The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-12-10
WANDERING "TYPOS."

Printers are, perhaps, more given to the
wandering habit than any other craftsmen.
Why, is question most of them cannot
answer. They will quit paying "sit, -
and trust to chance, to be repeated again
and again, making circuit Of the print
shops throughout the country with regular
irregularity, dependent upon the "few
days work" they may strike.
Fred Fink is a type of this class. He
is above the average of country printer
in the cart preservative," and does not
care for plain newspaper composition
unless it is a matter of pressing necessity.
His line is ''setting" advertisements, and
he displays much skill and taste in this
special department. 1t is not every printer
who can ''set" an "ad." in an attractive
and tasteful manner, and this is what
catches the readers eye, as much as the
reading matter. An lad man" receives
more wages thanone who 'sets' straight"
reading matter, and this enables him to
travel further. He averages S25 or $50 a
week-when he gets the job.
Fred Fink makes speciality Of this
line. He has travelled in every section OF
the country-North and South, and from
the Gulf to the Pacific. Though his stay
in each office is short, he can readily re-
call the titles of the papers he has "worked
on their proprietors, and some of the
s.prints'' that he met in each. He also
easily recalls the numbers of some of the
trains on which he travelled, especially
those where his "union card" was hon.
ored, after his last weeks salary was ex-
hausted. Fink is otherwise observant He
describes some of the picturesque sections
of country he visited and is an interesting
talker, to one who has likewise visited
those sections, and met the same people.
Wherever there is Fair, or Exposition,
Fink heads for that town. If he hasn't the
railroad fare his union card aids him, and
in rare instances where it is not recognize
ed, he walks. He has little difficulty in
finding a job for a few days or week in
such towns. and that's as long as he wants
to work-in one place. Sometimes he
strikes bad luck, as in Lake Charles re-
cently--the suspension of one of the daily
papers put him at the bottom of the swat
ing line" He then went to Shreveport,
and, struck it fat" during the Fair. He
made S24 in one week. He arrived in
Benton on the Sunday following pay day
with thirty cents and on very light break
fast. We did not ask how he came, as ii
was long after the arrival of the train that
he showed up in the Banner office. He
had been here before, and called our name.
He had merely stopped, he said, being on
his way to Arkansas, where he thought he
could strike "a few days" on some of the
papers, during the holiday advertising sea-
son. He incidently asked if we had any
special edition ads. to set, but did not ap-
pear disheartened, as he felt sure that he
would strike it in Arkansas. He knew oil
three offices that were each good for three
or four days. We bade him goodbye, ano
good luck, as he left the office, headed to.
ward Arkansas.
Fink is rather small in size, about thirty.
five years of age, but has the experience
of one of sixty. He is mild in manner
takes life philosophically, and his home il
wherever he may happen to be that day
Having traversed the United States, ano
experienced the ups and downs (and more
downs than ups) he still continues his
wandering life. Ever restless, and evel
going, the habit of wandering seems tt
impel him onward, with no aim in life, onl,
to travel from place to place.
We expect visit from Erred" again il
few months, on his return Southwark
In the meantime, we hope that he ha'
struck ''fat Sit" and will stick to it.