composing stick

He did work till midnight; then—in spite of the threat that he would be discharged—he laid down his composing stick on the case.

As the type is set up it is removed from the composing-stick to long forms called galleys.

I know many actors who are practical printers, fellows who can wield a composing-stick as deftly as a fighting sword.

GalleyA shallow tray used by compositors to hold type after the lines have been set and transferred from the composing stick.

Thus we now have the expressions: a "composing-room," a "composing-stick," etc.