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II.
In addition to estimating costs of printing, paper, indexing, and binding, the nine printers mentioned other items of interest in connection with early American printing practice. Only two of them risked an opinion as to how long the entire job would take, Loudon hoping 'to complete the whole in about a year,' and Gist figuring two years at the outside. But several of them were able to estimate the amount of work they could do in one day or one week. Collins and Oswald assured composing and printing of one sheet every day; and Adams, who must have had the smallest shop of them all, thought he could do 'four or five Sheets a Week . . . on a Fools-Cap Size Paper, in the Letter called Pica and Small Pica.' Gist 'positively engage[d] to deliver one Sheet per day, correctly printed, but should greater despatch be wanted, he will as soon as a sufficient number of expert and steady hands can be procured set another press to work.'
Similarly Loudon intended to use two presses for the work, a fact which would probably indicate that he expected to print at least two sheets each day. Dunlap also assured two sheets per day, and Kollock said that 'Twelve sheets will be struck off weekly.' Bennett Wheeler in Providence must have planned to print on three presses at once, for he noted that his establishment
Most of the printers must have thought that Thomson's plan to do the proof-reading himself was a good one and would save them work and responsibility, for only two mentioned doing the proofing in their own shops. In his proposals, set in type as part of his specimen offering, Collins assured the Congress that 'the proof-sheets [would be] conveyed to and from the Secretary by the post-riders,' but in a handwritten letter he noted that he could have the proofs read in Trenton 'by Mr. Houston who has been used to and is excellent at the Business.' Adams, hoping to advance one more reason why he should do the work at Wilmington, said that he could have 'the Assistance of a Gentleman, (now principal Master of our Academy) who has been Corrector in one of the principal Offices in London in revising the Proof-Sheets. . . .' He further pointed out that he would thus 'be relieving [the Secretary] of a great deal of Labour, as it appears you intend to revise the proof sheets yourself—.'
A problem in which the printers evinced considerably more interest, however, concerned paper and its availability. Loudon hoped that there would 'be no hindrance on account of Paper,' and Dunlap said he would only be able to commence work after the paper had been made. Kollock would put the work 'to press as soon as a contract for paper can be accomplished, which shall not exceed four weeks,' but Gist felt that he would require at least six months to procure paper and other materials for the job. Adams cautioned that the paper should 'be contracted for without Delay, as the large Quantity that will be wanted will require a considerable Space of Time to finish it.' Only Wheeler, state printer to Rhode Island, seemed to be confronted with no delay; he stated that he would use the same paper as that upon which he had that summer printed the Journals of Assembly for his own state.
Apparently the paper manufacturers were particular about prompt payment because Dunlap asked for an advance for 200 reams of paper, and Collins requested money for 233 reams at $3 per ream. Adams wrote, in addition, 'If I should be favoured with the Work, I expect to have Cash advanced to pay for Paper, as our Paper Maker does not incline to spare a single Ream without it.'
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