The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-09-27
PROPOSALSE FOR
MAIL LOCKS AND KEYS.
Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT..
WASHINGTON, d. C.. Sept. l.. 1873.

- u.
SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS
will he Received at this Department until - o'clock
noon, the FIFTEENTH DAY OF DECEMBER 1873
for furnishing. under separate contracts two different
kinds Of Pndlucks AMI Keys one for the sole and rxcu
sive Ure of registered Mrongh mats and the other f,r
the sole and exclusive Use OF street I,ft.r j..rrs.
Every proposal must he panied with duplicate
samples of the locks and keys thereby offered To H."
iurnishcd of each kind of sample lock Ice rivetrd
up and finished and another TO Ice open unryete
that its internal structure and arrangements rcad
ly he examined. Each sample should be plainly marked
with the bidders name and if the sane. or any part
thereof be covered 10y patent the name Of the patrr,
must hv attached thereto. II must also be suc a.: shall
Ice warranted t" not nfring" any patented invent N
OF which the bidder is not the latytrr assignee.
The internal plan or arrangement of the locks offered
and the particular form ri the keys requisite t. open
them must not be like any hitherto i'll public
OF private use and must not have been exhibited de
scribed or exposed. in any MANNER tending impair
their security and usefulness for the mails: and it Will
he AN important consideration in favor of any lock and
key submitted IT, being otherwise suitable it shall have
been invented specially for the purpose for which il
offered.
Locks suitab! for til" registered mails or for the
stree" letter boxes should not exceed -i@h each
IN weight. AMI should possess high degree of security
strength AMI durability Every such lock. whilr il
must he from being opened by any other means
than Icy it, peculiar key, tuuie>s dr,ign-Ily broken Iy
extreme aud obvious vi"iucr,l be devoid Of any
hricacy in opening with the proper KEY and b" capable
of Icing securely shut without the of the k"y The
shape size Of the locks for rtqSt,rtd mails should he
such as to make them distuguishahlc at glance
the locks of the street ietfLprcS AMI both shuui hv
their external shape, h" instantly di,tini>ab!c from
the Ia Ill locks in
The Registered Mail Locks should be made of hard
and tuuh brass. excepting the hIc and rivrtS which
must he iron. the batter we'll ,houIcrcl. cnuucr,unk
ami headed at both ends. The shell or case of such
locks must not have sharp angles aud be free from
knobs. rscutceons, other app"Ha.., likely To- Lr
compressed battered. knackr ont of order by the
peculiarly hard usage T." the service Each lock to
have "ut>id" upon its face, i'll letters sufficiently large
and distinct " Z. $. Registered NaH" and also such
nuihrr an hGur"s each not less than 5l6 of inch
long may br orl,rrd different number not tX-
ce"dng t"nr places al figures in any case being required
on each elk. such words and figures To he sunk lN
stamping If the shell Toe made nt wOurt sheet brass
to be raised if the shell leo made of metal All
the locks for registered mails m uniformly alike
excepting the numbers marked them and all their
keys which shonld Ice ci.s'-ard"ned iron and MCKEE
plated, To he also alike that any all the
keys which may be furnished for them shall easily 1T
and readily open any and all Of the locks. The
keys should have a shank nearly two inches long be-
tween the bit and tn" bow and the bow should he solid
with hole through it. and hav" stamped one side
the words L. S. Registered NaH and upon the upIu-
site side such number lin figures less than one
eighth OF an inch long may hc ordered; every key
10 have different number, OF which none will exceed
four place, of figures.
The locks for the Street Letter Boxes are to he made
of hard and tough BRASS ami the key hole Of each lock
should h in the lowest part Of the wall Of the she'll or
case. when the lock l. hanging by it, si, klr and should
he sheltered by sufficient Iuttng IF the upper and
lower rim around that part of the wall The interior
mechanism of the lock should he i'll position some hat
remote from the and he operated easily l
key which should be fiat, made of steel and If CON
Nenient length AMI sufficient strength and
The bow of the key should be solid with small hole.
through it, and is to have " T. s. Letter Carrie"
stamped side. and such figures and letters
stamped on the opposite side may he ordered The
face OF each lock to have upon it C. S. Street Letter
B"r in either raised sunk letters and other let
tiers besides not exceeding three that may he ordered
the locks and keys Of the letter letter, are
t" h" adapted to each other and no lock is to he opened
by any key not marked with the letter or letters
The locks of each kind contracted for must he tIcy-
cred according to order, at the Post Office Department.
