Newspaper Page Text
V '[ OH IX SAVANNAH.
T\ NOT WITHOUT A PAPER
1M iKS Y t\RS.
v ( # tfcf Only Surrtvor of Its Ante
nrm|Kirri-*-Old Time Rn
uhich i* Now Left in the
T ii* 'r Pre* f the Newt nd
~ —Mow > Newspaper Is
ami rninrp*ed Facilities
.taMlfhnent for Duiug All
t.mmeretal Printing—Ster
; raphiug hud Engraving.
. had a spaper since
it iii.it year the Georgia
, .<tahlihed. *d it lived
of the colonial gov
tho-e of the revolu
h! dot* n to the clos
, . ~f the last century.
to the present there
- than a seore of newspa-
. it this city. The most
- deiuaci papers were
.. h* i,t r>-ian, the Courier,
.-Ru;, and the Atlrer
iMNO News was a contcm
- mentioned, and is the
:h newspapers of ante
-1 avsng out those that died
t w 11 mention only those
.r>- remembered by the
ktion. Tue Rfpubiirau,
i shed in 1804, survived
n it was consolidated
rival, the Advertiser,
e of the Advertiser
: , new venture was not a
rudits anl franchises of
re transferred to the
the consideration being
its contracts. Savan
'.*n a liberal support to
■>. K ur morning papers
. j apers have existed at
a-never been a time
y tr- that this city has
tVo tiailv papers—either
r a morning and an
\rw< made its
iNt'E BEFORE THE rUBLIC
' It n is issued from the
trwt. w here it had its
rui t i " : • r* it is now
l e lifted and lamented
Thompson was its
? held that position,
t a few months dur
h€ tty by the Fed*
was <-alied to his re-
I* \*.*s a v corous paper
ami; ~ then, as it doe*
* . . ,r"i a nest IK-mocra
s ; d.etati *n of poiiti
great strug
. • ui. out. like all other
. ;r. < ataer dilapi*
Tor- ... the trying
I'T . the Morn
.’,, i; and ils pof i
s - • t -a- nchts of the peo
ftrpet-tmggers.
t. •** Radical leaders
. with the aid
id seized the gOV
' ne-r states. It
WIsKD ITSELF
-;> it dorsing the rule
: * or by recogniz-
With the resto
,e:;ts of the southern
. *_• became
noe took her po-
the 8->uth.
* a-otn undt r the Con
tbe United States,
at of the army the
;•a e was restored. A
■nwr l Johnson ) was aj
>nt Johnson. Then an
* -d. *ml vne people called
'm*n.t hartae J. Jenkins, to
s*tr. He was ro
ll n. linger, an artuy officer.
Military Governor. Under
n*-t government Bniiook was
n the people.
♦he people were repeatedly
bf tl n uch hand
■ At 1770. Bui rock fled
1 *teorgia was reconstructed t*r
1 *•. ; nt tnis time on tae baxi* ol
I " - . i*are *clymend'ned as a part
S . frfce Morning News. Its
i * .>p during those trying years
I HE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE.
I . to I> political course it was
I ' wt.cut a rival as a news.
I N Lter paper in the South
I * nel to the importmce o f
i ive sews. It orzanizerl the
I--• r. >i special correspondents.
B al v *rs, was the only South*
a t*; t a regular ’ '.rr-spotul-
B r - .r.k*-n ;r.d Atlanta the year
H Morning News has Dever
I fr li it* line of duty as a
■ i-r:*go in personal cont'o
■ “is t-'ver hesitateil to deb n i
■ tttaok the wrong. It b.ta al
| - iei to furnish the latest
■ -t acceptable form to its
■ ~ss al! matters oj>en to
■ i Mir and impartial man-
B v-r l*elievel that a new
■ *** , iie wherein any and every
■ - ;>< uiitled to vent bis un-
B . -i prejudiced views on
B • iurstiona, but it has as-
B -h! to be its own judge of
V ko in its columns and what
K I" rrOGREiICIVE AGE
B i! iy no business, outside
B ' • 'uecr ameal character, that
1 T ne ► ir-h great changes or
I RMeb .mproved within the
1 years as that of
I -i daily A few
i y anal in the South that
JB 2 with what is technically
■ * -in l cylinder printing ma
' , a tv of 1,600 to I.SOO sheets
-m ' ' c<uidered a well equippetl
J : - but few were provided
s "doe f- r folding papers. Kii*
J * - ' f t Morning News mtro*
| lulding machine ever
s tc : daily paper office in
J tt Tin considered by many
I kl-.s extravagance. Now
| '* of the dailies in the South
I— . * i.y machinery. Alout the
I ihe machine for putting
I ' * if sulcribers on pa*
I Produced into the Morn-
I tL- <. This wtw the first
Ia Geenria if not In the en
-1 -'J- Vhe addressing of papers
I p**wcil, the same names
I Alwr day. was n*- of the
I f* iwwspaper offiAk A mad
9 * wild act occasionally miss
Bh" H °f lh* mail book
4 or n. If a sul)-
t * get his mail, it was Lm
| •* '"tiether it was the neglect
1 aptrfs mail clerk, or the
* the post office officials.
