Sidebilder
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

composition to exhaust them. Glancing justment be effected. But the composioccasionally at his copy before him, he tor's own errors are scarcely put to rights consecutively picks up, with a zigzag before a much greater difficulty arrives, movement, and with almost the velocity namely, the author's corrections, for which of lightning, the letters he requires. In the compositors are very properly paid arranging these types in the stick,' or 6d. an hour. little frame, which he holds in his left It can easily be believed that it is as hand, he must of course place them with difficult for a compositor to produce a their heads or letter-ends uppermost: be- correct copy of his MS., as it is for a taisides which, they must, like soldiers, be lor to make clothes to fit the person he made all to march the same way; for has measured; but the simile must stop otherwise one letter in the page would be here, for what would be the exclamations 'eyes right,' one eyes left,' another of Mr. Stultze, or Madame Maradan Car'eyes front,' while another would be son, if they were to be informed that the looking to the rear. This insubordina- gentleman or the lady whom they had but tion would produce, not only confusion, a few days ago measured, had, while their but positive errors, for p would pass for clothes were a-making, completely altered d, n for u, q for b, &c. To avoid all this in shape, form and dimensions? That, the type are all purposely cast with a for instance, the gentleman had lost his nick' on one of their sides, by which calves-had an increasing belly, and a simple arrangement they are easily re- decreasing leg'-that, from being a dwarf, cognised, and made to fall into their he had swelled into a giant-or that his places the right way; and compositors as arms had become shorter-and that his regularly place the nicks of their type all frame had shrivelled into half its bulk :--outermost, as ladies and gentlemen scien- that, again, Miladi's waist had suddenly tifically seat themselves at dinner, with expanded that her 'bustle' had materitheir nicks (we mean their mouths) all ally increased, while her lovely daughter, facing the dishes. In short, a guest sit- who, but a week ago, was measured as a ting with his back to his plate is not, in mop-stick, had all at once what is usually the opinion of a compositor, a greater termed 'come out.' breach of decorum, than for a letter to Now, ridiculous as all these changes face the wrong way. The composing- may sound, they are to say nothing of stick contains the same sort of relative the heart-ache caused by 'bad copy,' in proportion to a page as a paragraph. It which, besides being almost illegible, the holds a certain measure of type, and as author himself evidently does not know soon as it is filled, the paragraph, or what he means to say-no more than fragment of paragraph, it contains, is those with which compositors are contransplanted into the page to which it belongs. This process is repeated until the pages composing a sheet, being completed, are firmly fixed by wooden quoins or wedges into an iron frame called a 'chase; and after having thus been properly prepared for the proof-press, a single copy is pulled off,' and the business of correction then begins.

stantly afflicted. Few men can dare to print their sentiments as they write them. Not only must the frame-work of their composition be altered, but a series of minute posthumous additions and subtractions are ordered, which it is almost impossible to effect; indeed, it not unfrequently happens that it would be a shorter operation for the compositor to set up the types afresh, than to disturb his work piecemeal, by the quantity of codicils and alterations which a vain, vacillating, crotchety writer has required.

As the compositor receives nothing for curing his own mistakes, they form the self-correcting punishment of his offence. The operation is the most disagreeable, and, by pressure on the chest incurred in A glance at the different attitudes of leaning over the form, it is also the most the sixty compositors working before us unhealthy part of his occupation. A is sufficient to explain even to a stranger sharp bodkin and patience' are said by the whether they are composing, distributing, craft to be the only two instruments which correcting, or imposing; which latter are required for correction: by the former occupation is the fixing corrected pages a single letter can be abstracted and ex- into the iron frames or chases,' in which changed; by the latter, if a word has been they eventually go to press. But our improperly omitted or repeated, the type reader has probably remained long enough in the neighbourhood of the error can be in the long hall, and we will therefore inexpanded or contracted, (technically term- troduce him to the very small cells of the ed 'driven out,' or 'got in,') until the ad. readers.

