The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-06

Ida Harris lived with her mother
and brother at the edge Of the bust
ness section Of a large manufacturing
city. She attended the public schools.
but not very regularly, for her mother
was an invalid and Ida often had to
stay home to care for her and do the
Homework. For this reason it took
her two extra years to get through
the grammar grades and when she
was almost seventeen she left school
She wanted to go on to high school,
but she decided that it would not be
quite fair because her BROTH sup
ported the family, and he could not
afford to let her go to high school.
especially when she had to stay home
almost every other day.
She went to a multigraph school
instead, The only explanation she
can give for choosing a multigraph
school was the fact that the girl who
lived next door to her went to one.
She finished the course in about twice
the usual time and started to work
in multigraph department of a large
steel company for twelve dollars a
week. She was very good operator
and liked the work, but it was rather
monotonous and often there were days
at time when she would have little
to do.
By applying herself and working
hard she acquired great speed and in
a year she was the best multigraph
operator in the department. The only
thing which held her back was the
fact that she so often had to stay
home because she could get no one to
stay with her mother. Regardless OF
that fact, however. she was head OF
the multgraphing department at the
end of two years and was earning
twenty-five dollars a week.
Learned to Set Type.
The steel plant where she worked
had a printing department also anC
Ida used to spend all of her spare
time learning how to set type and teeC
a press. Before she was made heaC
of the multigraphing department she
would often help set up differen
forms and if the job were not an i'm
portant one she would pull the proofs
She became very quick and very eX
pert at this in a short time and before
she was given her new position she
had run the whole department alone
one day when the head printer was
i'll and his assistant was away.
After she became neaQ or the multl
graphing department, however, sh
had very little time for anything else
but her little experience with printin!
made her long to take up that work
She remained with the steel cOmpan,
about six years and then she decided
that she would try to get work neare
home, where she could spend NOR
time with her mother. There seemed
70 be nothing for her TO do, and afte
looking about she had just about de
Cided to go back to the steel plan
when she heard OF a printing shop no
many blocks away. She went Their
and applied for job. The shop wa
a small one, and the proprietor die
all Of the work himself, but he needed
an assistant just at that time becaus
he had a large job to get out on shor
notice and so he hired Ida as tenn
pOrary helper.
Ida found the work rather easy an
she could go home at noon. whicl
made it much more pleasant for he
mother. When the first big job wa
finished Ida expected to get her none,
and her dismissal. but more worl
came up and she remained to hell
with that. Then the printer decided