§ * and the daily reefs
m out, is an ununjieach
:fl ( who is at fault if a pa-
I 7 rvct-ived. These facilities
I *, A JTE W SPA PEE
Son, as the press
tclegraphic service,
r public for the latest
ing felt by the news
nre had also taken
department during
to. -The time bad
>i far past, when
tered into a eoin
•wn u p*;n putting in
Lain hour, so that all
early. The writer
•loved editor of the
of the time when the
rth came by steamer
from Charleston—that Is, before tae
construction ot the Charleston and
vann ah Ituilroad. Th steamers
their belis as they passed by
the Exchange building, on their way
to the wharf at the foot of West
Broad 6treet. The telegTapbio ser-
TK u \ D th .° 8e da y 3 wa very limited,
wid the live news was gleaned from
the Northern papers. The editors of
the Savannah dailies—there were
taree at that time—agreed that if
the rung after 6 p. m.,
they would not take their Nor:hern
papers outof the post office until the
toilowiuj; morning. At the time wo
sj>eak of, however, 15 years ago,
many of the morning papers “closed
up’ their forms bv 10 to 12 p. n\., ex
cept . ’
ON EXTRA IMPORTANT OCCASIONS.
One to two columns of telegraph
news was considered a frill service.
” ith many it was supposed the ze
nith of newspaper publishing—at
least in the smaller cities—had t'een
attained. It was generally supposed
that the limit ot judicious expendi
ture iiad bten rea*ch>‘d. it had been
w ith many ue wspapers. There was
a remarkable decrease in the num
ber of papers in tue principal cities.
The increased expenses could not bo
met by an augmented income, and
the question was solved by the death
ot many old-time journals. The
“fittest survived.” The demand for
later news caused the single evlin
der presses to give way to the double
cylinders. Provision was made
against accidents, and duplicate
presses, folding machines, engines
and boilers were added to the costly
equipments. The telegraph service
increased gradually from 1,800 words
per day until it reached 6,000. These
improvements wore gradual. Two
years ago, with one step almost, an
immense advance was made in
Southern journalism. This change
v. as necessitated by the fast mails,
which placed the large dailies of the
North an 1 West on the newsstands
in many of the Southern cities some
time during the day after thoir pub
lication.
The newspapers had been improv
ing, but tee people's desire for news
was still ahead of the supply. The
first move to meet the new state of
affairs was an increase in the ser-
vice of the Associated Press. The quota
of words per dav was increased to al
most double what it bad been and a bet
ter system of gathering news established.
Publishers who a few years growled
w’ten their assessments for telegraphing
was SSO per week. The cost of this ser
vice
INCREASED THREEFOLD,
and where a column cr two of
freshly-gathered news sufficed, a
page and more now seareelv
supplies the d* mand. The Morning
News, for instance, in the place ot a few
irregular correspondents, has now 141
accredited correspondents. To keep pace
v*ith these improvements the entire inter
nal arrangements i the newspaper had
to be cbM>gpd. and means lor a
quicker handling of the immense amount
4 nova vccumulatmg after U p. m. had
to he devisttd, auii. instead of a paper
going to press at mi might, the working
hours'were advanced dear into the morn
ing. Four o’clock a. m. became the clos
ing hour. Here am her difficulty pre
sented itself—that of how to begin print
ing the edition of a morning paper at
that hour and deliver it to ail cf
i:s subscribers at the u - tal time.
everybody wants ri : latest news.
and wants it at as early an hour as
possible. A paper must m only be priuted
on time, but delivered n time, for tb
average reader of city papers would as
go witiemt his brea:>.:a*t as without
his favorite paper. Tueq -sr ion of pur
chasing new aii expensiv machinery to
overcome the time lost in w aiting for the
latest news, whs the nex; ?*> p.‘#ent it
sch to the uewspaper people Nome were
in doubt as So the wibni -.t iavesting a
large sntn ef money in h perfecting press,
which might scarcsfy be pat n operation
Ix-fore a better one wvs invented.
The price of tha- inq >ved ma
chines ranged from $40,1)00 u*
$90,000. The increasing dr dationo of
tue papers of the Northern ar-i Western
cities hd long sluce devslopw. the neces
sity for fsster tnAouineH fven the im
inen**.- 8 and tO cylinder jirvsse* .hen usetl
to print the metropolitan dailies, and as
*n* cesslty is the mother of lr ention,”
the perfecting trc*s was evolveij from the
thoughts of many brains. The v. eb Per
fecting Press developed new' and pre
sumably
UNDREAMED OF FACILITTE^.
These machines print from an -adless
web of paper, winch ouoe started r.to the
machine runs along, as it were, of ns own
accoid. This dispenses with the “f.-ed
ers.’* and permits of the iwvpcrs being
printed on both sides at the same
time. The idea of printing
from a long roll of paper seems
to have occurred to manufacturers y ars
Udore it was successfully applied.
