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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 4
[miscellaneous paragraphs]
Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria and M. Stambouloff have agreed to introduce the Gregorian Calendar in all official documents in future, having hitherto clung to the Julian or Old Style. This important and long-delayed reform is not without its political bearings, as indicating that Bulgaria is becoming detached from Russian influence.
Of all mechanical type-composere, the « Thorne » seems to be the best. With engine and gear, it costs about £500; a single machine is only suitable for one size of type on account of the loss of time (some three hours) in changing one size to another; and three men are required to operate it. As it has a capacity of 8,000 ems per hour, composed, justified, and distributed, there is a large saving on the ordinary system, where much solid matter is required. The Printers' Register for April has a long article on the machine, and its verdict is that for large offices the machines are a success, and will pay handsomely. In a small job-office or country newspaper-establishment, they would be as much out of place as a £3000 web-printing-machine.
The keenest and shrewdest criticism of Edward Bellamy's book that we have yet seen is in the correspondence column of a West Coast paper. The writer says that the book, « instead of making men think, will set them sweetly dreaming. »
In the rules of the newly-formed Shipmasters' Association, one of the duties of the treasurer is defined as being « to keep an intelligent look-out after the best interests of the association.!) There is no affectation of nautical language in the code; but the expression is an interesting example of the tendency of a worker to express his thoughts in the familiar terms of his craft.
Bishop Julius, of Christchurch, is a robust churchman, with views on certain subjects, including that of sacred poetry, which are somewhat eccentric. Most of the hymns in current use, he said, were « rubbish—trash. » That many popular hymns come under this category is doubtless true; but it is a little surprising to find the Bishop specifying « Hark the Herald Angels Sing, » as an awful example, and asking, « Who ever heard the herald angels sing? » —a question, by the way, that any Sunday scholar should be able to answer.—A clergyman in Wellington last month informed his readers that the Jubilee was a festival instituted by the Church of Rome! —We have seen some odd blunders by newspaper men in Scripture references; but certain reverend and right reverend gentlemen seem to be nearly as « shaky » on the subject, and with less excuse.
Newspaper men will sympathize with the editor of the Charleston Herald, who has been feeling the force of the West Coast zephyrs. He says: « We regret to have to say that our institution suffered considerably from the force of the gale. The beautiful Gothic porch at the front entrance, which was looked upon as a rare specimen of architecture, and against which every vagrant horse and cow in the district used to scratch its back, detached itself from the main structure at 10.45 a.m., and fell with great force in the middle of the next street—a total wreck. The main building also suffered to some extent, several portions of it having come to grief, there being nothing left of the chimney but the framework; and the massive wooden pillars of the corridor leading from the editor's lunch-room to the bullion-vaults were knocked considerably out of plumb, and to add to the misfortune the paste-pot is missing. If ever a long-winded subscriber had an opportunity of performing a meritorious action, that time has now arrived. »
« There have been a good many editors engaged on the New Zealand Times, » says a writer in the Sydney News. « Here I may say, parenthetically, quorum pars parva fui. One of them, 'Jock' Anderson, who, rest his soul, is dead, had to write a Christmas leader; and, as 'Jock' in addition to being a staunch Presbyterian, preferred fighting, at all times, to peace on earth and goodwill towards men, he did not find his ideas on Christmas come freely. So he turned up the paper of the previous Christmas Day, cut out the leader, pasted it on a slip of paper, and prefaced it thus: 'The sacred season is once more with us. As we remarked twelve months ago.' Then he handed this to the foreman printer with the remark, 'I dinna see how it can be bettered.' There is also to me a memory of a very pleasant gentleman who was years ago proprietor of the New Zealand Times, called then by another name. This gentleman was cast into an honorable prison by the autocratic Government of the time for having said something justly disrespectful of its administration. Years afterwards, in referring to this incident in his life, he was wont to speak with proper pride of the period of his 'incasseration.' »
At the close of the graduation ceremony at Edinburgh University, Prof. Masson delivered the address. He said that the three great old professions of the Church, Law, and Medicine were not now the only ones entitled to the name of professions—there were at least three others: the teaching profession; journalism—the literature of current history; and, less indistinctly organized as yet, that of the application of the physical and natural sciences to the medical profession. He went on to give advice to the graduates about to take up the various lines he had indicated, and concluded thus: « You, likewise, graduate, who may drift into the career of journalism, also a career of fine intrinsic capabilities, but with peculiar perils and pitfalls, believe what you write and write only what you believe —be willing to starve rather than sell yourself for hire against your convictions; abstain from mere yell and hullabaloo —think as carefully as you can over every topic with which you may have to deal; cultivate generosity to your opponents whenever generosity is possible; and, however hard you may have to fight, never hit below the belt. So in any other of the walks of life that have been suggested. In each there is a conscience, a standard of the highest efficiency, a rule of honor and integrity. »