The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-16
A MATTER OF CIRCULATION
How zeb Rudolph Managed to Get Out Paper With the Odds
Against Him
by CHARLES H. MANDY

linotype machine he might have been
able to get along all right. but he had
to rely on the old-time hand compos-
itor.
As is the condition today. it was a
hard proposition to get capable men in
town of the size of Hayneville, and
the youthful editor had to be always
on the lookout for printers. 1t would
oftentime happen that the man at
the composing stick would blow the
town on the eve of tho publication
of the paper. He had many expert
ences with the typos and is not adj
verse to relating them to his friends
when the occasion presents itself, and
II goes without saying he looks back
TO those days with a gread deal of
pleasure and freely admits the benefit
he derived from his many experiences
one incident that Zebulon 4. relates
with a deal of gusto gtands out pre-
eminent among the many others and
he vouches for its absolute truth. 1t
deals with tramp printer that Zeb
had hired to fill an unexpected vacancy.
When 1t came to doing the work the
man was almost a genius and knew
the printing game from start to fin
ish. He could set more type and put
up more attractive ad than any of
his predecessors, and Zeb congratulated
himself on his find. The typo had
worked in almost every state in the
union and in addition to setting up
the articles enamating from the fertile
brain of zebulon T., could push the
pencil himself and in the course of his
employment cohtributedS many n bril-
liant article to the weekly wonder.
But it soon developed that like many
more of his kind land they are not
confined to the printers by any meansl
he loved his toddy, and, getting next
to convenient source of supply, would
get on a toot once in while, but
would generally manage to get his
copy set up for the current issue of
the paper On one occasion the ed
itor had to take a business trip to
Montgomery and was absent several
days. He left plenty of copy for the
typo .and put him in charge of the
office.
zeb concluded his business in the
capital city and got back to Hayne-
Vile on the night previous to the date
of issue of his paper and, of course,
expected to find everything all Q. ~.
and ready for the press. Going to his
office the first thing he noticed was
the, absence of any lights or signs of
activity. He opened the door and To
his dismay and disgust he saw the
typo laid out on the stone wrapped
in a Bacchanalian slumber, and not a
man by the shoulder and raised him
to his feet. lie saw the man was glor-
iously intoxicated and that che pos
sibilities of getting out the paper were
very slim.
what do you mean by getting drunk
at this time?" angrily asked the ed
itor
"Thash all rightsh, ole fel-hic-low,
whatsh er natter"
Matter enough, here it is the night
before the issue of the paper and not
line set up; you can consider your
self fired"
IF thash the way you-hic--thin11
about it, Tll--hic-quit."
"And furthermore. I'll publish you
and the way you have laid down on
your job to the fullest extent I'll write
you up editorially."
The typo gazed at his boss for fully
a minute, then slowly said:
"You will publish me-hic-an' write
me up editorially, will you? Well, I
just want to say this much-hic--r
don't give a continental hoorah about
your .Write-up. Why, doggone YOU can
walk outside of the zone of your cir
culation in less than 45 minutes, an
--hic=-not half try az
The answer struck zeb as being
much TO the point and he gTasped the
humor of the situation He stepped
outside of the office and thougnt the
situation over Then, with the quick
ness that Is one of his distinguishing
characteristics he went back to the
office and. addressing the unsteady
typo, said:
'.Now. look here / have got to get
that paper out tomorrow and further
more | am going to do 1t. You get
busy and set up that type, for | have
this to say il that paper Is not pub
lished in the morning. will give you
the darnest licking you ever got in
your life
The typo chuclSled and getting on
his feet, said:
s'Now your tallSin. / Amt afraid of
YOU or yonr licking. but to show |
appreciate a sport here goes" and he
went to the type case and by morning
had the copy all set up, and the pa
per was issued on time. Zeb says 1t
was one of the best issues he ever
got out.