Page:Cowie's Printer's pocket-book and manual.djvu/32

24 same time, a sort of scramble will take place who shall have it, which will end in dispute and confusion;—on no account, therefore, should the copy be open to examination, unless for the purpose of ascertaining the charge per sheet.

With manuscript copy it will be better to take one from the other in such a manner as not in the smallest degree to delay the imposition, or block up the letter; that is, that no compositor may retain the making up too long, by holding too large a taking of copy. Compositors are apt to grasp at a large portion of copy, with the view of advantage in the making up, though nine times in ten it will, as before observed, operate as a loss to them, by their eventually standing still for want of letter. If by mistake too much copy has been taken, the compositor should hand a part of it to the person next in the making up, to set up to himself.

If parts of the copy should be particularly advantageous or otherwise, each of the companionship should throw for the chance of it: the person to whom it may fall, if he have copy in hand, must turn that copy over to him who is about to receive more copy; but for trifling variations from the general state of the copy, it cannot be worth the loss of time necessary to contest it; though it frequently happens that a litigious man will argue half an hour on a point that would not have made five minutes' difference to him in the course of his day's work.

If one of the companionship absent himself from business, and thereby delay the making up, and there is the smallest probability of standing still for letter, the person who has the last taking must go on with this man's copy, whether it be good or bad.

The number of the companionship, if possible, should always be determined at the commencement of the work, that they may all proceed upon an equal footing. It should