Denver labor bulletin., 1918-02-09
PIONEER PRINTERS IN SIXTH ANNUAL
ROUND UP BANQUET AT A REAL FEAST
Men Who Followed Horace Greeleys Advice Came West
Grow UP With the Country Commemorate the Printer
Birthday With Oratory Music, "reminiscences
Amid Atmosphere of Congenaity

culiar genus homo. 1t is indeed de.
| batable whether the material gain Il
society thru the introduction Of type,
setting machinery has not been il
some measure offset by its loss OF
this perambulating disseminator OF
worldly wisdom. AS those Of you who
are printers know, during the good
old hand days on the newspapers
much of the printers time was taken
up by distribution of type-an opera
tion which in time became almost
mechanical and which usually took uu
the entire afternoon. 1t was while
engaged in this work that the printer
man gave full sway to his fancy in
the discussion of the problems of the
| day. The printshop was his college
/ his forum, and many of those who
made their mark in the world Of let
! ters, in oratory, journalism, and even
craftsmanship, had hardly any train
| ing as TO scholarship other than that
afforded by these everyday, free-for-
all discussions. 1t was largely thru
these discussions that the desire for
wider knowledge was awakened.
The Fount of Know ledge.
THE late Senator Paterson, an
other departed member f this So
ciety, once said that the first and best
step on the way to his success in life
was his induction to a country print
ing Office, where he wrought as ap-
prentice, journeyman and reporter,
and by whose instrumentality a prac-
tical, and later a classical education
was made possible. The man whose
natal day we observe this evening
Horace Greeley-printer, educator,
statesman, gifted with bright mind,
clean mind, owed much Of his sue
cess to the influence of the priutshop
in ms early life, as so many others
who did their mans share in the
building Of this great nation and in
the development Of its literature
Benjamin Franklin. Simon Cameron.
Amos Cummings, Walt Whitman. Ed
gar Allen Poe, Joe NguI Mark
Twain, Artemus Ward an scores Of
others.
Greeley Started Right
Horace Greeley was the first pres
ident Of New York Biographical
Union No. 6, an organizar0u called
into being largely thru mis- efforts
A story is told of him 90 the effect
that at one time, when Greeley was
editor of the New York Tribune. a
young lad applied to him for a posi-
ton as compositor. In those days
letters of recommendatioH were con-
sidered quite proper to secure en-
ployment, and the young man accord
ingly presented letter OF recommen-
dation from the governor Il his state
Mr.. Greeley read the Litter atten-
lively, then remarked, Young man,
your letter of Recommendation may
open TO you many avenues to oppor-
tunity, but if you desire to compete
with the printers on my paper, you
need quite different letter of intro
duction-a union card. shall be
pleased to sign your application And
No 6 enrolled another member.
Better Quick Death.
'Greeley's manuscript was the bane
of the printer man and the subject of
many an animated discussion over the
flowing bowl after 80 was in. One
day during the war the foreman of
the composing room complained to
Greeley that three more printers had
enlisted in the army that morning.
All replied Greeley, a wave Of pa
triotism. | suppose Well, perhaps
that's one way to put it, but they say
they would rather be shot than set any
more of your copy
How Hunter Lost Job.
Another yarn. for the truth of
which, however, | do not vouCh, con-
Germs our toastmaster Back some
where about SO. according to my in
formant, Mr.. Hunter held sit on
The Tribune as pro0freader, and at
that time Mr.. Greeley. IN one of his
heavy editorials, made use of the IA
miliar quotation from the Common
Book of Prayer. We shall all be
changed in the twinklng of an eye
The compositor did the best he could
and got the sentence right with the
exception of one letter He left off
the C. in changed making the SEN
tence read, And we shall all be hanged
in the twinkling of an eye The in
telligent proofreader, Of course. knew
no better and let the error pass. Mr..
Hunter has not read proof since.
The old time printer of the good
old hand days, We regret the passing
away of this care-free and withal gen
erous pioneer in our calling. In truth
may it be said that with him has also
passed the romance from the printing
office"