Chapter XLVI

INSIDE THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE—THE STORY OF A “PUB.
DOC.”—WOMEN WORKERS.

The Largest Printing Establishment in the World—The Celebrated
“Pub. Doc.”—A Personal Experience—What the Nation’s Printing
Costs—A Melancholy Fact—Two Sides of the Question—Printing a
Million Money-Orders—The Stereotype Foundry—A Few Figures—The
Government Printing-Office—A Model Office—Aiding Human
Labor—Working by Machinery—The Ink-Room—The Private Offices—Mr.
Clapp’s Comfortable Office—The Proof-Reading Room—The Workers
There—The Compositor’s Room—The Women-Workers—Setting Up Her
Daily Task—The Tricks and Stratagems of Correspondents—A
Private Press in the White House—Acres of Paper—Specimens of
Binding—Specimen Copies—Binding the Surgical History of the
War—The Ladies Require a Little More Air—Delicate Gold-Leaf
Work—The Folding-Room—An Army of Maidens—The Stitching-Room—The
Needles of Women—A Busy Girl at Work—“Thirty Cents
Apiece”—Getting Used to It—The Girl Over Yonder—The Manual
Labor System—Preparing “Copy”—“Setting Up”—Making-Up
“Forms”—Reading “Proof”—The Press-Room—Going to Press—Folding,
Stitching, and Binding—Sent Out to “The Wide, Wide World.” 520