The annual convention of the American Amateur Press Association was held on August 8, 9, and 10 at the Dan Emmett House Hotel in Mount Vernon, Ohio. The delegates published an electronic version of the convention newspaper.

Early arrivals

Delegates' Messages

• Greetings from the central moraine area of Ohio, in the pleasant town of Mt. Vernon. I arrived at about 10:30, and was welcomed by the official AAPA greeter, Lee Hawes, who had arrived on Tuesday. Fred Liddle, where are you? I was sorry to hear that Les and Elaine Boyer, and Jack Swenson would not be coming either. Len Carrick managed to fly to Columbus, Ohio, without his airplane! He promises to walk on the water in the swimming pool tomorrow morning at dawn. It is great to see so many of my old friends again. AAPA conventions are truly family reunions.
  -- J. Hill Hamon, the Whippoorwill Press

• Additional to the list of those who are here is the sad news of those who for assorted reasons have cancelled their scheduled appearance. The latter roster includes the Boyers, Jack Swanson, Roy Lindberg and John Larsen, Tom Whitbread, and and and. We'll miss them!

  Spelling notes from all over: The grocery not too distant from the Dan Emmett Motel advises that unless you show an ID, those under 26 may not purchase tobbaco (sic) products. Mount Vernon is a cool town, but those of us who have cased the place suggest that Gay St. be renamed as Church St.
  -- George Hamilton, Vienna

• Greetings to all ye who are not here. I understand Len Carrick had an especially exciting trip to get here. I've heard tell that he was mistaken for a pigeon in St. Louis, and someone was shooting corn cobs at him to get him out of flight! I can't wait to see him walk on water tomorrow morning!
  -- Linda Donaldson

• This will be my 24th consecutive convention since 1974. I am often asked which convention was the best one. I'm no fool! The best convention is the one I am attending.
  -- Charlie Bush, Old St. Joe

• Bill Haywood and I wondered if we were not supposed to make it to the convention. He's been fighting a cold for about three weeks. I developed some problems last week and went into the hospital this morning for some pre-admission testing to have a small tumor removed next Thursday. On the way to the hospital the muffler fell off my car. I took it to Midas and showed them my guarantee and they fixed it. With the muffler at "no charge, " it still cost more than it did originally.
  -- Gary Bossler

• WELCOME TO OHIO! Hope everyone had a pleasant trip. It's great to be here among friends that I haven't seen for many years and meet new ones. This is the first Convention I have attended in twelve years. Hope it isn't so long until I can attend another one. I agree with Dale Starr--Computers ARE kewl!
  -- Jeff Schroff

• Okay, gang, where's the press and type? Gary loaded my Cutlass with so much computer equipment that there was no room for my Pilot press and a case of type. Surely Fred Liddle would bring some genuine printing (you know, letterpress) stuff. But the old Carpetbagger didn't get here, and everyone else seems to be involved in this Bill Gates enrichment program.

  They tell me that I have been risking my health with all that lead type, cleaning fluid and oil-based ink. It seems to me that someone should have told me during my 45+ years at the News Editorial Art department that the paint we used for photo retouching and the rubber cement used for "paste-up" and its thinner were volatile. Forget the artists around you, lighting a cigaret from the butt of another. Can it be that looking into the face of this monitor is healthful? Perhaps I should ask my son for a computer for my 82nd birthday next week. It might enhance the remaining years of my life as a scribe and old-fashioned letterpresser.

  I can remember when the first Mergenthaler computers were introduced at The News and The Times, and the unions demanded that a research project be established to determine how much radiation would be emanating from the monitor. Of course, considering that I have gone back to a medium that never seemed to have interfered with the lifestyle of the monks working over their parchments by candlelight. Or was there something dangerous in that ox-gall ink? I think it would be well for me to quote Alfred E. Newman, who said "What, me worry?"
  -- William F. Haywood

• MURPHY'S LAW: If anything can go wrong, it will!

