Article July 15, 1933 Issue

Item of Interest

In the last issue of the Sentinel we described to our readers the Monitor news room in the new building and the process through which an article or news story goes when in editorial hands and up to the point of reaching the composing room. The composing room is arranged for mechanical processes, and thus it is bare of decoration, but spacious and adequate. In it are intricate and varied machines, such as linotypes for setting news or advertising, make-up tables, type cabinets, and matrix rollers, most of which were removed from the present building to the new one over the week-end of June 24-25. The composing room adjourned early on Saturday and the workers assisted in moving the machines to their new locations. All night Saturday the work went on. About an hour was required to take down and set up one linotype. When the last linotype arrived in the new building at 8 a.m. Sunday, it was found to be covered with flowers. It was the last float in the parade.

One of the copy readers on the Monitor furnished an explanation of how the composing room obtained its name. "In the days of Benjamin Franklin the editor of a publication was usually the reporter, printer, proof reader, and pressman. Wishing to print a particularly good story, say, the singing of the Declaration of Independence, or a timely editorial, he would go to the 'case' of type and set the story or editorial while he composed it—hence the term 'composing room.' " The name still stands even though the composing or writing of articles and editorials is done elsewhere.

From the news room copy reaches the composing room by pneumatic tube. The copy has been edited, punctuated, paragraphed, and given a "head." The copy cutter takes the story from the tube and cuts it into small sections called "takes," which he numbers and letters as indications for the final assembling. The linotype operators receive the "takes" from bins at the copy cutter's desk and on their machines set them in type. An operator has no difficulty in setting six lines per minute.

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