... appears to say "slug cutter". So I looked it up:

They appear to be copy editing, not proofreading. Copy editing is the step before page layout and typesetting. They edit the "copy" (reporters' typewritten stories) and add some markups to guide the typesetters.

Proofreading is a later step after page layout and typesetting. Proofreaders check the typeset pages ("proofs") for mistakes. On a daily newspaper, usually the mistake must be serious before correcting the page, because resetting the type is time consuming. Minor typos are usually overlooked to keep from delaying the press run.

Your comment about the horseshoe-shaped copy desk is correct. The copy editor in the "slot" is the chief copy editor who supervises and approves the work of the others who are seated around the rim. The chief copy editor is nicknamed the "slot man." When a copy editor corrects a particularly bad mistake, sometimes we said "it was nailed on the rim."

(Retired journalist here. I started on a copy desk and later became a reporter.)

Proofreading is definitely a skill some have and some don’t. My wife can spot an inverted “ie” at a hundred yards, and I cant spot an eror if presented on a plate with watercress around it.

I don’t know if the difference is something genetic, or if is because I was taught to read using what is now called phonics while she learned via the see-and-say (whole word) method. Or maybe it’s because she worked in newspapers, where correct spelling is important, while I worked in radio, where the ability to “rip and read” while ignoring garbled text is a virtue.

"Dinkins dropped a participle again. Fifth one this week."

"That's what you get for hiring an Austin boy..."

These copy editor rim wizards are fine and dandy when it comes to spelling, syntax and grammar. But they are the devil's spawn when they start butchering creative copy fit their soulless narrow view of good writing.

My dad was hired as a copy editor at the Grand Rapids [MI] Press in 1968. His team had a circle of desks.

It was a brand-new very-briefly state-of-the-art building where reporters pinned their typewritten copy to a conveyor which zipped it to the copy editors. The fine-tuned content was sent as paper via the rails to the Linotype operators.

Computers made the process immensely more efficient within a few years.

I agree with KimS about errors being rare. I will also admit the I make my mistakes when proofing my own writing. I don't catch all my errors.

What stopped me looking at one particular site is when I commented to one of the half a dozen writers about a glaring error. He responded with words to the effect that maybe I should join so they could hire a proofreader. Too bad the coworkers weren't proofing each other's work.

Having said that, I wonder how many mistakes I made above.

when errors of grammar, syntax, and spelling were rare in the news.

I've always thought proofreading was something you did in uninterrupted isolation. What was the reason these men proofread sitting in a circle? I'm certain some Shorpy reader can explain. Thanks.

[There is no "uninterrupted isolation" when you're on deadline. Copy desks are traditionally U-shaped, with the individual editors handing their marked-up copy to the "slot" seated at the end. -- Dave]

To the left of the "Hot Daily" note, you'll see a paper titled "Bulldog" at the top that lists several items. I wonder if this was a reference to steps to follow or to sections of the paper (e.g., local, national, etc.).

[The "bulldog" is the first (earliest) edition of a daily newspaper. -- Dave]

This is definitely a lost art that we could surely use today.