> > > How many of you would know what it meant if I typed in several paragraphs and then put a -30- at the end of it?
> > > Howard
> >
> > The invocation of Rule Six.
> >
> > Zarniwoop
>
> -30- was the traditional way to end a typed newspaper story as it was submitted to the editor for review.
>
> -FP

Hmmmmm. So half the people who responded knew what it was, and the other one took a good guess.

I used to work for a daily back mid-20th century, and I still occasionally catch myself starting to use that thirty dash.

It's amazing how much you learn working for a newspaper. I was the junior member on the staff, so I got to write a lot of exciting stories about real estate transfers, marriage license applications, car wrecks, obituaries, and even a few city council meetings. But I learned a lot about local government and politics. It was a town that played an important role in the Civil War, so I also picked up a little history. I also learned how to get up and get to work at five a.m. and how to live on next to nothing while attending college. I even met my wife there.
Howard