Proofreading is hard and this article from an 1885 Kentucky newspaper makes me feel a little better about the typos I miss.
Painstaking people, who know next to nothing of printing, finding a special delight in searching out typographic errors in newspapers, periodicals and books, the detection of a blunder, in their own estimation, putting a premium on individual intelligence—conferring a privilege of disparaging printers. Men of intelligence who write well but not legibly never tire of pointing out mistakes of printers and the oversights of proofreaders. These self-constituted censors of typography may find food for wholesome reflection in the fact that just about one hundred years ago a number of professors in the Edinburg University undertook the publication of a book which should be a perfect specimen of typographical accuracy. Every conceivable precaution was taken to prevent errors of the types. Six experienced proof readers were employed who devoted hours to the reading of each page. After their careful task was completed, each page was posted in the hall of the University with a notification that £50 would be paid to any person who should succeed in discovering an error. Every page remained thus publicly exposed for for two weeks before being returned to the printing office. The projectors of the work felt confident that the object so diligently striven for had been attained. Great was the discomfiture of the learned men when, on the work being issued, several errors were found, one occurring in the first line of the first page.
Showing posts with label 1885. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1885. Show all posts
Friday, March 18, 2016
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Kentucky 1885
Now that VERMONT CLIPPINGS has been completed, I have been "visiting" Maysville, Kentucky via the 1885 Evening Bulletin. Here are a few excerpts:
Erie, Pa.—Mayor Adams has a novel application to open his term with. David Gutenkunst, a saloon keeper, is an applicant for the post of police chief, candidly stating that he has no personal detective ability but that his recently married wife is a medium able to detect burglars and recover stolen property by looking in a glass of water. Fearing the mayor would not appoint his wife to the post, Gutenkunst asked it for himself but will let his wife run the business.
Wichita, Kansas.—The new liquor law has closed, to all appearances, every saloon in this city but as anyone can get all the liquor he wants at drug stores by stating he desires liquor for medical purposes, many of the saloon men have started drug stores and a doing a very thriving business.
The postal letter carriers at Salt Lake City are having a unique experience. On account of the late polygamy arrests all the Mormons have been severely warned against talking to strangers and giving their names or residences. The carriers in their rounds knock at doors and a scurry ensues inside. A child answers the door. It is asked who lives there and it often refuses to tell. It does not know the names of the neighbors, or where its father and mother are to be found. The uniform is a sign of the enemy and no information is to be had.
Pittsburg.—Thomas Carney relates a strange tale in the divorce proceedings now pending against his wife, Mary. She was passionately fond of baseball and went to see all the games. She became so absorbed in the sport last summer that she neglected her children. At length she got to betting. The Alleghenys seemed to possess some attraction for her and her money was always put on that club. As they were nearly always beaten the husband testified that this business became rather expensive. When he suggested to her that she should stay at home with the babies she told him to hire a domestic. Carney finally left his wife and the last he heard of her she was desirous of joining a woman’s baseball club.
Erie, Pa.—Mayor Adams has a novel application to open his term with. David Gutenkunst, a saloon keeper, is an applicant for the post of police chief, candidly stating that he has no personal detective ability but that his recently married wife is a medium able to detect burglars and recover stolen property by looking in a glass of water. Fearing the mayor would not appoint his wife to the post, Gutenkunst asked it for himself but will let his wife run the business.
Wichita, Kansas.—The new liquor law has closed, to all appearances, every saloon in this city but as anyone can get all the liquor he wants at drug stores by stating he desires liquor for medical purposes, many of the saloon men have started drug stores and a doing a very thriving business.
The postal letter carriers at Salt Lake City are having a unique experience. On account of the late polygamy arrests all the Mormons have been severely warned against talking to strangers and giving their names or residences. The carriers in their rounds knock at doors and a scurry ensues inside. A child answers the door. It is asked who lives there and it often refuses to tell. It does not know the names of the neighbors, or where its father and mother are to be found. The uniform is a sign of the enemy and no information is to be had.
Pittsburg.—Thomas Carney relates a strange tale in the divorce proceedings now pending against his wife, Mary. She was passionately fond of baseball and went to see all the games. She became so absorbed in the sport last summer that she neglected her children. At length she got to betting. The Alleghenys seemed to possess some attraction for her and her money was always put on that club. As they were nearly always beaten the husband testified that this business became rather expensive. When he suggested to her that she should stay at home with the babies she told him to hire a domestic. Carney finally left his wife and the last he heard of her she was desirous of joining a woman’s baseball club.
