HOW THE CHINESE "FOLLOW COPY."

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1901, 1 June 1892, Page 6

HOW THE CHINESE "FOLLOW COPY."

If certain time-honored anecdotes rogarcling the Chinese artists who followed their models even to the extent of reproducing cracks in porcelain and patches in pantaloons are to be credited, says 'Typo,' the race possesses the faculty of minute and accurate imitation, One would therefore expect a Chinese comp to follow copy far more cloaely than his European brother. But the Hongkong ' Telegraph ' has effectually dispelled this illusion. Presumably for economy it employs almond-eyed and queued gentlemen at case, and the editorial staff and the proof-reader are fast qualifying for the asylum for the insans. To show what he had to put up with, the editor lately inserted a familiar piece just as it came from the hands of the compositor, (It appears to have been set from manusoript, and for one or two of the verbal errorß tho comp is evidently not responsible) Here it is: "The Burial of Sir John Moon.— Not a drum was heard not v, funeral note as his corse to the ramparts. We hirmed not a soldur discharged hia farewell shot O'er the gram when our Hero ws buired. We buired him doubly at dead of night. The soda with our bayonets turning. By thruggling inoonheanrs mirty light and the lantern drinily buning. No melen coffin enclosed hia breast not in shut nor in shoraed we would him. But he laid like a warrior taking his not. Wilt his martial clock around him, Few and short were the papers and we spoke not a word of sorrow. But wo steadfastly galed on tho fall that was dead and we bitterly thought of the morror."