The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-04-03
Postal Cards.

| necticut river, and on the line of the rail
road bearing the name of that slug gish
stream, is now the scene of production of
the millions of postal cards which are an
nually consumed in the country. The
manufactory is an unprctentious cdflce,
and utterly insignificant in dimensions and
otherwise, when co&lpared with the tower
ing paper and other mills which surround
1T. The business is carried on by the
American Prototype Company of New
York, who have contract for year from
next July. Originally, the manufacturing
was done in New York, but the papcry at
mosphere OF Holyoke was probably more
congenial to their calling, and short time
since the whole business was transferred
to that point. The interior of the manu-
factory is seemingly rs inconsequcntial as
il is outwardly, but the tlrmness with which
general or special visitors are denied ad-
mission seems to impress one with the fact
that the concern is of more than ordinary
account The government Is represented
on the premises by a special agent or super
lntendcnt, who sees to it that al: the cards
printed are properly turned over to him,
while all the other business is under the
ulrectlon OF the contractors. About forty
nands are employed altogether and, dur
ing working hours, they are as industri-
ously kept from all intercourse with the
outside world as if they were under the
care of Warden Chambcrlin of Concord.
The cardboard is manufactured in the i'm
mediate vicinity by the Parsons Paper
Company, and Is furnished in packages of
5000 sheets each. The work of transform.
Ing one OF these packages INTO postal cards,
counted, packed and ready for shipment is
only momentary when the concern is driven
10 lts full capacity, as is at present the case.
lhrcc OF lloe's supcr-royal presses are kept
IN operation both day and night, and each
slcct bears the impression of exactly forty
cards, register attached to each press
Keeping faithful record of each sheet
printed. Having become properly seasoned
or dried, the sheets are slit up by machinery
into strips of ten cards each, and then in
immediate succession Il sort of rotary
hopper, with ten compartments, receives
the cards as fast as cut, and when each
compartment contains twenty-five cards,
the hopper rcvolvcs and cmptics them on q
table. Here they are received bv pirls
who quickly detect and throw out all dam
aged or imperfect specimens. Boxing is
next in order and then the cards are ready
Tor shipment to any desired part of the
country. They arc placed in seamless
pasteboard boxes, each box containing
twenty packs or 500 cards. Lots of less
than 1000 arc forwarded in these boxes.
strongly wrapped in heavy paper, and
large quantities are sent in strong, IRON
bound wooden cases. AS before intimatcd
every process of manufacture is indus
triously guarded by the viginnt agent of
the government. The mechanism of the
registers on tho presses Is secured by pad
locks, to which none hut this agent has a
Key. They are examined at night and the
number OF sheets printed is noted. Again,
IN the morning, they are examined to sec
That they have not been tampcrcd with be-
fore the days work commences. A strict
record is kept Of all damaged or imperfect
cards, also of all blank cardboard given ont.
and as all has to be accounted for, to the
smallest fraction, undctectcd pilfering Is
rendered simply impossible In forward
ing the cards every package or box il
registered and hence loss in this respect is
positively guarded against In fact, Il is
true that not single card has ever been
lost in the factory or in transit since their
introduction into the postal system of the
country.
The growing popularity of the postal
card as means of correspondence is some
thing wonderful. Tho entire number manu-
factured and used during the first wear of
their introduction was 100, 0,00O,5O0, and
during the year which has Just closed, the
aggregate number sent out was 246, O63.-
06O. This latter number Is IN increase
over the number issued In 1878 Of SO, S70,-
060. 1t would probably be an error to
attribute this marked increase in the postal
card service to the late or current business
boom, for it would seem that in periods of
depression the public would be moro likely
to avail itself of cheap postage rather than
Ill more prosperous times. The true cx-
PLANTATION, evidently, is the growing favor
which the card finds in the community as
1t becomes more familiar, as is manifested
ny the steadlness Of the increased demand
during the half dozen years 1t has been be-
fore the community. The orders from diff
fercnt post offices differ in amount very
greatly, OF course, and they do not in any
| degree represent the population or general
business done at the several points. It NAV
be stated, as an interesting fact, that New
York has lately taken nearly one-tenth of
| all the cards issued consuming upward of
half million week. All the large cities
use more than the actual business of the
post office indicates, but this Discrepancy
Is accounted for from the fact that many
country manufacturers and traders have
their advertising circulars printed on tho
backs OF postal cards, and the city printers
who do the work buy their cards in the
city where the printing Office is located.
Many small post offices surrounding large
cities like Philada. and New York also pur-
chase from the nearest metropolitan point,
instead Of applying through the proper
channel Of the Post Office Department.
Tho proper way is for postmaster to send
his order to Washington, which in turn is
sent to Holyoke, and from this point the
cards are forwarded direct to their destina-
ton. The capacity of the concern Is about
two million per day, though until lately
not moro than a million has been the
average. 1t is intended to keep about
twenty-five million cards on hand, and
for this purpose special fircproof vault
has been provided. Beside the increased
demand for the domestic cards, there has
also come a sudden call for the now inter
national cards Upward of two million
have been furnished during the brief period
Of their introduction. While 1t NAV be