looked! I saw in a minute that all the parts of the block are cut
away except the parts marked by the lead-pencil and brush; these
must stand up higher than the rest of the wood, to take the ink
for printing. But I tell you what seemed like magic--taking a
proof. The proof-taker just laid the engraved block picture on its
back in his press, and ran an inked roller over its face; then he
laid a sheet of paper on it; then he pulled the press down on it,
and it only took a second's pressure; when he lifted up the press
and took the paper out, there was the loveliest picture of a baby
sitting in a high chair. All the class wanted one immediately, but
we had no time to wait; so away we marched up some more winding
stairs to the "composing-room." Now you mustn't think that's where
they compose stories; it's only the place for setting up type, and
such work.
Here a number of young men were filling small iron things, called
"sticks," with type; as each stick was loaded, the types were
taken out in a bunch and put into a tray called a "galley." This
is called "composing." Stickful after stickful was arranged, until
a page of type lay there. It seemed all spelled backward, to make
it come out right when printed.
The "galley man" then inked this page of type, and struck off a
proof for each of us, just as the picture proof was struck off
down stairs. As this page was only a letter from a doll, I didn't
care much for it, but all the girls just went wild over it;
however, I took one for the curiosity's sake; for what fellow is
there cares for dolls?
HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE is not printed right from these type, as I
thought when the proofs were being made for us, for the type would
soon wear off. A wax mould is made from each page of set-up type.
I asked the editor what good a soft wax thing like that mould
could be, so he took us all into a wonderful room, where they make
copper plates from the wax moulds. We had only been there a minute
or two when the foreman asked us if we'd like to see him strike
lightning. In the middle of the room stands a large bath of glass,
with a smaller one inside of it filled with a dark blue liquid.
Joined to it were some broad bands of copper, reaching nearly to
the ceiling. Well, the foreman touched one of these belts with
some kind of a bar of metal, and right away the sparks flew, and
there came flashes like lightning. Of course some of the girls ran
away, and one of the boys ran too.
We boys staid, and the foreman showed us how the wax moulds were
hung in the blue-vitriol water, with plates of copper hanging near
them. Somehow--I can not understand exactly how--the electricity
makes the copper dissolve and fall in powder on the wax, where it
hardens; when it is taken out of this bath it is a beautiful
copper picture, black on the front and red on the under side.
We were told the under or hollow side would next be filled in with
lead, just as boys fill in a bullet mould. We were only allowed to
peep into the lead-melting room, where we saw a great caldron
filled with boiling lead. I would have liked to give it a good
stir up with the big ladle, but of course didn't ask the favor.
This built-up copper plate is very strong, and any number of
pictures or letters--for they make moulds and plates of both--can
be printed from them.
Then the editor said we should see the men printing from these
plates, fastened into iron frames called "forms." So down ever so
many winding stairs we travelled, until we came to a dark
under-ground room, where the "Hoe" printing-presses are. Whew!
what a whizzing and buzzing there was!
We all stood around a great big machine, and the editor kindly
lifted us up in turn so we might all see it. On the top, on a
large metal plate, the white paper is laid, the plate moves
forward, and up come a lot of shining steel prongs that catch the
paper and drag it under so you can't see it. Just then, below, at
the other side, we caught sight of a large "form" with the metal
plate of type, or text, and pictures of HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE in
it. It seemed to know just what to do, for it moved toward the
sheet of paper, which was somewhere down under the rollers, and
the next thing we saw was the sheet coming out at the other end on
a wooden frame, which lifted up and turned it over on a pile which
had been printed before we came in. Just think, boys and girls:
that press can turn out two thousand YOUNG PEOPLE in an hour!
We only took a peep at the two big "Corliss" steam-engines that
were making the whole thing go. Here some of the girls were afraid
again; so, as it was near twelve o'clock, we hurried up the
winding stairs again to see the folding and binding and
"marbleizing" done.
The folding-machine is just the cleverest thing. The sheet is laid
on a moving roller which carries it over to a second and then a
third roller, and it goes in and out, and the first thing you know
it drops down in a trough at the side, all nicely folded, and cut,
too, for binding.
