HUMORS OF PRINTERS’ ERRORS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3109, 4 January 1911, Page 7

HUMORS OF PRINTERS’ ERRORS.

DEFEATED WITH GREAT

LAUGHTER

The printer, line the reporter, is often made a scapegoat by people who, on second thoughts, do not care to stick to their utterances. And the excuse that they did not say what they are reported to have said, and tllat they have been the victim of a blunder on the part of either the pressman or printer, is more readily believed because the latter may plead guilty to many mistakes. Generally speaking, however, these are on the humorous side rather than the serious side. A dropped letter or punctuation mark, a mis-reported word, and a sentence or paragraph becomes ridiculous.

It is not so long ago, for instance, since a prominent London newspaper announced that “the Prime Minister has consented to receive a deputation from the National Society for Promoting the Welfare of the Feeble-Minded at Downing Street;” while, according to a newspaper wire during the Russo-Japanese War, tlie Japs on a certain occasion defeated the Russians “with great laughter.'”

It reminds one of the report of a cow who was run over by a train and w r as “cut into calves;” and the announcement of a window auction at which “a stock of thoroughly-seasoned baywindows, complete, and glazed with best English plate,” was to be knocked down at give-away prices. A “NOBBY OLD iHii^^R."

As an example of what can be done, however, in the way o: printers’ errors, the following, which appeared in a small American paper, would be hard to beat. An article had been devoted to a certain prominent and pre-eminently respectable citizen, who was described as a "nobbv old burglar; prowling around m a naked state,” in place of praising him as a “noble old burgher, proudly loving his native State."'

Here is another mixture from a London sporting daily: “The Irish are viewed with some jealousy in this district, and on the third instant this resulted in a row. in the course of which Cohen was knocked down and brutally killed. He made no complaint to the police, but returned to Tadcaster, where lie died in the course of a week.” “Killed.” of course, should have been “kicked. Another snorting paper referred to “the second meeting oi pickled athletes at Stamford Bridge,” instead of “picked athletes.” “IN FITS." The story of the paper which referred to the British working man as “the heavy-headed son of toil,” instead of “horny-handed,” is, perhaps, familiar to many readers. Equally amusing was the report of a Parliamentary speech some time ago, in which a member of the House was reported to have said, “He challenged the Government to state whether they means to annex territory or to support some ruler whose power would depend upon British banquets”—“bayonets,” of course being meant.

Then there was the paper which said “Glasgow was more or less in fits (en fete) yesterday, the occasion being the presentation of the freedom of the city to Sir William Harcourt;” and another which described the Coronation of the late King Edward, said: “The Queen sat in King Edward’s chair, four Knights of the Garter holding a dish cloth of gold over her head,” instead of “rich cloth.”

Sometimes a portion of type gets misplaced in a column ; and then the fun commences. Sometime ago there was a glowing account of a new singer, ending in, “He was sentenced to five years’ penal servitude, the judge addressing him on the lieinousness of his crime ere fie left the dock.”