[ocr errors]

In a printing establishment 'the reader' tions, intoxicated hyperbole, faults in is almost the only individual whose occu- grammar, and above all, in punctuation, pation is sedentary; indeed the galley- it is his especial duty to point out. It slave can scarcely be more closely bound is, therefore, evidently necessary that he to his oar than is a reader to his stool. be complete master of his own tongue. On entering his cell, his very attitude is It is also almost necessary that he should a striking and most graphic picture of have been brought up a compositor, in earnest attention. It is evident, from his order that he may be acquainted with the outline, that the whole power of his mind mechanical department of that business; is concentrated in a focus upon the page and we need hardly observe that, from the before him; and as in midnight the lamps intelligent body of men whose presence of the mail, which illuminate a small por- we have just left, it is not impossible to tion of the road, seem to increase the select individuals competent to fulfil the pitchy darkness which in every other di- important office of readers. rection prevails, so does the undivided But even to these persons, however attention of a reader to his subject evi- carefully selected, it is not deemed safe dently abstract his thoughts from all solely to intrust the supervision of a other considerations. An urchin stands work: out of them one is generally seby reading to the reader from the copy-lected, upon whom the higher duty defurnishing him, in fact, with an addition- volves of scrutinizing their labours, and al pair of eyes; and the shortest way to of finally writing upon their revises the irattract his immediate notice is to stop revocable monosyllable 'PRess.' his boy for no sooner does the stream of the child's voice cease to flow than the machinery of the man's mind ceases to work ;-something has evidently gone wrong!-he accordingly at once raises his weary head, and a slight sigh, with one passage of the hand across his brow, is generally sufficient to enable him to receive the intruder with mildness and attention.

Although the general interests of literature, as well as the character of the art of printing, depend on the grammatical accuracy and typographical correctness of 'the reader,' yet from the cold-hearted public he receives punishment, but no reward. The slightest oversight is declared to be an error; while, on the other hand, if by his unremitted application no fault can be detected, he has nothing to expect from mankind but to escape and live uncensured. Poor Goldsmith lurked a reader in Samuel Richardson's office for many a hungry day in the early period of his life!

We have already observed that while 'the reader' is seated in his cell, there stands beside him a small intelligent boy, who is in fact, the reader; that is to say, he reads aloud from the copy, while the man pores upon and corrects the corresponding print. This child, for such he is in comparison with the age of the master he serves, cannot be expected to take any more interest in the heterogeneous mass of literature which he emits, than the little marble Cupids in Italy can be supposed to relish the water which is made everlastingly to stream from their mouths. The subject these boys are spouting is generally altogether beyond their comprehension; and even if it were not so, the pauses that ensue while the reader' is involved in reflection and correction would be quite sufficient to break its thread: but it often happens that they read that which is altogether incomprehensible to them. Accordingly in one cell the boy is found reading aloud to his patron a work in the French language, which he has never learned, and which therefore he is thus most ludicrously pronouncing exactly as if it were English :

In a large printing establishment, the real interest of which is to increase the healthy appetite of the public by supplying it with wholesome food of the best possible description, it is found to be ab- 'Less ducks knee sonte pass,' &c. &c.&c. solutely necessary that the readers' i.e. (Les ducs ne sont pas,) &c. should be competent to correct, not only To 'the reader's' literary ears this must the press, but the author. It is requisite be almost as painful as, to common nerves, not only that they should possess a micro- the setting of a saw: yet he patiently lisscopic eye, capable of detecting the mi- tens, and laboriously proceeds with his nutest errors, but be also enlightened task. On entering another cell, the boy, judges of the purity of their own lan- who, perhaps, has never known sickness, guage. The general style of the author is found monotonously reading, with a cannot, of course, be interfered with; shrill voice, from a page entitled 'Tabubut tiresome repetitions, incorrect asser- lar Abstract of the Causes of Death,' the

following most melancholy catalogue, the dismal roads by which our fellowchiefly in, to him, unintelligible Latin, of countrymen have just departed from life:

