Printing the old way during Historic Comstock Preservation Weekend

Running a relaxed printing press workshop Saturday at the Historic Fourth Ward School Museum in Virginia City were Chic DiFrancia and Carol Clifford.

In period dress on the second floor, the couple was operating a circa 1870s, 8-by-12 Chandler and Price letter press as part of the 17th annual Historic Comstock Preservation Weekend. Events continue today.

In 1997, DiFrancia helped refinish the old press, made in Cleveland, Ohio, by putting in new bearings, trucks and rollers.

"We brought it down from the third floor on a skid in two pieces," he said.

The press was used by students, along with another, larger press, to print the Fourth Ward School's newsletter until the last class in 1936.

DiFrancia and Clifford explained the process of printing with the old press to museum visitors who wandered by. Folks called "compositors" would create words with individual lead letters on a "composing stick," they explained.

DiFrancia has operated such a press for most of his life. He did the printing at his high school in the '50s in Glendale, Ariz. He also worked at the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City in 1964. Mark Twain, who also worked at the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City, had written once about there being plenty of work in town "for sober compositors."

Today is a big day for the Historic Comstock Preservation Weekend. At 1 p.m. Squeek LaVake will direct the Comstock Children's Chorus in a medley of songs called "Taught to the Tune of the Hickory Stick."

At 2 p.m. State Historic Preservation Officer Ron James will present the 2002 Nevada State Historic Preservation Awards.

A show of historic fashions will commence immediately thereafter will participants from the Nevada Civil War Volunteers and the Living History Company of Nevada Inc. The Carol Morgan Page Silver Tea starts at 3 p.m.

"It's an American-style high tea," said Norma Armstrong of the Fourth Ward School Museum.

IF YOU GO

What: Last day of events for the the 17th annual Historic Comstock Preservation Weekend

When: Starting with choral performance at 1 p.m.

Where: The Historic Fourth Ward School Museum in Virginia City

Call: 847-0975