Tne question of original invention in
somewhat disputed. A perfecting jk >s
was patented by Sir Rowland Hill, the fa
mous advocate of cheap postage, in
land, in IS‘ls. hut never came iuto practi
cal use. Wilkinson, of New York, add'd
various improvements to the flill ni
chine between 1842 and 1869. In 1849 J•-
cob Worms, of Pads, patented a sma i
in chine for b'xik work, in which he us*
curved stereotyped plate-* cast fron,
curved matrixes made of papier mache.
This invention made
THE PERFECTING TRESS PRACTICABLE.
Worms’ machine, however, was no;
a success, because it could not de
liver the sheets after they were printed.
In 1853 Victor Beaumont, ol New York,
patented an effective cutting blade,
which made the delivery of the
sheet possible. This invention is
now used in all web presses. In 1858
Bullock invented the press called by ms
name, making at that time a model fr<*m
which fair jvork was obtained. This
model was fed by rolls of paper at each
end, double lines of paper passing each
other at the centre, but no maohius was
ever built on this plan. In 1869 Augustus
Applegate, a well known English me
chanic. invented a press something like
a Bullock, but made no provision lor de
livering the sheet. No machine was ever
built on bis plan. Bullock in the mean
time had not been idie, and in 1861 put up
his first press in Cincinnati. It was not
a perfect machine, but it was a step in the
rmht direction, and he finally improved it
so that his press printed ami delivered 8,000
sheets iier hour. Messrs. R. Ilbe & Cos. hail
not been idle. Taking advantage of thw
e x i>eri me nte of others, and with thoir thor
ough knowledge of what was needed by
newspapers, they set to work and produced
a thoroughly satisfactory and rapid per
fecting press, which for
SPEED, ECONOMY AND SIMPLICITY
and good workmanship excelled all othei
machines then in existence.
The smaller newspapers looked on
amazed at the increasing demands upon
their capital to meet the expense of such
machines. The prioowimply placed them
I*votkl reach. The few newspaper men
of'this class who had enough mo nay to
buy one were more inclined to retire from
businevathan to spendtheir all fora press.
However, their hopes of a cheaper per
fecting press, one suitable to the
wants of the lesser dailies, were
realized when two year's ago
Hoe & Cos. invented the perfecting press
to print from movable type. Tina ma
chine, costing about f3b,000, was at once
put Into a number ol offices. In 1884,
however, the same firm invented anew
.machine, to print from stereotype plates,
*ol much more simpler mechanism. But
three of these presses had been built
wheu one was ordered from Messrs. Hoe
A Cos. for the Morning News. While
the machine was beta;; built severe!
SAVANNAH telMf, liARCH % m
THE NEW MOBNWG T'-i'iWR '■ PEBFECTIWG PRESS.
MADE BY R. HOE & CO., NEXV YORK.
This machine will feed, print, fold, paste, cut and count 20,000 or 10,000 eight-page papers per hour,
FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE,
and it is said to be the most perfect press
yet turned out of the world-renowned
establishment of its makers.
These improvements occasioned a de
lay of two months In the delivery of the
press. This was very annoying, but the
makers of the press state that the de
lay has added greatly to the perfectness
of the machinery.
The Introduction of tho Wob perfect
ing press marks a uevv era in the news
paper business in Savannah. At such a
time it is not out of place to give a brief
description of the Morning News estab
lishment. It will doubtless be interest
rug and instructive to its many readers.
To begin at the beginning, a start will be
made in
THE BUSINESS OFFICE.
The first floor of the building on the
corner of Whitaker street and Bay lane
is used exclusively for the business de
partment. The flooring ou this floor was
recently taken out, and instead of the
wooden joists, iron girders were put in and
brick arches thrown across t*oas to make
the basement below tire-proof, to protect
the new press against damage by tip*. It is
estimated that this floor is strong enough
to support the upper walls of the build
ing should a fire occur and the super
structure fall upon it. The front part of
this room is handsomely fitted up with
black walnut desks, surmounted by an
iron railing Tne @{>ace in lront of
the railing is paved with colored tiles.
The counter inside is divided into the
oaahier**, the subscription clerk’s ami me
advertisiag clerk** departments, and. in
tee roar ol these-duska, is that of the pro
prietor.
Just hero it will not ho out of place to
state that the Morning News consists
of two di*tinct establishments, under one
name and oae management, namely:
The Morning Nf.ws newspnner and
the Morning News Steam Brintlng
House. To those who are not familiar
with Its business it appears to be all
ONE HOMOGENEOUS ESTABLISHMENT,
but to those who are acquainted with its
workings it is d+Btinetly and positively
two busiaesses. The building on
the corner of Bay lane is almost ex
clusively iMod tor the purposes ol pub
li-hing and printing the Daily and
Weekly Morning News, while the one
next u> it is entirely devoted to book and
job printing, lithographing and blank
book manufacturing.
In the rear of the counting room, or
business office, is the headquarters ot the
job department. Reams of pajiers of all
Kinds, aud the variety is- legion, are piled
upon the tables and shelves — card and
card boards, envelopes, and everything
needed in a business which includes the
printing of a visiting card to a big fl-sheet
poster, or from a
CITY DIRECTORY TO A MAMMOTH LEDGER.
