The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-18
Newspapers, Hurried to Press,
Can't Avoid Errors.
Florence kimbaII Brown Tells
of Proof Readers Life.
TINE is FIRST NATCHNORD
More GIaring Mistakes Must Be
Marked Out.
Readers O9Iy See Calm That
Follows the Storm.

TEDITOR'S NOTE-The State Journal
rcprOduces below. in part, paper read
by Mrs Florence kImball Brown be-
fore the Rota club Wednesday evening.
"rhe Romauce of Proof Header is
the title. Mrs. Brown has been at the
head of the State Journal proof read
ing department for many years 1t Is
with pleasure The State Journal here
by Introduces her to the public-the
public that has been thwarted from
witnessing many agoliies OF typo
graphical errors and many amusing
yet heart breaking, mistakes. Mrs
Brown has saved scores Of enIbarrass
ing situations for the editorial depart
ment Of The State Journal desp1e
her assertion that she is simply Il ma,
chine hunting for mechanical bulls
The editorial department hereby bows
in acknowledgement to Mrs; Browns
most capable and cooperative assist
uuce.
BY FLORENCE KIMBALL BROWN.
The members of the program COM
mittee that gave me the subject, "to-
nance of a Proof Reader" 10 write
about are idealists and Missionaries
They did noe realize there is no Ro-
nance in a proof readers life-that
it is all drab, gray, material! But
blame them not: one spends her time
with ferns and flowers; one lives
meath forest trees that shade bit of
natures heart; another has to do with
gold and bonds that are the Aladdin
lamp of the modern world, and the
fourth has the pictured glamour of
line and color for her environment
romance all!
But not so with the proof reader.
whose fertilization is a Webster un-
abridged, and whose weapon is lead
pencil. For eight hours every day she
is informed within four walls. Her
work bench is a table built for utility.
and her seat is no cushioned chair.
The soft and easy things of life are
not for her.
1t follows, therefore, however sweet
may have been the natural DISPOSE
ton of the proof reader.-as the years
roll on and she be conscientious in
her work of searching the errors made
by types and linotypes and masculine
types, her nature runs the risk OF
warp and change, and the result Is
shown In the patient endurance OF
long suffering husband.
1t is not the proof readers pleasure
to see the beauties of composition, to
visualize the description of word
painter or poet. She is there to find
the faults in the work which passes
over her desk, and so. logically. fault
finding has become a habit with me
At the beginning.
At the beginning of my work, ]
took my position very seriously. l
bility. l aspired to reform the world
my world. the Topeka State Jour
nall 1 not only read the proofs for
typographical errors. but 1 scanned
each line of the copy and sought to
make editorial Improvement Then IT
was explained to me. by those who sat
in thes seats of the mighty, that @ny
province was not creative. but correc-
tive. l was to see that the proof was
like the copy, but not to change the
child of the reporters brain! l was
to read for errors. not for sense.
For instance. when reporter writes
a story With this sentence in it: "Mr
Sykes has been married so years, and
his war stories are well worth listen
ing to- I must pass it on as the re-
porter wrote it!
Or when another news writer in
a report of the pure breds at the state
fair said that the governor was on his
way to head the procession of live
stock However, this might have been
considered a typographical bull.
An advertising solicitor brought in
a for sale ad of n physical culture
institute. and the reason given for
selling was i'll health.
A reporter handed in a story last
week. saying that a medical examiner
tried to get a post-mortem statement
from a woman. but she could not be
persuaded to give one,
Blamed for the Weather.
of course this weird style Of COM
position often gets the writers in
trouble with the city editor. but as
only the proof reader is held RESPONSE
BILE by the unsophisticated public. the
real criminal escapes Why. I have
been criticized because Mr.. Flora's
forecast failed in correctly foretelling
the next days weather! Do you Won
der that proof readers become a NOR
bid lot2 Allowed to think of nothing
in particular. their minds invariably
turn to the most depressing themes.
When the proof reader detects in
consistent and erroneous statements
obviously made by the writer thru
lapse of the memory or a slip of the
pencil. it is her duty to -cerrect-if
she be absolutely sure of her correc-