New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-28
now POSTALCARDS ARE MADE.
AT THE RATE or A MILLION A DAY.

AT THE RATE or MlLLlON a Dali
THE PRINTING. CUTTING. PACKING, AND pisIlibOr-
rNG-rNTERrsrNG DETAILS OF THE MANUFAc-
yt-ry-5 600 900 CARDS MADE SINCE JULY
NOW THEY ARE REGARDED BY THE POST
OFFICE OFFICIALS.
Almost Immediately upon their Introduction
in tins country postaeards became Necessity 10 the
noie nj the United States, and the wonder with many
as how they had 80 LONG done without what seemed IN
dspeusablc when Obtained. The convenience ana
,,,,ss ~ the cards 10 once commended them 10 the
popuar mind and pocket; tue demand in very short
time xeecded the supply, ard il months after the
ar issue before all the postoces the country were
upplicd The first cards made, it will be- remembered,
bore striking resemblance To botng paper, and could
m conveniently substituted for that useful arele but
since that time many improvements have been made
both in quality and appearance.
The present contract tor the manufacture of postal
cards vas awarded the American Prototype Company
of this city, Tie Post Office u, parimcnt for time
considered prOpricy Of changing the tint Of the pa
per which the cards are printed hut finally decided 10
retain the hun color winch had been nsed hitherto The
manufacture VI cards by the Phot typc Company Is row
carried In the second story of the old Tribune Build
ing Thee Of this department OF the Company's bust
floor above. the entrance TO which Is from
the first story OF building. The rooms III which
the cards made and stored can only be reached by
passing through The office and descending a stairway
Areportcr of The TRIBUNE recently had the privilege
of witnessing the vaious processes OF Manufacture an
OF which were pointed by Mr.. Bishop, the supcrin-
tend M. who gave much information in regard to sub
feet which must he Of interest every reader The
urou which cards printed Is made by the Parsons
Manufacturing COMPANY, of H0lyokc Mass, aud Is de-
vered to the Prototype Company through Wo0lworth u
Graham Of this city. II in sheets about p inches
bv - inches size, and j. packed IN boxes CONTAINING
about 1000 sheets. and weighing $50 pounds each Afer
the boxes are unpaeed the first thing IN order Is the
printing This is done by two Hoe cylinder presses
each of which prints 80 cards at single impress
sion. The printed sheets are then placed ~
racks aud allowed to dry for two days, in
order TO prevent any biOtting or deiacemenL
Now they are ready for the cutters, Of which
there are three nj pres, By Tho first. which is rotary
cutter tho sheets are divided eross0iSc IN ten STRIPS
containing four po,talcarls each. Tie sheets pass
through this machine rs rapidly ~ one can follow an
other The strips then collected in packages 81 lvo
each the edges made exactly even, and the packages
are then placed the iron tables of the cutters WIG"
sever them in tnc OPPOSITE direction OF those cutters
there are tWo. both known a. the Cnsion "uudcr-cit
Ten packages Of 100 sheets each. after leaving the
rotary cutter are placed in the undcr-cut :" FEVER
is pulled which sets the machinery IN moiot abd up
comes q heavy knife VITA a diagonal motion, and
there are 400 postal-Cards complete III t"mhline
bt Of brass Is removed allowing the uncut package
10 Doc moved mp proper distance under the KNIFE aLd
the process is repeated The cards then taken ia
lunches convenient be handled, ana the edges are
car, fully brushed 90 remove all dust ANA "uaiheI
The, cn pass into the hands OF eighteen girls, ny whom
they count out into package oonians twenty 'e
cards each Twenty packages pa ed IN pa>tchoard
boxes winch again packed III wooden boxes contain
ing from 900 10 1000 cards apiece.
The ressc, are now printing about 100000 cards a
dav The contract requires that 100000 cards shall b.
made ina day il the dcmtud is great This quantity
can easily exceeded with the presSs nov IN use ~
their capacy il 100000 cards daily. 80 present the
presses are run about twelve or thirteen hours day.
The work was begun July . The Phototypr Com
pay is required deliver The cards in boxes at the New
York Post Office from wmchthcy distributed The ron
tract Is for years from July !. and the Company
ceves 695soo for each 900 cards The s' dev-
cry ofcars was made ucsday last,an uptO Friday
ngt about 1000 coo cards had been placed m the hands
C.luanv was untbie fG the terms Oi the contract
Mr. B,tp stated that this was without found tunn Tie
Company vas able 70 riint ih Tie caEdS 'ii ~ '"'rf
mcut would need. The "uacrcut machines, however,
were to Ice abandoned, ticy left an oijcctionabe
feather" witch caused the cards stick tog Their. and
The rotary cutters To- be used eXclusiNcly he Com
Iany had thirty DAYS i'll which 10 make the Change.
It's NOT expccted that many visitors VIII onier the
III which tie cards are made but rrccfHii0n, ar
sheet printed registered 10y Tue press ana The company
is compelled 20 give 900 5tc"uut 81 every one II u ICY
cards Werc lost II would considerable troahc, al
tIoueh the loss M itself might pe titiS Any chdS
that >poiicd IN tho cutting or dcded IN any Wy are
retained and dcstrOY bt the Government Inspector
ri t.,th fylcr P,sfmaster Lame, g. uCssrt the cuI.
ION, the other d.y that they were enpAaucy uusiHce
and one OF the subordinate officers asserted that postal
cards caused falling of ia tic siic If stamps of ~ 900
daY. The daily sales az cards. ne said would Amount
10000 an average; Oh some Gays IL IndnS a.
100000 had uce sold There was gradual increase III
Tie sale OF cards, and jns had been the since
they were first introduced DINER causes besides
the demand for pOstllcardS had affected the
sale OF stamps the dalv falling oil in which amountedto
anout - 900 Tnes. causes were toe hard times and the
sale OF stamps By country PosnastcrS, when had re-
Gently been exposed Postalcaris IN inns country could
not fail be Il loss 10 the Government, because tleI
were carried far at tilinS cost IN England they
gf
ritOry over which they had TO he distributed.