The Hayti herald., 1921-03-24


and retiring manner promptly start
ed the compositors to guying him.
WHO is slug three?" who's the
Dutchman that sets this take?"
What blacksmith shop was Slug
Three raised in?" and similar cutting
remarks for Texas Jacks edification
were freely banded about.
The Southerner, however, paid
no attention to these thrusts. He
kept right on sticking type. BY andI
by it became evident that the strang-
er was far from being the country
man he looked. for he "emptied in"
with amazing frequency, and his
proof showed no errors.
In the morning it developed that
"Texos Jack" had outstripped the old
guard He had set string of H.
900 ems, a record never touched, for
the time consumed, except by the
exceptional swift" Pocketing his
big earnings, the travelling printer
gave farewell salute to the peerers
of the night before. Good day,
gentlemen. he said politely, with a
courtly bow, and graceful wave of
the sombero, as he smilingly with
drew.
The second class of printers were
those who took up printing because
it was a good trade and regarded as
on higher plane than some others.
Most of the members of this class
had aspirations common to all re-
spectacle craftsmen: they hoped to
own their own shops in time, and
they planned and saved to that end.
They were honest and reliable work
men, and few of this type still turn
to printing today, but their number,
too. is constantly diminishing. The
printing business, as a rule, is not
conducive to getting rich quick, and
more attractive and better paying
opportunities in other trades, as well
as changes in the trade itself, have
much decreased the number of this
class of recruits. Farsighted employ
ing printers are recognizing the serl-
BUSINESS of the shortage of good ma
terial for printers, and are endeavor-
ing to make the business more at
tractive to those choosing a trade.
Typical of this class of printers was
"Shortalize' Murray. Murray may
have been named ater the gram
marian. but he was merely "Shortal-
ize'' to us because he always spoke
of "shortalizing" words. The first
day he favored the Offices with his
services he broke the silence by look
| ing uD from his case and solemniy
inuuiring: How do you shortalize
secretary here" He was told the
Office style of abbreviating, but the
nickname "Shortalize' was his from
that day forth.
"Shortalize' had worked in nearly
every large printing office, except
some in the largest cities, in the
United States and Canada. He was
thrifty. When he reached our office
he usually liked to stay for some time
partly because the editor had a dog
which helped "Shortalize' defeat the
| high cost of living. 1t was in the
lean '70s, when prices after the war
were so high they almost touched
the sky-or present-day records.
"Shortalize' used to board himself.
When he did his marketing, old
Rover, the editors dog, used to ac-
company him. "Shortalize," pointing
| to the animal, would ask for five
cents worth of meat for the dog"
Rover was large Newfoundland,
with a peculiarly hungry expression.
The dealer, after a glance at the ami
NAL, and knowing that his owner
was a lone bachelor and boarded at
the sorry village "hotel," was usual
ly very generous. In those days a
nidkel would buy enough to last
several meals, so "Shortalize" would
live high on next to nothing
Alexander Cameron, Scotsman,
was a most lovable, most irritating
and most amusing specimen OF this
type of travelling knight-errant
Aleck had been working in certain
Office for some time, when he incurred
the wrath of his employer because OF
a breach of discipline.
Alexander came to work just as
if he had not received his discharge
"No use, Aleck," said his exasper'
ated boss. you're discharged, YOU
can't stay another minute"
Alexander Cameron calmniy con
tinued removing his coat and roll
ing up his shirt sleeves,
"Did you hear what said, Aleck?'
I,i, ,,.,.o l,,r gunnriDr .sNDt