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Modern Head Taxes

Yankee colonists who rebelled at tea surcharges chose to give it the salt water flotation treatment rather than pay extra taxes. Today most persons have no such alternative to frequently boosted prices.

But when New Jersey clip-artists post a $1.75 tab for haircuts, it’s time to head for New York City or Virginia where one buck still buys the job!

Only 17 years ago those Texas hay-cutters and sheep-shearers were doing the same job on us in PX barber chairs for two bits!

A Hundred Year Old Typeface Resurrected & Cast Again at Steve’s Special Order

After making 24 point Cincinnati Initials again available to amateur printers, typographers, and other type enthusiasts, The Pastime Printer’s second venture in the world of workable lead slivers was a recasting of Original Old Style Italic, a delightfully irregular letter originated in 1858 by the New York Type Foundry of Farmer, Little & Co. Last offered in specimen books of 1900, this 18 pt. version of the great primer size includes various quaint, kerned, and tied letters which will titillate typelovers who may still obtain it from Steve Watts, Front Royal, Va.

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Adjacent situation came to light while hunting cuts for an article on Omphaloskepsis.*

Obviously, above distraction is not local, for gnats (while not as large as whatever was hereon discovered) mitigate against sunbaths hereabouts. And when they mitigate – which they do in swarms, with virulence and zest, they’re downright pestiferous!

* Omphaloskepsis: Meditating while gazing intently at the navel.

When the Printshop is Cold

Gusts of wind rattle the roof and send the Hotzer roaring into action again. It’s a night to cluster ‘round the kitchen fireplace, talk type, share correspondence, swap tales of family activity, and dream up projects… while small be-sleepered nephoo fights off inevitable slumber with barely-tiring counterattacks; and sundry cats purr, polish, snooze and/or spit at one another. The old fence-rail fire flames brightly as occasional splatters of sleet reach the windows.

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Weaker Moments 78 was worked off in odd moments at SLW’s Privateer Press, weekend of 1-24-58; set in 12 pt. Modern No. 64, and using Steve’s favorite paper: sub. 45 Warren’s English Finish, by R. Babcock, Gillette, N. J.

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