Speaking tubes connect this floor with
each workroom, and an elevator gives
ready communication with the floors
aliove and below. Speaking tubes and a
dumb waiter also give ruadv means of
communication between tne counting
room and the editorial, reportorial and
newspaper composing rooms.
With this introduction to what Is called
the “business department” —it is all busi
ness, however—it will be well to take a
look through the establishment and see
first “how a newspaper is made,” and
then take a look at the other branches of
industry carried on under the well known
name of the Morning News.
Ascending to the room above the count
ing room the visitor finds himself in a
Jiall way, and opening the first door cn the
i- !t he enters the reportorial room. This is
tl. headquarters of the city editor and his
us- dstunts, and also that of tho commercial
reporter. This is
A BUSY PLACE AT NIGHT.
The reporters are going and coming at
all hours, and those who have items that
they wish to see in print, and those who
are anxious not to see their names In
the newspaper, are generally the only vis
itors. There is not much time lor long
social chats, but still many lorget that
fact *nd stay much longer than they
should.
In the rear of this room is the editor’s
sanctum, occupied by the' managing edi
itor and his assistants.
The miinagiiig editor, as the term im
plies, is the active head of the editorial
departuiew t. To him is entrusted, under
the direction of the editor and proprietor,
the maua-ement of the dully routine
editorial w >rk of the paper. Ht* duties
are arduous and of the most important
nature. U writes editorials, revises
manuscript*, accepts or rejects contribu
tions, aud decides what spaoe is to be de
voted to different subjects. Every edito
rial article, (Election, ‘Jegraphlo report,
and local is subject to his inspection
aud approval.
In the next room Is the telegraph and
newa editors. Here the State exohanges
are examined and items clipped from
them tor that important feature of the
Morning News, us Htate news columns.
Long letters froui correspondents are hero
cut down into a paragraph of a dozen
lines. The
13,000 WORDS OF TELEGRAPH
received every night have to be read and ed
ited so as to make them presentable, and
those startling headlines on the first page
are manufactured to suit the matter and
at the same time fit the width of tho col
umn. This work, simple as it may appear
to the reader as he takes up the paper in
the morning, requires considerable
study, skill and ingenuity. Nearly all of
tfco teiegrft*rt*4c matter is received long
./ter the quiet people of Savannah have
o .utrht their beds.
These rooms are connected with the
office and composing rooms by speaking
tubes and a dumb waiter. The editorial
rooms also have telephone connections
(No. 241) with any part of the city and also
with the signal station at Tybee. Vessels
arriving at the entrance of the Savannah
river are immediately reported to the
marine reporter at the Morning News
office. The first tidings that gladdsn the
hearts in the sailors’ far distant home
with the newsot his arrival in a safe har
bor are received through this department
and telegraphed abroad.
The next place in
TJTK MANUFACTURE OF A NEWSPAPER
—if that term may be used—is the
composing-room, or the place whare
the type Is ‘Net” l>y the printers and
made’up into forms ready for the stereo
typer. The compos!ng-rooin of the Morn
ing News is located in the topmost story
of the building. It is a well-lighted and
well ventilated room extending the entire
length ot the building. Twenty-six men
are employed in this department. The
stands where the printers set typo are
ranged along the front and sides of the
room. At one eud is an enclosure for the
foreman and his assistant and the proof
reader. Near by are the large imposing
tables, upon wbich tho type when set
is placed in forms and made ready for
printing. The foreman receives the
“copy,” that is, auy matter that is to be
used in the paper, and cute it up into
“Ukss” or piece* of suitable length. This
copy is placed on “tho hook,” fr®m
which It Is takot) by the printer*. It
“set up” and mft on “galleys” or long
brass tioxes. VThon a gaUoj is full it is
“proved,” 4. au impression is taken of it
as is done on a prttitkag pres*. This proof
is read by the preof-reader, who marks
on it inch corrections as are necessary.
It is tbn corrected by the printer,
each man corrocteug his matter,
which is designated by a “slug,’
a piece of metal having upou
it his number. When he is done he
“passes” the gallny to the man who set
up the next piece, and so on until the en
tire matter on tho galley ha* been cor
rected.
A galley contains about as much as
there is in a column of tho Morning
News.
TO THE UNINITIATED IT MAY BE INTER
ESTING
to know that newspaper printers
at work are not known or called by their
names, but are designated by their “slu-g”
number. If the foreman wants Mr. Smith,
whose slug number is 19, he calls out,
“Slug 19, do so and so.” There is no time
to discuss politics, religion or home
affairs in this room at night. Nothing
is to be heard except the monotonous
reading of the proof readers and the
clicking of the type as tue compositor
drops it in his “stick.” Every single type
that you see in the paper iu the morning,
except tnoue in a few standing advertise
ments, are bandied (luring the night
previous. The number ot times the nimble
hands have to pick up these little bits of
metal can be imagined when we state
that the number of “eras” (the square ol
a type of any measure) set up in a week’s
work ou the Morning News
AMOUNTS TO 1,300,000,
and this enormous quantity only
represents about one-btilf tiie actual num
ber of separate pieces of metal.
