Year: 1868

Almost every day from one to dozen


Of our business friends and acqusint-


ances drop in on as, and we, as Ia duty


bound, seek to make their visits pleasant.


by showing them Whatever Of interest
there may be in connection with our


establishment And we have noticed
/ that there is more interest excited By


TWO places than by any others. Tho
] Erst Is the plate vault, and the second


the music printing presses. Of the
former We gave slight sketch in our


last number, and in the present article


we propose to follow the devious course


of a musical composition IN its passage
| through the engrsvers' hands.


First, the author, ct may be a young


man, in his first attempt at publieation,)


with shrinking hand and hesitztiug


step, enters Mr.. Geo. T. Roots ssnctum.


He has heard so much of the hard


heartedness of publishers that it IS with


fear and trembling that he boards the


lion in his den. At the very outset he


is agreeably disappointed The afable,
| friendly manner, and warm grasp of the


hand E;eh which he Is greeted, assures
| him that if his "bantling" is declined be
can have no grounds of complaint at


the manner in which it is done. But


let US suppose the piece accepted and


placed in a crowded folio with hundreds


Of others, each awaiting its turn.
Thence in due time it goes to the en-
graver. The word "engraver" gives .
wrong impression 10 many Music is
stamped, not engraved. The ornamental
title pages, stats, bars, slur, and ties are
all that are really engraved. All else is
stamped by means of finely cut and
tempered steel punches. One word as
to the plates. They are composed Of
tin, zinc and antimony, and are substan-
italy the same metal as is used in ordi-
nary printing types. The composition
is rolled out into plates about three
thirty-seconds Of an inch in thickness.
One Of these plates, of course, is re-
quIred for each page Of music. The
eDgraTer lays out the piece, rules the
staff By machine constructed for that
purpose, and then stamps in the clefs,
notes, rests, lettering, etc. This is not
as long an operation as 4 would at first
seem. A good workman can readily
complete three plates day.


Let US suppose the plates finished
The next step is to take proof to see
that there are no mistakes. This Is
taken by passing the ink roller over the
surface of the plates, when of course it
leaves a coating of ink everywhere ex-
cept where the notes, etc., are, as these
are cut out or stamped down below the
The level of the rest Of the plate. On
passing the plate through the press this
ink is transferred to the paper, and We
have the "black proof" !. 6, the notes
staff, etc, are white, while the rest Of
the paper is black. Whatever mistakes
have been made are now marked and
corrected on the plates, They are next
heated to little below the melting point,
and piece of wax rubbed over them.
This melts and fills all the depression in
them. The surface is then wiped of,
cleaned with turpentine, and the plates
are ready for the printer. He takes
each one and passes the ink roller over
it as before, aud then with a piece Of
cloth wipes off the ink. The surface Of
the plate, being brightly polished, IS
wiped clean, while the ink adheres TO the
wax. The plate is then placed in the
press, a sheet of paper laid on, and
thick blanket over this, and the handle
turned. The great pressure employed
forces the paper into the hollOvs and
depressions in the plate, and thus secures
an accurate impression.


1t should be stated that the paper is
slightly dampened, as in that condition
it takes the ink better than if it we're
perfectly dry. The printer continues
this process until the close Of the day,
when his work is hung up, few sheets
together, to dry. The ne1t morning it
is taken down and interleaved with
heavy pasteboard. 1t is then placed in
a powerful screw press, and subject to
an immense pressure, as well to'removs
the creases caused by the edges of the
plates, as TO give it q smooth surface.
Removed from this press, it is folded,
eentered, /. e., the loose half sheets are
placed in it, counted and carried to the
wareroom, whence it goes on its mission
of cheer in every direction all over the
length and breadth of the land.


Few persons have an adequate idea OF
the amount of work there is expended on
a single piece of music. Every piece Of
paper is handled tseeHy-tloo times from
the time it is received from the
until it is sold over the eoun.
ter, and some are handled many more
times.


In conclusion, whenever any of our
friends visit the city, We shall take great
pleasure in showing them these different
We beg of them not to hold
back from fear of annoying US, for it is
a real pleasure to us to do what we can
to afford enjoyment to Others.-Son9
Messenger, Chicago.