here the lights are shining, stand
before large wooden trays or "cases," each of which is divided into a
number of small squares, like boxes without lids. These boxes hold what
are called the types. The types are little slips of metal, and on the
end of each slip is stamped a letter. One of the boxes in the tray holds
the a's, another the b's, another the c's, and the capital letters and
the stops also have their proper places. When the compositor has the
writing before him on his case, he takes a small metal box open at one
end, and of the proper width, in his left hand, and with his right hand
picks up one by one the metal letters that spell the words which are on
the page. These he places in the box with the letter end upwards,
putting a slip of metal without any letter upon it to make a space
between each word. When he has filled his box he lifts all the letters
carefully out without jumbling any of them up together, stands them in a
tray, and keeps them from falling down by placing a flat rule of brass
against the side of them. When he has set up so many of these metal
letters that they are enough, when properly arranged in columns, to make
a whole page of printing, they are all brought close together and then
tightly fastened in a kind of frame, so that they are quite firm. They
are next sent downstairs and placed on the _press_, or printing-machine.
Large smooth rollers spread a thin coating of ink upon this metal page,
and then the sheet of white paper is brought very firmly against it by a
strong machine, which presses so evenly that the ink is stamped from the
metal page of the types on to the paper. When that paper is removed it
is a printed page, with the same words upon it that the compositor read
upon the letter or written page sent in a little while ago. All night
long these types with the letters upon them are being set up, all night
long patient men pick up the metal letters and form them into pages;
all night long the steam engine is going, and the letters from the inky
metal pages are being stamped upon the clean white paper, which, when it
is printed all over, will contain the week's history of the world, and
will be read by thousands of people.

There are many lads in this printing-office, and all night they are
running up and down with letters and sheets of writing and printing, or
are cleaning the inky surface of the metal pages, or helping to fix up
the frames. But why are some of them called "rea