PRINTING 



85 



a's; and they place in the more distant compart- 

 ments the letters less often used, such as rr's and t/'s. 

 4 'The compositor has before him a manuscript, 

 and at his left hand a little flanged iron ruler called 

 a composing- 

 stick. As he 

 reads, his right 

 hand, guided by 

 long habit, 

 searches in the 

 case the desired 

 letter and places 

 it in the compos- 

 ing-stick, up- 

 right and in a An old fashioned Hand Press 



row with the others. He separates the words by 

 means of a metal stick like those of the letters, but 

 the end of which remains depressed and does not 

 bear any carving. The first line finished, the com- 

 positor begins another by setting a new row of lit- 

 tle metal pieces next to the row already finished. 

 Finally, when the composing-stick is full, the work- 

 man cautiously places the contents in an iron frame, 

 which keeps the delicate combination from going to 

 's; and he continues thus until the frame is 

 quite full and we have what is called the printing- 

 bed. This plate is composed of a multitude of little 

 metal sticks, simply placed side by side. There are 

 as many of these as there are letters, orthographic 

 signs, and spaces separating the words. The ar- 

 rangement of these numerous bits of metal is a 

 masterpiece that a falx movement might ruin. It 