After the proof* are read and oorrccted,
and the revised proofs are returned from
the editorial room, the galleys of type are
passed to the “ruukerup,” who “empties”
the matter in the “forms.” It requires
considerable dexterity to handle these
little bits of motel, and considerable judg
ment to get thdm iu their proper places.
Every bf matter has its proper pliveo
In the Morning News, ana the render
would think something was radically
wrong should he find editorial matter
sandwiched in with telegraphic dis
patches, or locals mixed in with ship
news, to say nothing of other mistakes
which are possible unless the greatest
care is paid to his work by the maker up.
a newspaper is born every day,
aud must be as near perfect as possible
in every issue. If it is not arranged in a
proper manner, it is too late to correct it
after it has gone to press.
After the forms re closed up and the
foreman has made his Inst inspection to see
that they are all right, the gong is sounded
far the pressmen. Presently we benr the
elevator coming up, and when it reaches
the top floor two men emerge Irom the
opening. They gently lift tho form of
type to *ee if it is properly “locked up,”
Le., fastened togethor, place it on tho ele
vato’-, and then descends with it to the
regions below. We will go down with
them.
Tho old-time pressman—not one so far
back in the past as the days of tho hand
press, but one of later days—would not re
cognize as a familiar place the pressroom
of to-day. Tho immense printing ma
chines, almost
ENDOWED with human intelligence,
are inventions of late years.
The Morning News pressroom for the
newspaper (there are three pressrooms
in the establishment) is in the basement
under the oorner building. It occupi** a
space 30 by 60 fteet. In the corner next
to the elevator is the stereotyping depart
ment,
The forms of typo wrthey come from the
composing room in the fourth story are
here stereotyped and the plates prepared
for the press. The plates are reproduced
in solid metal from forms of type. The
matrix tor casting is made by
THE PAPIEIt MACHE PROCESS
—that is by placing on the face of
the type several thicknesses of
paper, pasted together. This material is
then beaten over rapidly with a broad
brush until it is forced into the face of the
type making a fat simile of it. The form is
then put under a press and pressed.
Steam is next applied under the
press, and the paper mould dried
and hardened into a complete
matrix. Near by is the east
ing-box, into the-concave side of which
the matrix is placed. The box Is placed
in proper position awl tho metal, winch is
in a state of fusion in the pot on the
furnace, is poured carefully into the
mould. In a few seconds the plate
is taken out. It is, however,
in a rough state. The plate is then put
m a machine and bevelled on tno edges,
abd alter wards goue over rapidly by the
workmen, who chieel out th* large blank*.
It is then pwt i a machine, which quickly
planes off the bark, reducing tfco plate to
tho necessary thickrifees. It takes about
ten minutes to make a plate, or eighty
minutes to make the eight plates reonired
for the regular daily issues of the Morn
ing News.
After the plates are delivered to the
pressman the press is ready to start in
one minute.
THE NEW PERFECTING PRESS,
with the steam machine lov wet
ting tbo roil* of paper (all news
paper has to bo wet In order to
make it print well}, occupies one
hidf of the baetMßont, which is
divided frcun the other part by a heavy
brick wall. There are two doors with
iron shutters, which are the only means
ot access Uxmms room. The ceiling is of
brick and iron, and is thus making the
room fire-proof. The press, a* before
stated, is the tsteat mruwtion of Messrs. 11.
Hoe St (Jo., a*4 ta Wfcat is known as a per
fecting preaa—49at is, it will “feed” o~
supply rsaelf wftb peper, print the paper
on iiotb #Ws. cut It te te proper size,
paste and foia, count ttiul deliver it, ready
tor the maito or carriers. The roils of
paper, after belhg dampened, are placed m
position in the rear of the press, aud the
end of the sheet is so adjusted that it will
be taken hold ot by the machinery. At a
signal the tightening pulley is pulled
down, so that the belt will
drive-the press, aud the machine starts.
It is almost impossible to conceive the
rapidity with which a paper is printed.
The working of the perfecting press has
been fully described in a preceding para
graph, so-tiie modus opsrandi of printing
a paper need net be repeated here.
In this department is a small but com
plete mac lime shop, comprising a lathe
and forge and all the necessary tools.
THE RESERVE PRESSES AND OTHER MA
CHINERY.
Here also is the imEienso double
cylinder press and its folding ma
chine, lately used iu printing the Morn
ing News. The machine for toldiag the
papers is also here. They are both ready
for immediate serride should any acci
dent befall the now machine. It is an
“anchor to windward,” as it were.
Before leaving this floor wo will visit the
adjoining room, in the next building.
The front part i* u*ed as a store-rewro for
paper and fuel, and tho back for the en
gine and boiler room. In tho area in the
rear of this room is another boiler, and
above tho boiler another engine. Only
one engine and boiler is used at a time,
the other being kept in case of accident.
