The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1876-01-07
About Cards.

ton requires great deal Of macliner
especially adapted to the purpose, an
an experience which is rarely to b
met with in this country. There are
VIC believe, but four playing-card fac
tories in America, one of these bein,
situated in the vicinity of Cincinnati
and the others at Philadelphia ant
New York. These establishments sup
ply the United States aim ost entirely
although there are few importation
made by the agent Of Goodall, a Lon
don manufacturer.
The first step In the construction O.
playmg-cards is making the cardboard
itself, which is accomplished by past
ing together sheets Of paper until thu
required thickness is arrived at. For
Inerly this FASTING was all done by
hand, but an ingenious inventor o.
our own city has patented machine
now extensively used, into which tn,
paper is fed as in a printing press, anc
1000 card.boards, either two or thre,
ply, are thus pasted in an hour, anc
in much better style than could b,
done by hand.
After they are pasted, the boards arc
placed in hydraulic press of man,
tons capacity, and subjected to an i'm
mense pressure, after which they art
removed and thoroughly dried. Hav-
ing passed through calender, if the
cardboard is designed for common OF
steamboat cards. it is ready for print.
ing. If, however, it is intended for a
finer grade of card, it next gues
through an eRameling machine, which
covers it with hard, white coating OF
enamel, the composition of which s q
secret possessed by but few men in thi.
country. From the enameler the
board is carried to polishing machine
where it is made to pass between Il
number of rapidly revolving brushes,
which administer very high polish
to the surface, and prepare 1t for the
printing-press.
The facc-press, upon which the face.
plicaied machine. built expressly for
that purpose. and printing in four col
ors at one impression. A sheet OF
card. is 22 by 2S inches in size,
and this, being fed into the face-press,
is turred out again almost immediate
ly, with a full pack of ftity-two cards
printed In four gaudy C 'lors upon its
face. The card-backs are printed in
the full sheet also. one color at n time,
on an ordinary Hoe press, much care
being required to secure perfect reg
ister, in order that the backs may cor
respond exactly with the faces.
The printed sheets OF cardboard are
now cut up on rotary card-cutters
which are adjusted with such meet,
that there can not be detected the dit
ference of hairs breadth in the sizI
of the cards. The cards are then yer,
carefully assorted and wrapped il
decks halt dozen and quate
grouse wrappers, the inferior grade
being branded as seconds, and sold Il
reduced rates.
Female help is principally employ
ed in the manufacture of playing
cards, about thirty girls being engag
ed in the establishment near thi
city. Their nimble fingers and quicl
eyes are well adapted to the assortinI
of cards, and We are informed that !
has been found very difficult to il
struct male help in the same labor
The opinion seems to prevail tina
the backs of play cards are 50 marke'
that they can he read with rs muc
facility as their faces, by the initiated
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ihem' however, bearing the orand
the maker. Gamblers, as rule, d
! do ,hov ,,,,a,a IN s.cnr. car,l.
r - ho,o., h.snd and mari ,he,
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