The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-10-04
Postage Stamps---TheIr Manufacture.
STYLES and Quantity.

Styles and Quantity.
The postage stamp, SO neat and nee
essary has many facts Of interest in its
manufacture, which correspondent OF
the New York Post details. Weabstract
the chief points of interest
1.-The printing is done IN a similar
way to that of the bank notes, and ten
presses are in constant use. Each
press requires the services of helper,
as he is called, who inks or rolls the
plates, a printer, or skilled workman,
who receives it from the assistant and
cleans it Of its supertiuous ink, and
otherwise prepares it FOR the press, and
girl who handles the paper to be
printed. From the hands of the print
ers the sheets so to the drying room,
where they are subjected to steam heat.
They are then gummed by hand. When
subjected to this process the
sheets are placed upon block,
and held in position by an iron frame
which covers the blank edges and
leaves the back of the stamps clear
and ready for the gum. The gum is
then applied with large brush. This
work is also performed by young wo,
men The gummed sheets are then
placed IN racks, upon supports made
of Irvine, through which the air has
free circulation, and by this means are
speedily dried. In drying the gum nc
artificial heat is required. The gum
which IS applied is bought III the form
of powder, and is prepared for use
in huge copper kettles, by steam heat.
After the sheets are gummed and thor
ougbly dried they are placed between
highly polished bristol boards and
subjected to a heavy pressure in one OF
Hoes six hundred ton hydraulic
presses. This process gives them the
polished appearance which all the
finished work bears Up to this stage
the stamps appear in sheets Of two
hundred to leaf. They now are lii
vIded or cut in two by women, who use
huge shears for the purpose. These
young women also become very expert
III their business, and viii each cut
10, 900 sheets day, and rarely make a
mistake III their rapid work. From
this counter CT work bench the sheets
are passed to the perforating machines
These machines were invented by the
company, and all who use the govern
ment stamps know that they do their
work thoroughly. Five of these ma
chimes are III use, and require two girls
rs attendants--one as Il feeder, and
another to receive the perforated sheets
as they pass through. AS the sheets
are of irregular size, two different
sized machines are required to com
plete the work Each of these machines
is OF 10000 sheets capacity per day.
After being perforated, the sheets are
counted, and placed in the safe, in
readiness for delivery.
THE PLATES
The number of stamps now in use is
103. Ninety-twO new stamps were re-
CURED for the different departments Of
the government on account of the
abolition of the franking privilege
Twenty. SIX thousand sheets of 100
stamps each are printed daily, and it
may readily be conceived that this
enormous work involves corresponding
wear and tear of the plates A plate is
estimated to print forty Thousand sheets
III good order, after which it needs re-
touching by the engrayer, but the com
pany prefers to cancel worn plates and
substitute new ones III their place.
THE SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS.
The number of stamps used annu
ally is about $50, 600, 900, and their
average value to the people who use
them is SIS, 900, 600. This is exclusive
of stamped envelopes and postal cards.
The system of accounts used in the
manufacture Is the invention of MIR.
Steel, who has had charge of the bust
ness for seventeen years, from a period
before the stamps were perforated, and
before prepayment of postage was
compulsory and the checks to prevent
error and fraud are SO perfect that.
during the last twelve years, with de
livery Of 5000, 600, 900, or S15G, 600, 600
i'll value, there has not been discrep-
ancy of one dollar.
SUPPLYING THE POST OFFICES.
There are about thirty five thousand
post offices in the United States. all of
which are supplied directly from the
mandatory upon orders received daily
from Washington. As rule the prin
c!pal Offices are supplied quarterly.
New York city, however, orders about
once month. An average order from
this office is $500, 900 stamps. The
daily orders from the department some
times amount to $4,000, 600. A bill
accompanies every package, and all the
packages so through the post office
the same as registered letters; and
although some acquisitions are for
the supply of twelve or thirteen bun
dred offices, they are always filed
the day after their receipt The safety
with which these valuable packages
are transmitted through the mails is
wonderful. 1t was said in a report of
a postmaster general, published some
years ago, that out of fifteen million
dollars worth of stamps sent to post
offices during the year, the total losses
amounted to only thirty one dollars.
This small percentage of loss is the
more remarkable when ii Is remem-
bered that in many of the far western
states aud territories the mail bags are
often hung UP IN the woods to await
the coming Of some dilatory carrier on
a branch route.
THE MOST POPULAR STAMPS.
The statement of the stock of stamps
at the manufactory during the month
of July shows about the proportion Of
the different denominations used by
the public in correspondence. The
was as follows
One cent stamps -................. J t67 500
Two cent .........-...-......- 1851, 700
Three cent INSTRUMENTATION "a, 710. 800
Six cent 9 ................ 991 500
Seven cent ....-. ............-... 81 600
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