Page:History of the newspapers of Beaver County, Pennsylvania.djvu/164

134 "Times" to take a position as proof reader in the Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C, which position he is still holding.

Mr. Weyand made much of country correspondence, having excellent writers in different parts of the county, who kept up the interest among the people. His long experience in the county, beginning over sixty-five years ago in newspaper work, gave him a knowledge of people and events, that have afforded many reminiscences. In a paper read by Mr. Weyand, he gave some of these, which have been listened to with amusement and interest.

His references to the "tramp printer" in his article recalled some scenes that the newspapers of today know but little of. One of the institutions of the business was the nomads of the craft, who claimed no fixed abode, but were as much at home in one place as another, many of whom in their travels had worked on nearly all the principal papers of the country, and on their rounds incidentally called at most of the smaller villages, their journeys being made on foot, and in later years by "beating trains." These "tramp printers" or "tourists" as they were facetiously called, had but little in common with the tramp of this generation, who is an object of disgust and derision. They were merely "devil may care," jolly good fellows, with considerable intellectual ability, and many of them past masters in their art, rather too much addicted to the flowing bowl in many cases, and too restless to become reliable six days a week workmen, who cared nothing for the morrow. This life was often kept up for years, when many of them tired after a time, and settled dovm to steady lives, filling important positions and rearing families. In their travels they had become familiar with their trade as it was followed in the best offices of the country, and hence became valuable workmen. Of the tramp printers who dropped in on the Beaver county papers periodically,