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

As soon as the last reader' has affixed When iron first began to be substituted his imprimatur on the labours of the compositor, the chases containing the type are securely fixed, and they are then carried to the press-room, to which, with them, we will now proceed.

in our navy for purposes for which it had hitherto been deemed to be totally inap plicable, it is said that an honest sailor, gravely turning his quid, observed to his comrade, Why, Jack, our purser tells me Descending from 'the readers'' cells to that the Admiralty are going to provide us the ground floor, the visitor, on approach- with cast-iron parsons! The doctor' of a ing the northern wing of Mr. Clowes's steam printing-press is already composed establishment, hears a deep rumbling of this useful material, but the other sesound, the meaning of which he is at a ven rollers are of an infinitely softer subloss to understand, until the doors before stance. They are formed of a mixture of him being opened, he is suddenly intro- treacle and glue; and in colour, softness, duced to nineteen enormous steam-presses, and consistency they are said, by those which, in three compartments, are all who have studied such subjects, exactly working at the same time. The simul- to resemble the arm of a young negro taneous revolution of so much complicat-girl.

ed machinery, crowded together in com- Above the table, the forms, and the rolparatively a small compass, coupled with lers we have described, are, besides other a moment's reflection upon the important wheels, two very large revolving cylin. purpose for which it is in motion, is ders, covered with flannel; the whole apastounding to the mind; and as broad paratus being surmounted by a boy, who leather straps are rapidly revolving in all has on a lofty table by his side a pile of directions, the stranger pauses for a mo- quires of white paper. ment to consider whether or not he may not get entangled in the process, and against his inclination, as authors generally say in their prefaces, go to press.'

We will not weary our reader by attempting a minute delineation of the wonderful picture before him, or even introduce to his notice the intelligent engineer, who, in a building apart from the machinery, is in solitude regulating the clean, well-kept, noiseless steam-engine which gives it motion; we will merely describe the literary process.

The lower part of each of the nineteen steam-presses we have mentioned consists of a bed or table, near the two ends of which lie prostrate the two sets of 'chases' containing the types (technically called 'forms') we have just seen adjusted, and from which impressions are to be taken.

By the power of machinery these types, at every throb of the engine, are made horizontally to advance and retire. At every such movement they are met half way by seven advancing black rollers, which diagonally pass over them, and thus, by a most beautiful process, impart to them ink sufficient only for a single impression. As quickly as the types recede, the seven rollers revolve backwards till they come in contact with another large roller of kindred complexion termed 'the doctor,' which supplies them with ink, which he, the doctor,' himself receives from a dense mass of ink, which by the constant revolution of Esculapius assumes also the appearance of a roller.

Every time the lower bed has moved, this boy places on the upper cylinder a sheet of paper, which is ingeniously confined to its station by being slipped under two strings of tape. It is, however, no sooner affixed there, than by a turn of the engine, revolving with the cylinder, it is flatly deposited on the first of the 'forms,' which, by the process we have described, has been ready inked to receive it: it is there instantaneously pressed, is then caught up by the other cylinder, and, after rapidly revolving with it, it is again left with its white side imposed upon the second 'form,' where it is again subjected to pressure, from which it is no sooner released than it is hurried within the grasp of another boy at the bottom part of the machinery, who, illumined by a gas light, extricates it from the cylinder, and piles it on a heap by his side.

By virtue of this beautiful process, a sheet of paper, by two revolutions of the engine, with the assistance only of two boys, is imprinted on both sides, with not only, say sixteen pages of letter-press, but, with the various wood-cuts which they contain. Excepting an hour's intermission, the engines, like the boys, are at regular work from eight A. M. till eight P. M., besides night-work, when it is required. Each steam-press is capable of printing 1000 sheets an hour.

