When the sheets are taken down, the warehouseman removes them to the
warehouse, where they are filled in between smooth pasteboards made for
the purpose. This operation is generally performed by boys, who, after
a little practice, become exceedingly expert at it. We shall try to be
somewhat minute in our description of this operation. We will suppose the
pasteboards to have sheets between them, which will be the case after
they have been once used. The warehouse being provided with long tables
or benches, secured to the wall, and a sufficient number of movable
tables about the size of the largest paper, the warehouseman places one
of the small tables endwise against the long one, forming a right angle,
upon which to lay the pressed sheets as they come out of the boards;
the boy then takes his stand at the right side of the table, with the
dry unpressed sheets at his right hand and the pasteboards at his left,
somewhat elevated, leaving sufficient space before him to fill in the
sheets. He then proceeds as follows. He first moistens the thumb of his
right hand and reaches across to the pasteboards at his left, drawing one
off with his thumb and placing it before him; he then catches a sheet of
the dry paper also with his right hand and places it as near the centre
of the pasteboard as possible; then, twisting his body nimbly round to
the left, he slides the pressed sheet from the pile of pasteboards to
the table at his left side, and, in resuming his former position, again
draws off a pasteboard with his thumb; and so on, till the gross or
bundle is filled. It is then laid aside, and another bundle filled and
laid across the former, taking care always to keep the bundles separated
until they are put in press, when they are separated by smooth boards
made of cherry or other hard wood. The bundles being all filled in, the
warehouseman proceeds to fill up the standing-press, putting in one
bundle at a time and placing a pressing-board between them; there should
also be a stout plank introduced between the top board and the platen. In
case the press should not hold quite as much as desired, more may be got
in by unscrewing the press after it has been once screwed down. The press
is finally screwed down as tight as possible. It should remain so for at
least twelve hours, when it should be entirely emptied before the sheets
are taken out of the boards. The sides of the piles or heaps must be kept
perfectly even. In large offices, hydraulic presses are used.
[Illustration: IMPROVED STANDING PRESS.]