, 1874-12-27
POSTAGE STAMPS.

How They Are Made s1l:d Distributed
.Stc FORK Letter to th1 ErJn.o Express.
Every United States postage Eiomp lu use is
made here in New York. Tho contract was held
BY the American Bank Note Company from July
], 1861. until the sa1uo day in 1879. That was
for three terms OF four years each.
The Continental Bank Note Company at
that time offering to Go it for one-Aalf the
amount required by the other Company. the cou-
tract was awarded to them. The office of tho
Continental is st the corner Of Greenwich and
Liberty streets. but as it VAS desirable to have
the postage stamps made in q perfectly ti1e-proof
building. tIo fifth story of the Equitable Life
Insurance Building, on the corner Of broadway
aud CctGr street, wus reuted by the Company for
that purpose. --.. -
Tina office hero is for the use Of Mr.. Daniel
81. Boyd, the Government agent, and air.
Charles +. Steele, the agent and superintendent
appointed by the Company. The facts given in
regard To the making Of the stamps we're OBJ
ia:ued by your correspondent from Mr..
Henry Bowen, Mr.. Boyds assistant. Two pas
scncer elevators run to the top Of the
entrance to the postage stamp rooms 10 by means
Of door which is constantly kept locked and
guarded by janitor, who always sits inside to
answer the bell which is just outside. On the
riSht-nand side the offico and printing room,
aud away to the left at the trout Of the building,
are the othec rooms used in making the stamps
In printing steel plates aro used. on which 200
sta7lfa GRO engraved Two meu are kept bard
at work covering them with the cosored inks aud
passing them to 4 man and girl. who are equal
ly busy II printing them with large rolling hand
presses. Thrco OF these Ittia squads are en-
ployed all the time, although tan presses can be
put into use in case Of necessity After
the small sheets OF paper npon which the 200
stamps are engraved nave dried sufficiently they
are sent into another roam and eumIned. The
gum used for this purpose il peculiar compo-
Hition, rnade Of the powder Of dried potatoes
aud other vegetables mixed with water,
which II better than any other llnd, for in-
stance, gum arabic, which cracks tso paper
somewhat similar to that used for bank notes.
After having been again dried, this time on little
rac:ss, which are famed BY steam-power for
about an hour, they aro put bctneen
shests Of pastsbcard and pressed in
hydraulic presses. cspable of applying d weight
Of quo tous. The next thing il TO- cut
ths abcets III half; each sheet, Of course, when
cut, contains {: hundred stamps. This ia dona
by girl with . largo pair Of shears. cutting
bi hand being preferred to that OF ma
many stoml,s. They ore then passed to two
other squads, who, in as many operations, per-
forste the Aheets between the stamps. Next
they are pressed once morc, and then
packed and labeled. and slowed away iu
another room. preparatory to being put in mail
bags for dis2atching to fulfill orders. II single
stamp is torD in any way n1utilated the whole
sheet OF 100 il burned About 500, QUO are burned
every week from this cause Tor the past twenty
years, not single sheet has bosn lost such care
is taken in counting them. During the process
OF manufacturing tha sheets arc counted eleven
tl:nce.
There arc $4,000 post-ofhces throughout the
country, and they use in tho course OF one year
700. 00U, con postage stamps. 4 week or two
since Gi, .00D hnisned and $1,000, 900 untin-
isl1ed stamps were put INTO the cafes. The New
York post-Ofico alone uaes 100000 600
year, somewhat over ono-sixth OF the wholo
number used. or equal to tho amount
required by G.00o other Offices. -Four times
year tho different Post Offices send order for
the number OF Stamps they expect to have occa-
sion to use during the coming three months. or
cou1se, ii they run ont during thattine, they are
ct liberty to send for more. Tho Office
hero il New York is supplied differ.
cntly. Twice + month an oruer is sent
for about 100000 of various denonina-
tions. Thsea-ceDt stamps ase. OF couzso, in
much greater demand than those Of any other
value. In answer to the orders the stamps aro
nade, and scnt to tho Offices. and there counted
Immediately in the presence Of a witnoss. An
accompanying blank receipt is filled up and
sent to tho Third Assistant Postmaster .. Waeh-
ington, who has charge Of this branch Of the
Post Office Department.