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| Roller skating was in the news all the time. New rinks were being built. There were strange contests at the rinks—the longest necktie and the longest apron were two of them. Sounds a bit dangerous to me. Doctors proclaimed skating was bad for the ankles. Some ministers declared skating evil while others found it preferable to dancing. Laws were passed to keep kids out of rinks during school hours. |
When lawyers fail to take a fee,
And juries never disagree;
When politicians are content,
And landlords don’t collect their rent’
When naughty children all die young,
And girls are born without a tongue’
When preachers cut their sermons short,
And all folks to the church resort;
When back subscribers all have paid,
And editors have fortunes made;
Such happiness will sure portend
This world must soon come to an end.
And juries never disagree;
When politicians are content,
And landlords don’t collect their rent’
When naughty children all die young,
And girls are born without a tongue’
When preachers cut their sermons short,
And all folks to the church resort;
When back subscribers all have paid,
And editors have fortunes made;
Such happiness will sure portend
This world must soon come to an end.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
It is beginning to feel like spring in Colorado but just to remind myself that winter may not be over, here is another weather related story:
Portland, Ore., Jan. 7, 1885.—It has been snowing out this way lately. If anyone doubts it let him ask the officers of the Oregon railway and navigation company. He may get an answer that will make him think that he has been struck by an avalanche.
On December 16, a passenger train left here over that road. It got as far east as Booneville, about forty miles. It has been there packed in the snow for twenty days. Doubts are expressed whether the train will get out from the thirty foot drifts before spring, for at present the company seems to be largely dependent upon Providence for the clearing of its buried track. It has not the machinery necessary to fight drifting snow.
The Northern Pacific forces uncovered the track for about 100 miles on the west end of the road and from the east to within about twenty-five miles of the imprisoned cars. The O.R.&N., however, has failed to keep the track clear behind the excavators and in consequence the Northern Pacific snow plows and shovelers are likely to get snowed in.
A hundred and fifty men from the Puget Sound division of the Northern Pacific are now at work behind the blockaded train. A hundred of them shovel and operate the machinery and the rest cut wood for the engines and for the open fires that are necessary to protect the men while they work.
The impression is growing that the O.R.&N. road will not be open for regular travel again this winter unless there is a radical change in the weather or the experienced eastern men of the Northern Pacific, who are accustomed to dealing with snow in its worst shade in Minnesota, Dakota and Montana get charge of the work. So far this winter the Northern Pacific has not been obstructed a day.
Fortunately, the number of people on the unfortunate train is not large, only about twenty-five. Food has been regularly and abundantly sent to them. They have also been supplied with fuel cut from the surrounding forests.
The blockade is considered unprecedented in the history of American railroading. For twenty days a great trunk line has been blocked and all direct communication between Portland and the east shut off. Travelers and the mails now have to go by sea to San Francisco, a by no means pleasant journey at this season, and thence east over the Central Pacific.
Portland, Ore., Jan. 7, 1885.—It has been snowing out this way lately. If anyone doubts it let him ask the officers of the Oregon railway and navigation company. He may get an answer that will make him think that he has been struck by an avalanche.
On December 16, a passenger train left here over that road. It got as far east as Booneville, about forty miles. It has been there packed in the snow for twenty days. Doubts are expressed whether the train will get out from the thirty foot drifts before spring, for at present the company seems to be largely dependent upon Providence for the clearing of its buried track. It has not the machinery necessary to fight drifting snow.
The Northern Pacific forces uncovered the track for about 100 miles on the west end of the road and from the east to within about twenty-five miles of the imprisoned cars. The O.R.&N., however, has failed to keep the track clear behind the excavators and in consequence the Northern Pacific snow plows and shovelers are likely to get snowed in.
A hundred and fifty men from the Puget Sound division of the Northern Pacific are now at work behind the blockaded train. A hundred of them shovel and operate the machinery and the rest cut wood for the engines and for the open fires that are necessary to protect the men while they work.
The impression is growing that the O.R.&N. road will not be open for regular travel again this winter unless there is a radical change in the weather or the experienced eastern men of the Northern Pacific, who are accustomed to dealing with snow in its worst shade in Minnesota, Dakota and Montana get charge of the work. So far this winter the Northern Pacific has not been obstructed a day.
Fortunately, the number of people on the unfortunate train is not large, only about twenty-five. Food has been regularly and abundantly sent to them. They have also been supplied with fuel cut from the surrounding forests.
The blockade is considered unprecedented in the history of American railroading. For twenty days a great trunk line has been blocked and all direct communication between Portland and the east shut off. Travelers and the mails now have to go by sea to San Francisco, a by no means pleasant journey at this season, and thence east over the Central Pacific.
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