IN THE COMPOSING ROOM.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2739, 31 December 1881, Page 3

IN THE COMPOSING ROOM.

SECOND EDITION

There are not many aged printer?. Now and then we find a compositor who set,, type on the first edition of the “ Herald,” but he is apt to bo a somber millionaire to whom the pleasures of existence are vague nebulae of report, rarely the evidence of things appreciated Printers work' at night. That necessitates gas and frequent adjournments to the nearest house —of refreshment. Printers are generally thin, pale and fond of tobacco. Their nervous energy is given to the service of their employer and they rely too often upon stimulants ranging from cold tea to gin and milk, from rum and gum to whisky straight, for fictitious strength which wastes as often as it is renewed. The foremen complain of pains in the c l ies t—they bend over so much. Proofreaders lose tlieir eyes and have buzzings in their ears. Compositors get sore fingers and cricks in the back. Strange as it may appear, although they go to bed very late, they are not always late risers. But when they get up their faculties are sleepy. They are liable to headache, dyspepsia and weak backs. 1 Their physical fibre fails to keep pace ’with their activity. _ As years go on they become feeble. Little by little they degenerate from experts into muffs, and then they have to leave their “ sits ”on the daily press and seek employment on the less exacting weeklies or trades ’ papers. There are many women typesetters, but as they generally marry young it is impossible to say what effect ■ the trade has on them. One of the wbrst features of typesetting is what is known as the wrist drop.” A man may be driving away at a great rale, when, without warning, his wrist will give way and his hand fall helpless. In other words he’s “ leaded.” —(New York paper.)'