rat tor II II in
pnstch"ard boxes OF five locks each and packed il,
strong wooden boxes containing not more than two
hundred locks each. The keys such locks are to hc
strung 10y the natural series Of numbers wire rods
each containing one hundred keys and are to lee lev-
cred to an agent Of the Department Specially authorized
10 receive them and convey the SAME from the mnufc
tory TO this Department where both the locks and KEYS
are to be inspected and approved contor;e the
adopted sample before they shall lie paid for.
From the sample lock, and keys submitted under this
advertisement, the Postmaster General will make n
selection for contract unless he should dr. il prorcr
Tor the Interests of the service :" decline accepting any
OF the proposals and Samples presented Therefore the
right t" reject any and all the proposals and samples is
hereby reserved to him.
decision on tn" several proposals AMI various sam
pies submitted will b" made hf the second day
OF February ISL and within thirty day, thereafter the
bidder or bidders whose proposals may have been
cepted must enter into contract with bond and security
as hereinafter specified
TIL" contracts which may lie made will be for the
term ui fur years from and after the first day Jan
uary, 1871
The contractor for Registered Mail Locks and Kcv,
and
keys i'll such quantities, and such times us NAV he
ordered by the Postmaster General and must agree and
he able I" furnish tLre- Thousand Of such locks and six
hundred "i such keys, II "a ordered within three months
after the receipt of such order and furnish thereafter
any further quantities of such locks and keys AZ the
same may be- ordered. On entering into the contract
the contractor must bond in the pruaty of
ten thousand dollars with two sufficient suretcs Ger
tined hy the postmaster where They ro>idr.l conditioned
for the full and faithful performance Of such contract
The ontractor for locks and KEYS for Sire Letter
Boxes will b" required 10 furnish such locks and keys
in such quantities and nj such times may he ordered
by the o>tnast"r General and must and hc able.
10 furnish twelve thousand Of such and six thous-
and "l such keys If 81 ordered within six month,
tho receipt of such order. and furnish thereafter any
further quantities of such locks and KEYS Il, the s,.
may be ordered On entering into this contract the
thousand dollars, with two sufficient surctir (rrrtIfc
by the postmaster of the plaC" whore they reside con
ditioncd for the full and faithful performance of such
contract.
Both contracts will contain provision hiudin,r the
contractor To guard with due privacy integrity and
care, the manufacture and custody of the locks and
keys, IN the finished and unfinished state. They will
alsp contain the provision that in of any default
on til" part Of the contractor causing the. Postmaster
General annu tn" contract all locks and KEYS fin
ishei or unfinished and all such patterns. drawings
gauges and dies i'll possession Of the contractor as may
enable other. 10 make successfully forge counterfeit
such locks and keys, shall, such anuumcnt Of the
contract become til" property of the United States for
the Use of the Post Office Department and t,rrupnn
the Postmaster General shall have the right besides a
resort t" the remedy of the bond demand and receive
the sam" from the contractor. who shall promptly sur
render the same the order i'll writing of tn. Post,
master General, without compensation or any claim 10
compensation whatever, for the same: also. that the
Postmaster General shall in that case have full and
absolute right to employ other person persons to
make and furnish similar locks and keys without any
charge claim whatever for the use. thereby involved
Of any patent Of the defaultng contractor
Every proposal must specify, Internationally, the
lric" OF each Lock and k"y offered 10 be furnished and
must be accompanied with bond in the penalty of two
thousand dollars, executed hy the bidder and two suf
tirn suree- Certified 10y the post,> ter Of the place
where they reScl conditioned for the bidder, enter
ing into contract. with bond and security rs hcrrnhc
fore specified in his proposal shall be accepted bv
the Postmaster General.
Blank forms Of proposals and accompanying bond and
certificate will be furnished on application the Second
Assistant r. stma~ter General and all bidders ar. re-
lueetrd to c"nfpIm th"rcto i'll submitting proposals
under this advertisement.
Every proposal; should be enclosed in sealed cnyeInpe
nd"rscd PROPOSALS. FOR MAIL LOCKS AND
KEYS aud hr addressed To tho SECOND ASSISTANT