The border vidette., 1914-05-16
PERSONALITY OF PRINTERS.

If you don't know anything | about this most useful body of
 men, the loss is a distinct one
 to you. We've known and num- bered, among our friends for
 many years members of this
 craft of crafts. We have been
 proud of that friendship and
 honored by it. The printer, is
 the brightest, most capable,
 most intellectually up to date
 man in the social body. The
 lawyer may be learned in the
 law, the doctor may stand high
 in his profession. the minister
 may be a very walking encyclo-
 pedia of theological lore, the
 merchant may be keen and alert
 at his business, but few of them enjoy the broad general educa- tion of the.average printer; and fewer of them can touch him in the matter of essential English composition.
 The St. Louis Globe Democrat some time ago published news item, the substance of which was to the effect that among the 1900 inmates in Joliet prison there is not one printer. We have often seen it stated that this Is generally true of all places of penal servitude. Why is this SO! We do not know, unless it is because the printer sees every day the story of crime and the inevitable failure of the criminal. He becomes co familiar with the seamy side of the fabric of life that he instinc- lively avoids connection with crime. We can't explain it any other way. He is man, with all a mans passions, hopes, dreams; but he is seldom a crim- inal.
 We all remember the old type printer, the man who lorded it before the days of the linotype. He usually owned the office He was not insolent. He was self confident. He knew that he could do the work; and what a mass of varied work he used to do! If the editor happened to be 'indisposed, that fact did not disconcert the printer-he got out the paper. He wrote ads. He set the type, made up the forms, and ran the edition off, perhaps put out the mail.
 Sometimes it chanced that the printer, being human. became diSgusted, got fit of the blues no matter what the excuse and went on tear. Those old time printers were great tearers. Then the editor was in trouble for sure. The spree might last many days; usually it lasted as long as the money held out; then a few days in which to recuper- ate, and our printer was back on the job.
 During these lapses our print CT was a wonder to the average mediocre citizen. Pity the man who tackled him for an argu- ment or discussion! Our print CT always was loaded. He's loaded yet. He's just about the man we know. He may be a trifle cynical, but who shall blame him? It's a rare l editor who is not afflicted with | the same complaint. The print | CT sees daily the story of human life, which, in it's essentials, is the same. He dis covers it's pittiness; he learns and records it's achievements: but he is a clear brained pessi- mist. You've got to show him; and it isn't very often that you can show him anything. He is manipulator of the keys of being as we'll as the manipulator of the keys of his machine or the types in the cases.
 The printer is honest; he is independent; sometimes he is but he is able to back it up. He not only knows his p's and q's, but all the rest of the yea, he knows it from Alpha to Omega, or from Beer sheba unto Dan-or damn, if you prefer it that way. Any how, he knows what he knows, and we like him. If the world only knew all that the printer knows about the world it is like " thu world would not embar-