People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 27-25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1896 — THE PILOT “PUSH.” [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE PILOT “PUSH.”

It may be interesting to some of the readers of this paper to know who are engaged in the work of making the People’s Pilot and doing the printing work of the office, and lack of modesty prompts the editor to start with himself first in an enumeration of the several who have a finger in the “pi” each week. FRANCIS D. CRAIG. This number closes the first year of his connection with the Pilot. It has been a successful and pleasant twelve month. Mr. Craig has personal supervision of every detail of the office. Every line of copy passes through his hands, is either written by him or read and edited; the proof-sheets he also reads, and the “revises” pass under his

eye; the advertisementsa re designed and partly set by him, as is also the job work; he is his his own pressman, and in the printing of this edition upwards of 50,000 sheets of paper were lifted one sheet at a time and fed into the rapidly operating press. Besides the actual work of the paper he finds time to entertain patrons and friends who call, though sometimes the day too short to compass all the duties that crowd upon him and the midnight oil is burned. Altogether his days are very busily spent, as are perhaps the days of most people who are determined to be successful in life. F. D. Craig is a native of Waukesha county, Wis., the son of Perry Craig, whose portrait is

printed in this issue. He is now past thirty-five years old, has seen life in different parts of Colorado, Georgia, lowa, Wisconsin and Illinois; was raised on a farm, but most of the time for eighteen years he has been in newspaper work. He was married to Miss Ida McCoy, of Mt. Pleasant, lowa, Feb. 16,1892. Regularly employed in this office are Miss Stella Perkins, compositor; Miss Birdie Chipman, compositor; Mrs. Ida Craig compositor; C. D. Ashby, printer; B. P. Parker, foreman; Clyde Comer, apprentice; A. J. McFarland, solicitor; and F. D. Craig, nothing special. Miss Perkins has now been employed in the Pilot office about four months, and though a beginner when she came, she has become as proficient as many who spend a year at typesetting. Miss-Chipman has been at the work but a month, and she also has made wonderful headway in the mastery of the work. Both young ladies will make excellent compositors. They both have good homes and indulgent fathers to support them but they prefer to do a little carving of fortune for themselves, and are unconsciously gaining such a knowledge of t]ie English language as all their school years has failed to impress upon their minds. Mr. Parker is recently from

Atlanta, Ga., where his parents reside, and where he has worked in good offices for several years. He is a very competent and ipr dustrious young man with a bright future before him., Mr. Ashby is a printer of extensive experionce and has been with the Pilot about a month. He with all theotners has labored faithfully in the struggle to issue this large illustrated edition. Clyde is a school boy who devotes his mornings and evenings to the office duties, errands, and to the incidental mysteries of typesetting. He has been very, punctual and obliging and has a natural liking for the work. Mrs. Craig devotes all the

time she can spare from her household duties to the setting of type, having learned that useful occupation without the serious objection of her husband. She preferred however not to have her portrait appear on this page, and a glance at the fierce features of chief villian is sufficient excuse for her decision in the matter. Besides the parties mentioned above, Gentlemen Charles C. Warner and Isaac French have rendered essential work on this “Souvenir,” and mention is due Mr. A. Beasley, the excellent photographer of Remington, who

came over at great haidsbip and caught a few views that were indispensable to the edition. THE PPINTERY. The People’s Pilot printing office has received material additions during the past year. It now has a good cylinder press with steam power, a quantity of new fixtures, and beginning the new year, a handsome dress of smaller ana more appropriate type is given the paper. Thelocation has been changed from an uninviting upstairs room to accessible quarters on the ground floor. At this time an addition is beiug built to accommodate the press and engine as the growth of business renders the large room crowded and inconvenient. This new room will give the Pilot the finest of press-

rooms. Though there are still many things yet to do to make the office as perfect as desired, still what has been done within the year has cost 11500, and makes it a very efficient plant. Competent workmen are employed for doing all classes of of work from the printing a visiting card to turning oujt a book. It is theambition of the present manager to build the business and improve the plant until it shall be a veritable bee hive of industry, giving Employment to

many times its present force of employees, and become an institution of the city that will be a constant and substantial benefit to it. This can not be done without continued and increased patronage as the improving paper may merit, but the pleasant experiences of the past year induces the manager to believe his hopes will be realized.

MISS STELLA PERKINS.

B. P. PARKER.

PERRY CRAIG, WAUKESHA, WIS.

CLYDE COMER.

F. D. CRAIG.