The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-01-28
Postage stamps-Hov They are Made and
I ~ Dfstrfbnted.

-II Dfssrfbnted. ~ft
Every United States postage stamp
in use is made in New York. The
contract was held by the American
Bank-note Company from July l,
1861, until the same day in 1873. That
was for three terms offour years each.
The Continental Bank-note Company
at that time offering to do it for one
half the amount required by the other
company, the contract was awarded
to them. The Office of the Continent
al is at the corner of Greenwich and
Liberty streets, but as it was desira
Bile to have the postage stamps made
in . perfectly ire-proof building, the
fifth story of the Equitable Life-Insur-
ance building on the corner of Broad
way and Cedar street, was rented by
the company for that purpose. rti
The Office here is for the use of Mr..
Daniel NJ. Boyd, the government ag't,
and Mr.. Charles +. Steele, the agent
and Superintendent appointed by the
COMPANY. The facts given in regard
q fte making Of stamps were obtain
ed BY your correspondent from Mr..
Henry Bowen, Mr.. Boyd,s assistnnt
Two passenger elevators run to the
ten of the bpjlding, and, upon leaving
them, the only entrauce to the post
ago. fStsmb rooms lis by means of a
door which is constantly kept locked
and Guarded bya ja1itor, wholalwa ays
sits inside to answer the bell, which
isfjust outside. z On tho Cright hand
hand. side ars the Office and printing
room, and iaway to the lleit, at the
front of the building, are the other
roomsnsed i'm making the stanps.i :
In printing steel plates are used, on
which 200 stamps are engfaved4 Two
men are kept hard at work covering
them with the colorcd inks and pass
ing them TO a man and girl, who
are equally basy printing them with
large rolling hand-presscs. Three OF
these little squads are employ cd all
the time, although ten presses can be
put into use In case OF necessity. Az
ter the small sheets of paper on which
the 200 stamps are printed have drIed
sufficiently they are sent into another
room and gummed. The gum used
for this purpose is peculiar compo-
sitioh, made Of the powder Of dried
potatoes and other vegetables mixed
viii water, which is better than any
other kind, for sinstspce, gum arabic,
tHC U0ubys
paper is also of q peculiar, texture,
bank notes. After having been again
dried, this time on little racks, which
are famed by stcam-power for about
an hour, they are put between sheets
OF pasteboard and pressed in hydrau-
lie presses, capable of applying a
weight of 200 tons. The next thing lie
to cut the sheets in half; each sheet,
of course, when cut, contains an hun
dred stamps. This is done by . girl
with large pair of shears, cutting by
hand being preferred TO .hat of ma
chinery, which method would destroy
too many stamps. They are then pass
ed to- two other squares, who, i'll as
many operations, perforafe the sheets
between the stamps, Next they are
pressed once more, and then packed
and labeled and slowed away in an
other room preparatory to being put
in mail bags for dispa'ching to fulfill
orders II a single stamp is torn OF
in any NAY mntilateds the hole sheet
of 100 is burned. About 100000 are
burned every week from this cause.
For the past twenty year not a single
sheet has been lost, such care is taken
in counting them. During the process
of manufacturing the sheets are count
ed eleven times.
There are 36,OOOpost offices through
out the country, and they use in the
course of one year TOO, 600, 600 postage
stamps. IA week or two since 81. -0OO,-
600 aud 81 10000 unfinished stamps /
were put into the safes The New
York Post Office alone uses 140, 0,OO0,-
O00a year, somewhat over one-s:xlh |
of the whole number used, or equal |
to the amount required by 5000 other
Offices. Four times a year the differ |
ent post offices send an orer for the |
of stamps they expect TO ave J
occasion to use during the coming
three months. i--rst $3.50 |
Of course, if theyru out during
that time, they are at liberty to send
for more. The Office here in New York
is Snpplied1diferentlS. Twicea month
An order is sent for about 100000 of
various denominations. Three cent
stamps are, of course, in much greater
deh3epd fhin those Of any other val
ue, - AnsW erto flie orders the stamps
are made and sent to the offices, and
there counted Immediately in the
presence Of awitness.+ An accompa-
nying blank receipt Is filled up and
sent to the Third Assistant Postmas-
ter at Washington, who has charge of
this branch OF the Post Office Del art
ment-Philadelphia Age, /
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