The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-05-01
The Personality Of Printers.

Have YOU ever considered the
personality of printers? Do you
lnow anything about printers?
E you don't know anything
about this most useful body of
men the loss is a distinct one to
YOU. We've known and number
ed 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.d date man in the social body
The lawyer may be learned in
the law, the doctor may stand
high in his profession, the minis
ter may be a very walking ency-
clopedia of theological lore, the
merchant may be keen and alert
at his business, but few OF them
enjoy the broad general educa;
ton of the average printer; and
fewer of them can touch him In
the matter of essential compost
ton.
The st. Louis Globe. Democrat
some time ago published a news
item. the substance (which was
to the effect that among the loo
inmates in Joliet prison there is
not one printer. We have often
seen it stated that this is gener-
ally true of all places. Of penal
seryitude. Why is this so? We.
90 not know, unless it is. because
the printer sees every day the
story of crime and the inevitable
failure of the criminal. He be-
so familiar withthe seamy
side of the fabric of life that he
instinctively avoids connection
the weavers of the threads
Of crime. We can't explain it In
any other way. He is a man,
all a mans passions, hopes,
Dreams, but he is seldom a GRIM
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 insoIent. He was self
confident. He knew that he
could do the work: and what a
mass of varied work he used to
dol If the editor happened to bel
"indisposed,' that fact did not
discomfort the printer he got
out the paper. He wrote ads
He set the type, made up the
and ran the edition Oft,
perhaps put out the mall.
Sometimes it CHANGED that the
printer, being human, became
disgusted, got a fit of the blues :
70 matter what the excuse--and
went on a 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 printer
was a wonder to the average
mediocre citizen Pity the man
who tackled him for an argument
or a discussion! Our printer al
ways was loaded. He's loaded
yet. He's just about the smart
est man we know. He may be
a trife cynical, bat who shall
blame him. It's a rare editor
who is not afflicted with the
same complaint. The printe,
sees daily the story of human
life, which, in its essentials, i:
eternally the same. He Discovers
its pettiness; he learns and re
J cords its achievements; bat he Ii
a clear Drained pessimist. You'v'
!got to show him; and it ism
very often that you can SHOW
!, him anything. He is a manipu
I lator of the keys of being as we
. as the manipulation of the key
t of his machine or the types i
the cases.
The printer is honest; he is in
dependent; sometimes he is sas
sy; but he is able to back it III
He not only knows his p's an
q's, but all the rest of the alpha
bet; yea, he knows it from Alph
to Omega, or from Beersheba III
to Dan-or damn, if you preft
: it that way. Anyhow, he know
what he knows, and we like bin
S If the world only knew all tn;
s the printer knows about I'll
: world it is likely the world wou.
e not embarrass him with caresse