These boilers not only frtrsnah steam for
driving the machinery, but akio heat the
building. Steam pipe'* extend from bot
tom to top, and in every room is to be
found a “radiator.” With tho usual pre
caution against mishaps, which is
observable throughout the entire
establishment, we find here a
lino of pipes apparently risnug out of the
ground. There is a well below and in it
a steam injector which torces water into
a tank above, which give* an extra sup
ply of water lor use in the building. In
addition to this there is a supnly of water
from the city water works, a oouple of
tanks are near by, each capable of hold
ing a barrel of oil, for use in oiling
the machinery. A steam omory wheel
for grinding the large knives used in
cu'ting paper and trimming the edges of
blank books is in this basement. In
fact, every nook and corner has some
thing in It that oanuot be dispensed with.
Barrels of printing ink, weighing S(X)
pounds each, are stow’ed away against
the walls. All such things must
he looked after, and the supply
kept up, or after all the labors of editors,
reporters and printers there may be no
paper Issued for a lack of such material.
The sewerage of the building
passes off through a large pipe which
runs along the walls of the basement
rooms.
The mail and delivery clerk has his
headquarters in the basement. He is
fenoed out from the
CROWD OF NKWBBOY3 AND NEWSMEN,
who swarm about the office during tho
early hours of the morning, but is In such
a position that no papers can go out with
out his knowledge. ,
The departments other than those of the
newspaper proper are well worthy of de
scription. In no other establishment
south ol tho Potomac river is to be found
tho same facilities far doing work as in .
the Morning News Printing House.
This is no empty boast, but a substantial
fact. It is as complete in all it* detail* as it
is possible for it to be without going beyond
the bound* of what is legitimately connect
ed With the “art preaervatavi*,” and iftk
kindred arts of lithography and
book-binding. It would be an im
pwslbillsy to minutely describe ev
ery Kttie* thing that contribute to
makeup the outfit of such an es-
On ttoe street 1)oor of the building,
next to the corner of Bay lane, is
the jhb pressroom. 'J.’bi* room con
tains nfnepresses, viz: two Hoe cyl
inders, two- new patent Campbell
presses, two Liberty presses, one
double-medium Cottrell & Baboock
press, one Gordou and pne Acme
jyress, and a large Sheridan steam
Bel-bcJampiiig and cutting machine.
The cngiK*e arxl bcdlers that drive
tho machinery of the newspaper
office4tso furnish the motive power
for the job departments.
stereotyping.
One-third of this room is devoted
to sifcreotypiug, and kae a first-class
outfit, made by 14. Hoe & Cos., includ
ing a steam dryer, steam saw for
cutting metal, large casting boxes,
etc. Ail the Morning News Li
brary seriafc-that have appeared in
book-form are stereotyped. 'A num
ber of otner books that have berm
issued from the Morning News
Printing House have also been stere
otyped in this department.
On the floor above the job press
room is the lithographic pressroom.
LITHOGRAPHY IS A COMBINATION
OF CHEMISTRY AND MECHANICS.
It to a system of artistic printing
in which the antagonism of oil and
vfnter are made to subserve a posi
tive purpose ifoawt. lithography, or
the art of producing impressions
from stone, was-accidentally discov
ered bv BenefeMer, ft poor German
musician and composer, who, be
cause of his poverty, was unable to
have his music-engraved and printed.
In his experiments to find a substi
tute for letter-press printing or cop
per or steel-plate engraving, he used
a piece of oolitic limestone on which
to distribute his ink. One day in
copying a washing list for kis moth
er, myvikg no paper handy, he wrote
on this stone what was required with
the thiek ink which hehad ready for
his experiments. He accidentally
discovered that this writing gave
forth an impression, and the idea oc
curred to him that t>y reducing that
[ part of the surface of the stone on which
| there was no ink, he might bring out the
writing in relief, and thus print from it.
He applied aqua fortis to the stone, md
1 in a few miuutes the unin ted s rface was
reduced to the extent of the thickness ot a
sheet of paper. The art of lithography was
thus discovered. Senefelder continued his
experiments, and lived to see the art estab
lished, dying in 1834, the recipient of a
pension from his King. The art of en
graving on stone, transferring designs,
and other methods now commonly in use,
were discovered within the last, quarter
of a century. The steam presses now
found in all complete lithographic estab
ments were oven a more recent in
vention, only coming into general use
about 10 years ago.
THE ART OF ENGRAVING ON STONE,
which to-day comprises the greater
part of all engraving used in
lithographing, requires that the
engraver should be something mere
than a copyist. He must be able to
design. Hl# tools-are few—a straight edge,
a pair of callipers, a small square, and a
few fine-pointed noodles stuck in bit's of
wood, are all that ho uses in producing
the most exquisite destens. He has a
machine, however, which is called a
“ruler,” whioivengraves hia combination
of fine lines. It is a diamond worked by
macaiwerv as delicate as watch work,
which cuts the etoue with mathematical
precision, and saves the artist hours of
tedious labor.
The engraver is admitted to be an artist
—hte-name implies* art; but there is an
other workman, who is called ‘ ; a trans
ferrer,” who is net only an artist, but a
cheplst. He transfers the engraver’s
work to the stone, and also from numer
ous engravings makes,
WELL-CONCEIVED COMBINATIONS, NEW
DESIGNS.
