolls and whirling cylinders ceased TO
be novelty. Standing in close forma-
tion about tho monster presses, the
visitors watched with rapt attention
the gathering speed of the rollers, the
swelling rumble of cogs as the power
was cut on, until the giant Duplex was
peichins iorth $1,000 papers an hour
with as little friction as we'll oiled
sewing machine.
In the prcssroom the orchestra of
Professor Joseph Kessnich We'd with
The music of the speeding machines.
One corner of the great room had been
screened off by bank OF ferns. palms
and flowers and fro,n behind this fra
grant shelter were waited the ting
ling strains of "On the Mississippi,
That Midnight Train to Alabam'."
Laughing Love" and the latest "trot-
ting" hits. so that the younger bloods
were fain to soothe their spirits in
the steps of those new and naughty
dances on the smooth concrete floor.
only the crowd in the room overflowed
all dancing space.
Running or the Colorr.
The orchestra alternated with the
presses. AS the last strains OF music
lied away. the foreman of the nress
room moved the switch that controlled
The machinery, and the long. glistening
cylinders set off, turning SLOWLY On
he huge sextuple Duplex press was
being printed n twenty -four-page Ex-
pansion Section at the rate Of more
han 1000 a minute, being whlsked off
20 the mailing room as rapidly as they
under the press The
luadruple rotary Duplex press was
up ink and paper and spit
ling out ten-page color sections of
The Sunday morning Times Dispatch at
LII astonishing speed
After bestowing n glance at tl,e mail
ng room---nlmost post Office i'm itself
the inqulsitive crowd flowed quickly
Ip ore flight OF steps to the composing
md stereotyping room. occupying tho
'ntire second floor of the skyscraper,
md regarded as a model, in lighting,
equipment and furniture, of printing
,nices On one side OF the room busy
were setting up adyertis-
ng matter by hand. while from across |
he floor came steady clatter from n !
,attery OF twelve linotype machines in !
ull blast. Smiling stereotypers exhib-
ted the operation of the melting not |
CONTINUED on Third Panel