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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 7
[miscellaneous paragraphs]
The name of the author of « Whitefriars, » a book anonymously published for many years, is made known. It is Miss Emma Robinson, a living writer.
Mr John Murray announces that he will shortly publish the life and letters of the late Sir Richard Owen, by his grandson, the Rev. R. Owen. Some delay will be caused by the vast mass of material to be studied and collated.
page 81
Black and White is usually pretty correct, but it tripped in a late issue, when in an item relating to a woman who told fortunes by cards, it described her as a « necromancer. »
The most important event in New York journalism for some years has been the sale of the Times—the price stated being $950,000. This is for plant and newspaper only, the real estate, hitherto part of the Times property, being retained by the former owners.
The Printers' Register says: In view of the recent action against the National Review, in which it was decided that the putting an article into type and submitting a proof to the writer was an actual acceptance of the manuscript, the Saturday Review now appends the following note to all proofs sent to contributors to that periodical: « Please note that the sending of this proof does not carry with it any contract that the article will either be accepted or published. »
The sonnet is by no means an easy form of verse, and has at least one advantage, that it puts a wholesome check on the tendency to a loose and discursive style. It thus becomes a fair test of a writer's skill in poetic expression. For some months past, we have noted a weekly sonnet in the Taranaki Budget, and though these contributions do not display any special brilliance, they are of excellent quality, and graceful and correct in expression. If the whole, or a selection of the best, should ever be reprinted as a collection, they would constitute an interesting addition to the library of colonial poetry.
It is possible to be too ingenious. The Printing Times says: « We well remember a machine-minder describing to us a great find he had made in the way of a fluid for cleaning up half-tone blocks. He had a mixture—if such it could be described—of hydrochloric acid and turpentine. 'Cleans'em up fine, and no mistake,' he proudly exclaimed. So it did, and by the end of the job it had cleaned all the picture away. » The writer recommends turpentine and benzole, applied with an old tooth-brush. Where fine blocks are used on long runs, an occasional cleaning is necessary.
The latest natural history « whopper » is of unusual magnitude. The Daily News is responsible for the story, which is given on the authority of one Dr. Macgowan, who describes a race of Manchurian monkeys who manufacture two kinds of wine, and vessels of pottery for its preservation; also stone mortars in which to pound the fruit. He has seen neither the simians nor their handiwork, and his information is said to be derived from native sources. « ؟Is it likely, » he plaintively asks, « that all these statements are pure inventions? » It is not for New Zealanders, however, to laugh at the credulous doctor, when we remember the moa stories picked up from imaginative Maoris, some of which occasionally find their way even into scientific papers.
Notwithstanding many protests, and the adverse report of a special committee, the government of New Zealand are still competing with private enterprise as general publishers. The following are three of their recent announcements: « New Zealand's Lone Lands, being brief notices of a visit to the outlying Islands of the colony, » by R.C.; « Aorangi: or the Heart of the Southern Alps, » by M.R. . « A Romance of Lake Wakatipu, a Legend of the Lakes, » by R.C. To which we may shortly expect to be added, « The Highwayman of New Plymouth; or the Bold Exploits of R.W., » by Right Color; « Social Pests: being the Private Biographies of some Maoriland Tories, » by Spy; « Socialist Sonnets and Communist Canticles, » by a Red Republican. When a government goes into trade as printers and publishers of cheap fiction, it is difficult to say where the speculation will end.
The man who constructs the quasi-scientific lie should know a little science. But the more egregious his ignorance the more surely will his item be copied. Here is a fine specimen: « A deadly insect has appeared about the electric lights in Newport, Ky. People stung by it suffer intensely. A sndden swelling and a peculiar somnolent condition follow the bite. Michael R— was stung, and died in a few days. Judge H—, of the Circuit Court, is laid up with his neck swollen to twice its normal size. Harry C—, another victim, is in a precarious condition. Local entomologists describe the bug as a winged spider. »—« Bug, » it is scarcely necessary to explain, means, in the American language, anything with a shell on its back, from a weevil to a stag-beetle. The winged spider of the Kentucky entomologists (?) is particularly good. Evidently the writer shares the vulgar error that a spider is an insect. A winged lobster or a winged horse would be as probable a creature. Kentucky whisky is notoriously potent, and the item, if not intended to figuratively describe its deadly effects, was surely inspired by its influence.