Then we saw a lot all ready for the sewers. Well, I think I never
saw needles fly like those that the girls were sewing the leaves
in lots with. Fifty-two YOUNG PEOPLES sewed together make a pretty
fat-looking book, but when it is put in a heavy press it comes out
looking considerably slimmer. Next we saw the fly-leaves
marbleized. My! but wasn't it pretty! A man stood in front of a
large square bath filled with gum and water. There were lots of
cans around, filled with red, blue, yellow, green, and other
colored paints. First he dipped his brush in the red and shook it
over the gum water--the drops made circles of red--then he shook
yellow spots with another brush; then blue, till the top of the
water was beautifully spotted. Next he took what looked like a
very big comb and stroked the water softly, so all the colors took
curious long shapes; then he stroked it the other way with a finer
comb, until it had a pretty peacock-feather pattern on it, and was
ready for the paper, which he just laid flat on top of the gay
water, and then hung it up to dry for fly-leaves.
After that we watched the men brush paste on the backs of the
books, put the covers on, and place them in presses to make the
paste stick. We couldn't wait to see them come out of the presses,
so we thanked the editor, and started for home. Some of the girls
said they would know how to mend books now when the covers came
off. Every one of them said they were going to marbleize paper
when they got home; but I know something more tip-top than that:
_I'm_ going to rig up a machine to strike lightning. And now, dear
friends, I must say good-by.
FRANK E. F.
* * * * *
Favors are acknowledged from E. D. Kellogg, C. W. Seagar, A. D. H., Ben
J. R., Phebe O'Reilly, T. F. Weishampel, H. G. M., Ellie Earle, F. D.
Crane, Willy Rochester, Nellie E. Owen, Lydia M. Bennett, Mary Daucy,
Willie A. Scott, Albert K. Hart, Bobbie C. Horntager, Dany J. O., T. N.
Jamieson, Belle Dening, Joe T. P., Freddie C. Y., Mamie S., Eva M.
Moody, Gracie E. Stevens.
* * * * *
Correct answers to puzzles are received from Charles Gaylor, Mabel
Lowell, The Dawley Boys, Alice Ward, Tom Kelley, Jun., Cal I. Forny,
Mark Marcy, George Willie Needham, Walter P. Hiles.
* * * * *
PUZZLES FROM YOUNG CONTRIBUTORS.
No. 1.
HALF-SQUARE--(_To Mark Marcy_).
Last.--A bird. To pinch. White. A letter.
MABEL.
* * * * *
No. 2.
NUMERICAL CHARADES.
1. I am a plant found in pastures, composed of 8 letters.
My 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is a little animal.
My 6, 7, 8 is a part of the body.
GEORGIA.
2. I am an animal composed of 9 letters.
My 4, 2, 3, 8 is a kind of grain.
My 6, 7, 9 is something good to eat.
My 5, 1 is aloft.
MAUD.
3. I am a city in New England composed of 8 letters.
My 1, 2, 3, 4 is a kind of wine.
My 5, 6, 7, 8 is to disembark.
MABEL.
* * * * *
No. 3.
RHOMBOID--(_To Zelotes_).
Across.--To stain. A kind of three-masted vessel. Scoffs. A city of
Northern Italy. A part cut to enter a mortise.
Down.--Always in mischief. An animal. A part of the body. Death. To
repel. To wax. Wrong-doing. A denial. In scorn.
BOLUS.
* * * * *
No. 4.
HOUR-GLASS PUZZLE--(_To Rip Van Winkle_).
A lake in the United States. A city in South America. An African
sea-port. A river in Scotland. In Hamburg. A river in Russia. A city in
Italy. A country in South America. A city in South America. Centrals
read downward spell the name of a country in South America.
OWLET.
* * * * *
ANSWERS TO PUZZLES IN No. 59.
No. 1.
H E A R
E A T
A T
R
No. 2.
I B I S
E D I T
A L O E
L O D E
No. 3.
North Pole.
No. 4.
A o R t A
R o U n D
M a N i A
No. 5.
J ean D'Ar C
U rsul A
L amartin E
I socrate S
U rani A
S chille R
Julius Cæsar.
No. 6.