The apartments above the machinery we have described contain no less than twenty-three common or hand-presses of various constructions; besides which, in

each of the compositors' rooms there is | sermon preached by him at St. Paul's Cross, what is termed a proof-press. Each of We must root out printing, or printing these twenty-three presses is attended by will root us out!' Nevertheless, the men two pressmen, one of whom inks the form, by means of a roller, whilst the other lays and takes off the paper very nearly as fast as he can change it, and by a strong gymnastic exertion, affording a striking feature of variety of attitude, imparts to it a pressure of from a ton to a ton and a half, the pressure depending upon the size and lightness of the form; this operation being performed by the two men, turn and turn about.

of the old school were soon compelled to adopt the novelty thus hateful: in fact, many of the present names of our type have been derived from their having been first employed in the printing of Romish prayers: for instance, Pica,' from the service of the Mass, termed Pica or Pie, from the glaring contrast between the black and white on its page-Primer,' from Primarius, the book of prayers to the Virgin-Brevier,' from Breviary,— By his steam and hand-presses Mr. Canon,' from the Canons of the Church Clowes is enabled at this moment to be St. Augustin,' from that Father's printing simultaneously Brown's folio writings having been first printed in that

[ocr errors]

Bible,' Vyse's Spelling Book,' First sized type, &c. &c.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Report of St. Martin's Subscription Li- How reluctantly, however, the old brary,' Religious Tracts,' 'Penny Cy- prejudice was parted with, even by the clopædia,' Penny Magazine,' 'The Har- classes most interested in the advancemonist' (in musical type), 'The Imperial ment of the new device, may be inferred Calendar,' 'Booksellers' Catalogues,' from Shakspeare's transcript of the chroRegistration Reports,' The Christian nicle in which Jack Cade, the Radical Spectator,' Pictorial Shakspere,' Hen- spouter of his day, is made to exclaim ry's folio Bible,' Butler's Lives of the against Lord Say, Thou hast most traiSaints,' 'Registration of Births and torously corrupted the youth of the realm Deaths,'' Boothroyd's Bible,' 'Life and in erecting a grammar school; and whereas, Adventures of Michael Armstrong,' Pa- before, our forefathers had no other books lestine, or the Holy Land,' The Way but the score and tally, thou hast caused to be Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise' printing to be used; and contrary to the (300,000 copies of which 20,000 are de- king, his crown, and dignity, thou hast livered per day), The Quarterly Re- built a paper-mill!' view,' &c.

[ocr errors]

Notwithstanding the noise and novelty of this scene, it is impossible either to contemplate for a moment the machinery in motion we have described, or to calculate its produce, without being deeply impressed with the inestimable value to the human race of the art of printing-an art which, in spite of the opposition it first met with, in spite of the envious clouds which seemed bent to dim its glory and check its bright course,' has triumphantly risen above the miasmatical ignorance and superstition which would willingly have smothered it.

-

But we must pause in our quotations, for the wooden clocks in the compositors' halls have just struck 'ONE,' the signal throughout the whole establishment (which we may observe contains 340 workmen) that the welcome hour for rest and refreshment has arrived. The extended arm of the distributor falls as by paralysis to his side-the compositor as suddenly lays down his stick-the corrector his bodkin-the impositor abandons his quoins, reglet, gutters, scaleboard, chases, shooting-sticks, side-sticks, and his other furniture' the wearied 'reader' slowly rises from his stool, his In the fifteenth century (the era of the boy, like a young kid, having already invention of the art) the brief-men or bounded from his side. The wheels of writers who lived by their manuscripts, the steam-presses abruptly cease to reseeing that their occupation was about to volve the 'doctor' even becomes mobe superseded, boldly attributed the in- tionless-the boys descend from the litvention to the devil, and, building on this erary pinnacles on which they had been foundation, men were warned from using stationed-the hand-presses repose-and diabolical books written by victims de- almost before the paper-men, type-foundvoted to hell.' The monks in particular ers, and other workmen can manage to were its inveterate opposers; and the lay down their work, in both Duke-street Vicar of Croydon, as if he had foreseen and Stamford-street printers' boys of vathe Reformation which it subsequently rious colours are seen either scudding effected, truly enough exclaimed in a away in all directions, or assembled in

[blocks in formation]
« ForrigeFortsett »