The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-08-18
ZIG GAME OF CARDS.
I, II the Hired Man of Uncle sam Who Holds
the Hand and SIufiies off 100000 Daily
The How and the Effect.


The paper upon which postal cards are
printed comes in sheets about % inches by %
inches in size and is packed in boxes contain
ing about 1900 sheets and weighing $50 lbs.
each After the bcSts are unpacked, the first
thing in order is the printing This is done
by two Hoe cylinder presses, each OF which
prints 40 cards at Il single impression. The
printed sheets are then placed in racks and al
lowed to dry for two days, in order to prevent
any blotting or DETACHMENT. Now they are
ready for the cutters, of whom there are three,
ut present. BY the first, which is rotary cut
ter the sheets are divided crosswise in ten
strips, containing four postal cards each. The
sheets pass through this machine as rapidly as
one can follow the other The strips are then
collected in packages of 100 each, the edges
are made exactly even, and the packages are
then placed on the iron tables of the cutters,
which sever them in the opposite direction.
Of these cutters there are two, both known as
the CranstOn under cut" Then packages of
100 sheets each, after leaving the rotary cutter,
are placed in the under cut;' Il lever is pull
cd, which sets the machinery in motion, and
up comes II heavy knife with diagonal mo-
lion, and there are 400 postal cards complete
. in Il twinking. A bit Of brass is removed, al
lowing the uncut packages to be moved prop
or distance under the knife, and the process is
~.
cs convenient to be handled, and the edges are
carefully brushed TO remove all dust and
feather" They then pass into the hands OF
eighteen girls, by whom they are counted out
into packages containing twenty-five cards
each. Twenty packages are placed in paste
board boxes, which again are placed in wood
IN boxes containing from 1000 TO 200 cards
apiece.
The presses are now printing about 1000
600 cards day. The contract requires that
100000 cards shall be made in day, II the
demand is so great.
II is not eypcctcd that many visitors will en-.
ter the rooms in which the cards are made
but precautions are taken TO prevent the loss
or abstraction of cards. Every sheet printed is
registered by the press and the company is
compelled to give an account Of every one
fla few cards were lost, it would cause con
siderable trouble, although the loss may he tri-
fling. ANY cards that are spoiled in the cut
Ting or detaccd in any way are retained and
destroyed by the Government Inspector.
The postoffice officials in this city do not re-
gard postal cards with favor. Postmaster
James expressed the opinion the other day
that they were emphatically nuisance, AMI
one of the subordinate officials asserted that
postal cards caused a falling off in the sale OF
stamps of 81 600 day The daily sales OF
cdruS, he SdIl, Nouiu dllioulit w oVuoo VII an
average; on some days as many rs 100000 had
been sold. There was a gradual increase in
the sale of cards, and this had been the case
since they were first introduced Other
causes besides the demand for postal cards had
affected the sale of stamps, the daily falling of
in which amounted To- about $4,000 TheS,
causes were the hard times and the sale OF
Stamps by country postnastcrS, which had re
Gently been exposed. Postal cards in Thu
country could not fail Ia hc = loss 10 the Gov
ernme1t, because they were carried 50 far at /;
trifing cost. Ia England they had met Will
more success on accoun, # the limited terrific
~ over which they had 10 b" diStrihuted.-N
y. TritUae.