T O L L B E A R
O B E Y E L S E
L E E R A S I A
L Y R E R E A R
S O A P R I C E
O N C E I R O N
A C T S C O R D
P E S T E N D S
HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE.
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HARPER & BROTHERS,
Franklin Square, N. Y.
FUNNY FLIRTATION CARDS.
BY FRANK BELLEW.
[Illustration: FIG. 1.]
Charley Sparks is one of those sunshiny young fellows who occasionally
come beaming upon us out of the gloom and mist of this rather foggy
world. He always has a smile, and generally something new in the way of
a puzzle, or a riddle, or a notion of some sort wherewith to amuse his
friends. The other evening he dropped in to see us, with his usual
amount of sunshine to compete with the gas-light in the parlor, but
there was an extra twinkle in his eye which told me that he had
something novel to communicate. There were several of the girls present,
and a couple of friends, one of whom was Maggie Martin, a bright little
brunette, as piquant as a French sauce, and the other a Miss Sarah
Gooch, an amiable maiden lady of about forty-five. After a few words of
greeting, Charley pulled from his pocket a card, of which Fig. 1 is a
copy, and presenting it to Miss Gooch, asked her if she could solve the
enigma. As you will see, it is a very simple rebus, which most people
could readily make out.
Miss Gooch looked at it steadily for some minutes, and then slowly and
deliberately said, "Eye--yes, eye."
"That's right," said Charley; "you can dot that eye."
"Eye," repeated Miss Gooch--"door--sheep. Eye--door--sheep. Well, I
don't see anything in that." Then there was a pause. Charley would not
help her out. "However, I'll try again: eye--oh yes, I see--a
door--sheep."
"Oh no, you don't," said Charley. "You may like a mutton-chop now and
then, Miss Gooch, but to adore a whole sheep--no, no."
Miss Gooch tried it again.
"Eye--a door--sheep--lamb--ram--wether--ewe. Oh, I have it: I adore
you."
"Do you?" exclaimed Charley, in the most impassioned tones, as he threw
himself on one knee, and seized her hand. "Then I am indeed the happiest
of mortals."
A box on the ear from the laughing Miss Gooch brought him to his feet,
and terminated the love scene.
[Illustration: FIG. 2.]
[Illustration: FIG. 3.]
Before we had all recovered from our merriment at this performance,
Charley approached Maggie Martin with great deference, and handed her
another card, on one side of which was inscribed hieroglyphics like
those on Fig. 2, and on the other side other figures, like those on Fig.
3.
"Why, you seem to have brought a whole pack of cards with you, Mr.
Sparks," said Maggie.
"A pack of nonsense you mean," replied Charley.
"Well, let us look at your nonsense."
"Oh, this is not nonsense, but the most deadly earnest."
Maggie turned the card over and over, first looking at one side and then
at the other.
"Are these inscriptions taken from the Obelisk?" she queried, archly.
"No; they are copied from an inscription carved upon my heart."
"Oh, another stone, eh?"
"I wish it were a stone"--with a sigh. "But try my puzzle. I am deeply
interested in it."
Maggie turned it over and over, held it edgeways this side and edgeways
the other, but could make nothing of it.
"I am surprised you can not find it out," said Charley; "it is very
transparent."
"Transparent? Oh, it is very transparent, is it? I see." And she held it
up to the light, which, shining through the thin card, blended the two
unmeaning inscriptions together so that they revealed distinctly a
sentence, which she began to read:
"I lo--" Then suddenly checking herself, she said, with a laugh, "No you
don't, Mr. Sparks; you don't trap me into any expression of adoration,
as you did Miss Gooch. But tell me, how do you make these cards?"
"The simplest thing in the world. You take a piece of thin card-board,
and outline on it in pencil any sentence you wish, as I have done 'I
love you'; then you blacken portions of the letters, as I have also
done, and place the card with its face to a window-pane, so that the
light shining through will show what you have done on the other side.
Complete the letters on the opposite side to the one on which you wrote
the first part of your inscription, and the thing is done."
[Illustration: DOUBT.
"Shall I--or--shall I not? Perhaps it would be better to let him go."]
[Illustration: THE SINGING LESSON.]
End of Project Gutenberg's Harper's Young People, January 4, 1881, by Various