Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-01-10
THE MANUFACTURE OF POSTAGE
GfTAMpG

8 mercial matters describes the process by
which postage stamps are manufactured, as
y follows
d The designs for the stamps are first cngrav-
a ed on dies, taken up on rolls, and then trans
ierred to large steel plate by the process Of
@ multiplication, the hardened roll being APP
e piled successfully TO every portion of the sur
face until the dies of 200 stamps arc made
- The plate being now hardened goes to the
e printing room. The process Of printing is
d very simple, the plate being linked, then laid
in the press the mostened sheet placed on
5 it,, the roller passed once over it, and 200
; postage stamps are printed at one operation
q weak oil is used so that the stamp may not
d be saturated, as the paper is not so highly sz-
ed as that used for bank notes. Carmine
3 gives the red color TO the Scent stamp. pnle
, ulta-maruc the blue To- the penny stamp,
+ chrome green the tint to the 10 cent stamp.
while the scent denomination is printed ia
brown, the l2-cent in black, the 2i.ccnt in
purple, the 30-cent in orange, and the 9O-cent
in intense ultra-marine. From the press the
sheets OF stamps go to the drying-room,
whore they are piled in canvas covered frames.
or racks. so arranged that each days work
and even each mans task is kept by itself
They go next TO be gummed labor which is
entirely performed by girls The sheets are
laid in piles, face down each girl has a cop
per basin OF gum and a soft fat brush, with
which she 6nishcs sheet with few stroacs.
Each girl gums 900 sheets or POO, 600
stamps in day The gum used for this pur-
pose is prepared by one man only. who keeps
the formula of its manufacture profound SEE
cret. The gummed sheets are placed ia racks
similar 20 those used IN the drying room, and
III. fir..,t. - ~ ''!
las ,ir, AMI ,,i,, ,i,o,,,,,i ,i,,,,t any,. f,,,t
betyeen ,,stebo,rl loavas and snh;cct,d 10,
povcrrl nrcs.pro Tho shoots arc' po,y emf
Il, b,i,.s a. a., 1o,,o 1000, .t,,, and
.re ,bcr ,.Lo, IN ,no,b,r roop, Chico tLe
bolos bct,yoor tto .,,r,,,s are r,e,ror,tod Inv
machinery This oporation Is unframed by
pos.in., tLc sb,ets fr.t i'm one direction and
bo, .cross hot,,o,r, ~, ,,,or,,d l,,,yorsot, NJ
porro,y mass cclinJors nm Shafts tbe INNER
sct bo,,,, r,,rr;ebod ,,;,l, s,,,lI tool ,r,rh,s
ana tbo otbor ra,lor,tod viii, bolcs mr. dies to
qlr,ol,..,,I rha .,,or,,;.,r T. ;,.,.,,,,,,,..,,.
Ia ,t,i1 ,l,,.,, 81 t,ia. i,;,,'. ,,,,,,ch
.5., 49, ,,e,l ..i:.,7. ill., 80.
NOR INNS so MAI s,an,ns If aoy .si,e con
ha ,,.f..a,'l H., - -.
TLagt,,..,'. ,'.,, ,,,,,, 'e.;'llI H. anil. 90
..i.;....I,,.. .s,t,'.,...i.... ...,. g,,,,
t.t
'''' ''' o'.'' WY WY! ''V
,'' '"0 '"'7 'ut SD"' j" p''N"tC' ""'' eve,
N"''' ""'o"' u"cV''' ""'" '"",""o' ".IN'u
10y gun I'r we've nouis' pe'ioI''e' 'V'U"V
or half that number If the holes arc made
in both directions. Last year the Post-OE
flee Department used PIG 600 coo postage
stamps Of all denominations, while this year
the increase viii not fall far short of 20 O0o,-
600. or all the denominations OF stamps
the red, or Scents ones, are most m demand,
about three times as many Of them being
used as of the penny stamps. Next to the
penny, the lO-cents denomination is most m
request, next the ? cent, then the 2l-cert,
and So on; the 9O-cent ones of course being
required less than any others. Stamps be-
ing really the representatives OF so much
money the greatest care Is taken to guard
against dishonesty on the part OF the work
men, and so perfect Is .he system OF checks
that the loss OF single penny step can be
detected with absolute certainty.
The stamp department is in charge Of Mr..
G.. +. Steel, but the interests of the Govern
ment are looked after by "a special agent, Mr..
Boyd, to whom the company ate obliged to
render strict account of every stamp, even
every sheet Of paper that passes through The
and stamp printing rooms are snpennienueG
by q. w. Hawkins, who IKE the oiher lore
man, Is stakeholder IN 'ne company ana d
man OF long experience IA ms u'P''' neh''
,r. r......... I.--....,. ,rs
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ga ra. L,,o -a.o;,o1 !, Io e,o, ,he All,
,1l,, ,,,,Ls ~ 1rnnor Corod, mich (.',c
r,,f ,nado tho coloni,i ,ressnry b,nLrnnt ,re
u,o.o t,ron,b and over which Ar,o,;ro, ,r,r
ga ,,-sea,.,,rs ,,ass Ir,dcro f,Iso an
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u tLn in,osoLan,,o - ,,,,,,a;tios .rd ,,b cr
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