He workmen the stone until the design
he has transferred to its fiat surface
sfeande forth in relief, and is ready, in the
bauds of the prictor, to Impart its beau
ties to paper.
After the transferrer comes the pressman
or printer. He must also have an artistic
eye or the work of those who have la
bored before him will be in vain. He
takes the heavy stone and places it upon
the bed of the press. It must be carefully
adjusted or it will be broken by the im
pression cylinder. When it is ready to
print he starts the press, and watches his
work closely. There are ink rollers on
one side of the cylinder of the press, and
water rollers on the other. The latter
must onlv give forth enough water at
each impression or printed sheet to keep
the ink from inking that part oi
the stone which must not
be printed from. At every impression it
is water and ink in quantum sufficit, no
more, no lees. These
PONDEROUS PRINTING MACHINES
are provided with appliances so that the
cylinders will revolve without taking an
imoreesion from the stone, and the ink
rovers can be Lifted off the stone and give
no ink. The machines print, deliver and
count the sheets. There are long lines of
shelving in this room tilled with stones
for lithographic purposes. The best
stone is quarried in Bavaria; in fact, there
is no other stone used to any extent In
this country but the German limestone,
such as Senefetofer first printed from.
Tons of it are imported every year, enough
being used to make the selling of it a
separate business.
LITHOGRAPHIC STONE
is also found In other countries, a very
good article beiug quarried in America.
The preference, however, as has beeu be
fore stated, is for the best—the Bavarian.
In addition to the two immense steam
presses there are three hand presses.
One of the latter is kept as a “relic ,of the
war.” It was made in Augusta in the
“war times,” and was used in, printing
Confederate money. It can siiil do good
work, but its days are almost past—it
can’t compete with the “steamers.”
Covered up in a large wooden box is
“THE LATEST THING OUT”
in the business. It is a machine for re
ducing or enlarging engravings. For in
stance, an engraving used for a letter
head can lie reduced in exact propor
tions to fit a note head. Hr-is a French in
vention, and was imported- from Paris a
few’ months since.
The utility of this machine was readily
recognized by the trade, and the inventor
in two months soltVover 400 of them in
this country.
This department of the Morning
News does as good work as any
place of the kind in the United
States. The facilities are appre
ciated by thc business men of the South,
as is evidenced by the large amount of
work bearing the oklioe imprint to be
found in every eity-and town. Among
its best patrons are some of the largest
cotton mills in Georgia and the Carolina?,
while the tobacco men of Kentucky and
Vhyrinia, and the iron manufacturers of
Georma and Alabama contribute a liberal -
share of work.
Every person of intelligence knows
something about books, ana
IN THISk-GUHAT COMMERCIAL MART
there are IrtwtdUMds whose lives are ab
sorbed in the la*g*e ledgers and cash
books wbtcfc contain the records of
business. Then there are check books,
dray books and the numerous other
books that are necessary in the counting
room. Few persons, however, know any
thing o' the- process through which each
hook has to go before it assumes the shape
va%ich is so &a£Har to Oie the*
bookkeeper and the clerk. The papTfl
used for such work comes from the miltiSj
flat and unruled, and costs from 12 to 36
cents per pound. The first named pries*
is for that used for the common class of ]
books, such as dray books, and the'* tttcr j
is the price of paper used for ledgers, *
RULING TAPER BY STEAM.
The flat paper as it comes from themills
is sent from tho stock-room in such quan
tities as may be required for the work m „
hand If it has to be ruled it is placed in
the hand 9 ot the ruler. The ruling is-donb >
by machinery. The ruling machine, at
first glance, bears a resemblance to an cla
fashieDed high-post bedstead with the
foot posts shortened. It is filled with
rollers, bauds and cords. A long, endless
cloth, passing around large wooden roll
ers, is the bed, as it were, upon which the
paper is ruled. From this cloth the pa
per, after being ruled, passes to a series
of endless cords, which carries the sheets
thrice the length of the machine and tneu i
deposits them in a box, one on top oof
another. This paper is curried this greatj
length in order to give the ink an oppor- \
tanity to dry so that it will not blot-when,
it arrives at its place of exit. The.
ruling machine is driven by steam, au.Vi
the sheets are fed or shoved uhder a
roller by a girl, who is called a feedetyj
the paper passes to the endless cloth al
ready mentioned, and then under tfc<U
ruling pens. These.pens are
THIN TIECES-OF BRASS DOUBLED
so as to leave a channel in tli*s
centre through which the ink pass<*
to the paper, l’ieces of flannel are spread.',
over the top of the claiup in which th*.
pens are set and fastened, and satura*
ted from time to time with ink, which, j
thus soaks gradually through jthe cloth
to the openings in the top of the pens
The clamps which hold the pens in posi*
tion are so made as to permit of their ad
justment to any width of ruling that may ;
be required. * A patent arrangement
manipulates this clamp, so that it rise*.)
and falls at the proper time to “strike**
the heading—that is, not rule that park
ot the papei which is intended to be loft
blank. There are three ruling machines
in the Morning News bindery. Two of'
them are run by steam and one by hard
power. One of these machines, it is said,'
v in rule a larger sheet of paper than any
other this side of Philadelphia.