  Our plan to accept e-mail at the convention at "aapa97@juno.com" went to pot when we arrived at the hotel and found that there is no local access number for JUNO in Mt. Vernon. They have since discontinued the 800 number as it was costing them too much money. Then the telephone outlet jacks all over the conference rooms we found out were not telephone jacks at all but were Cat 5 ethernet connections to connect a bunch of computers with network cards in them. A young computer genius here in Mt. Vernon came over to the hotel and helped us get connected to AOL. So now if you'd like to e-mail the convention , send it to me at "gtbossler@aol.com." We're sorry for the false advertising. Probably when I get home I'll have a slew of nasty notes asking why we're not answering our e-mail. We will take care of that when we get back home.
  -- Gary Bossler

Later Arrivals

The Maryland Contingent Arrives

Western WHAT?

As to the kind of printer Uncle Dan became, history is silent. No matter. The fact that he probably stuck type and fed a press makes him more famous in our eyes than any old song named Dixie.

Incidentally, the first newspaper to appear around these parts was issued in 1813. At least 34 news sheets appeared in the Mt. Vernon area during the 19th Century, including suffragette Amelia Bloomer's The Lily, the Temperance Union's cheery output, The Broadax, and the Mt. Vernon True Whig & Chippewa War Club.
-- Guy Miller

I Come to Advocate Old Technology

Delegates' Messages

• It is great for all these letterpress nuts to come together in Mount Vernon. Jack Scott with his display of student composing sticks, Dale Star making composition rollers for a Kelsey Press, and all the various other evidence of another time.

  As a contrast to sanity, Gary Bossler suggests that next year we will have to bring in several computers to accomodate all the interest in using this substitute for a composing stick. Deliver me! The day I go to a printers conference where the number of computers outnumbers presses, all the pioneers from Moxon to Goudy will have done it all for naught.
  --Austin Jones

• IT IS A REAL JOY and pleasure to be with all the fine folks at the AAPA Convention in Mount Vernon. It is a genuine pleasure as well to note that I have never been cheated by anyone in the printing trade. It is a shame to be able to say otherwise with some other trades or organizations with which I have been associated. The fellowship in such an organization is a reassurance of the concept that the goodness of human nature is not a lost cause as some of us might be led to believe when we look around us and wonder where all the good people have gone. Not unlike ``where have all the flowers gone?''

  PHILOSOPHERS do not have a corner on concern. Let us be thankful that when people are involved with words that there is such an organization as AAPA and people such as make up this and other similar organizations. LONG LIVE THE PRESS--mostly free and unemcumbered by regulations (at least to a point). GRATEFUL to be a part and another Friend of Words.
  -- BILL VENRICK (Kritikosity), Lancaster, Ohio.

• Hi! I'm Dale Starr, from Columbus, Ohio. We are having a great time at the convention, wish you were here.
  -- DS

• How frightening!? After listening to Rich Hopkins this morning, I've decided I should go home, and dedicate myself to buying more type! I believe I should expend some portion of my monthly pittance toward buying new Quaker City type, so that when I am old enough to handset type regularly, there will be some in my cases to set!

  I also rather scared myself, when I read Mike ``Rabble Rouser'' O'Connor's contribution to the July bundle, and rather found myself agreeing with him! Computers are nice, as is letterpress. I do believe the two can survive compatibly. Sometimes it is soothing to work by hand, just as it is convenient to take advantage of the new technologies. Several of the folks in attendance reinforce this notion, as they use the ``ancient'' and cyber technologies every day.

  We'll hope to see you all in future bundles, or future gatherings.
  -- Linda Donaldson

• Wonderful convention this year in Mt Vernon. I do miss the mountains that we had in Rapid City. Weather has been unsual for this area they tell us.

  Mild, sunny and balmy. I think that a person could really get to love this part of the country if he/she tried but I would have to check out a winter before making my mind up for sure. Might also have to build a 10,000 foot hill or two to feel at home.
  -- Len Carrick

• This convention has been lots of fun! My only regret is that I missed the morning sessions. but I have thoroughly enjoyed the events I was in time for. The Coyne tour was an eye-opener--I have never seen such a big paper cutter in my life. We also learned about roller casting and right and left hand pencils, were entertained by the musical talents of the Shipleys, and had delicious food. WOW!!!
  --Jeff Schroff

• What a neat & well planned convention! Thanks to all. Rich Hopkins really brought us up to date in the metallic world of lead--and so many other interesting conversations and presentations.
  -- The Stedmans

Later Arrivals