Mr Andrew Tuer, of the Leadenhall Press, says, « The taste for books with rough edges has to be acquired. » We have acquired some books of that description, but we have not acquired the taste.
An instance of perseverance and courage (says the Printers' Register) is that shown by Mr Marion Clark, the blind journalist, who is one of New York's most active workers. Five years ago he lost his sight, having been a newspaper writer for thirty years. As soon as he found he was hopelessly blind, he taught himself the typewriter. The papers are read to him daily, and this enables him to still keep a leading place in his profession.
The tenth part of the American Dictionary of Printing and Book-making, published as a free supplement to the American Bookmaker, has reached us. The work, now about two-thirds finished, is the best and completest of its kind in the English language, and the leading authorities, British and foreign, have been freely laid under contribution. As librarian of the New York Typothetæ, Mr Pasko, the editor, has unsurpassed facilities for the production of such a work, and every page bears evidence of his sound judgment and wide knowledge of his subject. The present part, comprising pp. 433-480, begins with Persian Morocco, and ends at Puntuación (Sp.) Among the chief articles are Philadelphia, Phonotypy, Plantin, Playing Cards, Poetry, Poster, Press (seven pages, with many woodcuts), Press, Liberty of the, Pressroom, Presswork, Printing (three pages), Printing in Colors (three pages), Printing Ink (two pages), Printing Office, Process Printing, Proof (seven pages), Publisher (two pages), Punch, Punctuation (two-and-a-half pages). In the article « Phonotypy, » the only system illustrated is Comstock's, new to us, and which is not equal to the Ellis-Pitman scheme. No dates or particulars are given: probably the editor regards it merely as a curiosity. The spelling « pi » is adopted—it is offensive to an English eye; but appears (like the detestable « phat » ) to be accepted in America. In the article « Punch » it is stated that the cutting and fitting up matrices of one single series of script in New York a few years ago cost over four thousand dollars.
Mr E. Tucker, of Stratford, sends a copy of the Somerset Standard of 28rd August, containing an interesting biography of Mr John Alexander Thorns, of Weymouth road, Frome; born 1829; died 14th June, 1892. He was the only son of Peter Perring Thoms, of Thorns & Baxter, one of the earliest and leading firms of stereotype printers in England. The senior Thoms had spent twelve years in China, in the East India Company's printing office, and there became familiar with the language, having published a volume of translations in 1824. He was associated with Dr Morrison in the adaptation of movable types to Chinese printing, and assisted him in the translation of the Bible into Chinese. On his return, being almost the only man in London who could speak the language, the passage of his house was often full of Chinese sent up from the docks, who had found themselves in some difficulty, and required an interpreter. A wealthy uncle, who built and endowed a church, offered it to John, if his father would train him for the ministry; but Mr Peter Thoms said, « No, he shall be a printer. » The young man was educated at the Merchant Taylors' school, and soon developed literary taste and ability; contributing largely to the Literary Gazette and other periodicals under the anagrammatic signature of James Arnold Thoxen. Inheriting his father's love of travel, and desiring to master the French language, he accepted an offer from a missionary printing establishment in Beauvais, where English printers were needed. He was far from comfortable in France; the passport system was vexatious, his earnings were about 2f. a day, and when the establishment failed, he found himself associated with a low type of atheistic and socialist workmen. As he was a thorough-going conservative, this kind of company was specially uncongenial. Thirteen years afterwards, in 1868, Mr Thom contributed to a trade journal, under his usual nom de plume, a series of articles entitled « Printing in Paris, » in which he gave a vivid narrative of his French experiences. He married in 1864, and had three sons, two of whom survive him. He had settled in London, but suffering from spinal weakness, had to seek change of air. In 1871 he removed to Frome, and joined the staff of Butler & Tanner, as reader, remaining there till his death. In 1882, he undertook for a London publisher a laborious work—a concordance to the Revised Version of the New Testament. Over sixty thousand sheets of paper had to be prepared for this task, which was accomplished in the extraordinarily short period of three months. Valuable as the work is to students, it was was commercially a complete failure, and the unsold remainder was cleared off at about twopence a copy. Like many another laborious and useful worker, Mr Thoms was never blessed (or otherwise) with a superfluity of worldly goods, and left his family in somewhat straitened circumstances.