ush
at the murderer, who immediately plunged into the river and swam
across,... and without doubt is now safe in Mexico. [Post, p. 263.]

A disregard of exactness is not peculiar to Dr. Royce. Secondary
authorities are generally open to criticism. Of the authenticity of
Shirley's facts there can be no question. Dr. Royce recognized this,
while subjecting the work of other writers to severe scrutiny. But
Shirley's printer did her much evil. It is not necessary here to say
much concerning trade usages in making an author's manuscript
presentable in type,--the essentially different ways of and differences
between the job, the newspaper, and the book printer. Shirley's
letters, not having been written for publication, required exceptional
care while being put in type, and especially so since the manuscript
was not prepared for the press. It is amusing to read what the printers
of the Pioneer have to say of themselves.

Our facilities for doing FINE BOOK WORK, are very great, possessing
as we do, large founts of new type, and an ADAMS POWER PRESS. We
refer to the Pioneer Magazine, as a specimen. We have in use a
MAMMOTH PRESS, which gives us a great advantage in the execution of
the LARGEST SIZE MAMMOTH POSTERS, in colors or plain.

In the estimation of the printers, the materiel was the principal
thing; the personnel, not worthy of mention,--and it so happened that
it wasn't, for, judging from the typographical inaccuracies of the
Pioneer, the compositors were of a very low order of intelligence, and
if a proof-reader was employed, he assuredly stood high in their
estimation, as he evidently caused them but little trouble.

Much has been said by writers on matters typographical as to what is
meet and necessary in the reprinting of a book, and much more on
literary blunders and mistakes. Some printers are rash, and perpetrate
a worse blunder than that attempted to be corrected in reprinting.
Worse than such people are the amateur proof-readers, who generally run
to extremes, that is, they either cannot see a blunder, and hence pass
it unchallenged, or else they manifest a disposition to challenge and
"improve" everything they do not comprehend, and, knowing nothing of
typographical usages or style, they are a decidedly malignant quantity.

Every old printer knows, what is often said, that English is a
grammarless tongue, and that no grammarian ever wrote a sentence worth
reading. No proof-rea