MAKING A BLANK BOOK.
From the ruling macaino the paper, af
the book is to have a printed heading, la
sent to the pressroom, where, the neces
sary form having been set up in the com
posing-room. the heading is printed. It
is then returned to the bindery.
The sheets are folded or
doubled up into “sections” of (i :
to 12 sheets each. These sections are
then put in a press, screwed up tigut
1 and the backs “sawed” so as to allow the.
book to be sewed. The sewing is gen
erally done by girls. In sewing, or more
i properly binding, blank books, pieces
of parchments are used, and the sheets or
sections are sewed to them with strong
thread made expressly for such work.
After being sewed or bound
the book is turned over to
the “forwarder,” who puts on the paste
board sides, trims the edges and “rounds”
the back. He also puts the leatherwß
the backs and sides. It requires
SKILL, PRACTICE AND PATIENCE
to make a neat job. - A blank book*-
has to be handled, and the leather
manipulated at the same time and
made to fit snugly in every corner.
It seems almost impossible to do it, at
least without “mussing up” the pages.
Glue, paste aDd ink are all near at hand
to spoil the dainty pages which are to be
the book-keeper’s pride. The binder
, must therefore be very careful bow he
handles his big job, as the least blemish
may min not only his work, but that al
ready done by others. From the bands of
the “forvaWfcr” it payees to the £ ‘pager.”
There are flosto ’paging machines in thfe
biatrevy,
ALL AUTOMATIC IN THEIR WORKINGS.’
One numbers from 1 to 10,000, and is used
generally for pagiYte blank books, not that'
there are ever 10,000 pages in a book,!
but because its figures are large.
This machine can be also used for num
bering any other class of work. The two!
other machines number from 1 to 1,000.000,
or, to be accurate, up to 999,990. The
latter machines ale to number checks,
drafts, railroad tickets, etc., and will du
plicate a number three to four times
matically.
GILDING AND ROLLING TITE BOOK.
When the blank-book has been “paged”!
it is turned over to the “finisher.” He is
the man who uses all the small tools in aj
bindery. At his right hand he has a fur
nace ;
GLOWING WITH LIVE COALS.
He heats his rolls and stamps, and with i
his practiced eye and steady hand
the brown ornamentation on the sides?
of the bocks come forth under the influ-•
ence of the heated rollers. He care-,
fully puts the gold-leaf on the places,
that are to bear the title of the book andi
applying the heated type, the name stands’
forth in bright, golden letters. His wort?
is not yet done, however. With a hotj
burnisher he brightens up the leather
until it shines as it never shone
A few touches with “glaze,” which is the;
white of eggs with an ancient smell, and
the big book is done.
Tne proceee which has been thus briefly
and imperfectly described takes always
days, and oftentimes weeks. Making a?
large blank book is necessarily slow
work. After the book leaves the binder’s
hands it should stand several weeks before
it i9 used, so as to give it time to
dry, for it nas been dampened sev
eral times—gently, it is true, but still,
enough to make the paper
SENSITIVE UNDER THE PEN.
The paper has had ink ruled upon it, and;
a liberal quantity of paste aud glue has- 1
been used in binding together in a flexible
but solid mass what was once plain flat,
sheets of paper.
If the book is-a printetbwork, such as tho
“Life of Commodore Tattnall,” “The His
torical Record,” “Wilders Summer Rose,”
or any of the other-numerous publications
which have been issued from the Mornc
ing News presses, the progress is son)***
what similar, only that a thousand books*
or more are going through the same pro.-,
cess at one time. Of course such book*,
have not to be ruled. The sheets are printed
in forms of 8 to 10 pages and then folded-,
The sewing is done cn “benches,” that.,
is, six to a dozen books are sewed in on*
lot on twine, and then separated iritdfcj
books. The forwarder manipulates tlreoni
In the same manner as a blank book,
though much more rapidly. The finishes;
brings into use the large steam embossing
press, which prints upon the sides
backs of the covers or “cases,” as they on#;
technically called, the tffete of’the bopfc.
A ROOMFUL OF MACHINES.
The bindery has a number of machines;
besides the ruling machines, the cutting 1
or trimming machines, and the steam em*
boaser ami the pagers. There are ma
chines for perforating checks and other
papers, putting in eyelet ho tee, cut
ting out round labels (such as bar ref
labels printed in the lithographic room),
paste-board cutter, backing machines,
dry presses, etc. Along the walls are;
shelves, filled with leather and papers
used in covering) books .wines, threads,
inks and other material for binders’ use.
A part of the bindery i divided oil' into a.
folding and sewing room.
JOB AND BOOK PRINTING ROOMS.
The place t 6 see next is the book andj
job composing rooms. These are located
on the third floor of the corner building.
There are over 500 fonts of job type
alone in these rooms, to say nothing
of the hundreds of pounds of lead**;
rules, borders, etc., wood type,
leys, stoi.es, and the hundred!
and one things that make up., a cois^j
> . s&z2iimitsd-vn
3