The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-10-08
HOW POSTAGE STAMPS ARE MADE

The Number Of ordinary postage
stamps issued in 1891 was 954, l2S, 440,
and value sci, 04O, CAB. The method of
printing postage stamps is as follows:
The printing is done from steel plates,
on which two hundred stamps are ell
graved. and the paper used is of 4 pecu-
liar texture. somewhat resembling that
employed for bank notes. Two men
cover the plates with the colored inks
and pass them to a man and girl, who
print them with large rolling hand press
es. Three Of these little squads are en-
pioycd al! the time. although ten presses
can he put in operation. if necessary.
| The colors used i'll the inks are ultra.
marine blue, Prussian blue green ver-
million and carlnine. After the sheets
Of paper on which the two hundred
stamps are engraved have been dried,
they are sent into another room and gum
med. The gum used is made of the
| powder of dried potatoes and other veg
etables mixed with water. Gum arabic
| is not desirable. because it cracks the
paper badly. The sheets are gummed
separately. They are placed back up
ward upon Il fiat wooden support, the
edges being protected by Il metallic
frame, and the gum is applied with a
wide brush. After having been again
dried, this time on little racks, which are
famed by steam power for about an hour,
they are put i'll between sheets of paste
board, and pressed between hydraulic
presses, capable Of applying a weight of
! two thousand tons. The sheets are next
cut in halves; each sheet, of course,
when cut. contains hundred stamps.
| This is done by girl with large pair
of shears. cutting by hand being prefer
red to that of machinery. which method
would destroy too many stamps. They
are then passed to the perforating ma
chime. The perforations between the
stamps are effected by passing the sheets
between two cylinders provided with a
series of raised bands which are adjusted
| to Il distance apart equal to that required
| between the rows of perforatlons. Each
ring on the upper cylinder has series of
cylindrical projections which fit cores
ponding dcpresSions in the bands of the
lower cylinder: by these the perforations
are punched out. and by simple contri
vance the sheet is detached from the CYL
inders in which it has been conducted
| by an endless band. The rows running
longitudinally of the paper are first made
and then by a similar machine the ira
verse ones. This periorating machine
was invented and patented by Mr.
Arthur, in 1882. and was purchased by
the government for $50, 900. The sheets
are next dressed once more, and then
packed and labeled and slowed away in
another room. preparatory to being put
up in mail bags for dispatchiug to fulfill
orders. If Il single stamp is torn, or in
any way mutilated. the whole sheet of
one hundred is burned. Five hundred
thousand are burned every week from
this cause. The sheets are counted no
less than eleven times during the process
of manufacture, and SO great is the care
taken in counting, that not a single sheet
has been lost during the past twenty
years.
The postage stamp would seem to be
only humdrum sort of article, which
IL 4
ly prosaic. purpose. Yet we learn from
the Chicago Inter- Ocean that it can be
made a delicate and subtle medium of
delightful Irritation OF romantic love,
when skilfully manipulated by the sender
Of a letter and intelligently interpreted
by the receiver, who by one swift glance
at the stamp may instantly learn, from
The manner Of its aflixture, whether to
expect bliss or misery from the contents
of the inclosed missive. The explana-
ton of the whole matter, as given by the
Inter- ocean. is as follows: "Some in
genious persons have given meaning to
the location of Il postage stamp on let
ter. For example, they say that when
stamp is inverted on the right hand
upper corner it means the person written
to is to write no more. If the stamp be
placed on the left hand upper corner and
inverted, then the writer declares his
affection for the receiver of the letter.
When the stamp is in the center at the
top, it signifies an affirmative answer to
question: OF the question, as the case
may be: and when it is at the bottom,
or opposite this, it is negative. Should
the stamp be on the right hand corner,
at right angle, it asks the question if
the receive" of the letter loves the send
er: while in the left hand corner means
that the writer hates the other. There
is shade of difference between desiring
ones acquaintance and friendship, for
example: The stamp at the upper corner
on the right expresses the former, and
on the lower left hand corner means the
latter. The learned i'll this language re-
quest their correspondents to accept
their love by placing the stamp on a line
with the surname, and the response is
made. if the party addressed be engaged,
by placing the stamp in the same place,
but reversing it. The writer may wish
to say farewell to his sweetheart. or rice
rersn and does so by placing the stamp
straight up and down in the left hand
corner. And so on to the end of the
chapter.
There are in the world about six thou
sand varieties of stamps. The museum
at Berlin contains between four and five
thousand specimens, half of which are
from Europe, and the rest are from Asia,
Africa. America and Australia. Among
the many kinds of decoration which
have been used on stamps are coat-of-
arms, stars eagles lions, the etfgies of
five emperorS, eighteen kings, three
queens, one grand duke. several titled
rulers Of less rank. and many presidents.
SELF-CONTROL IN SOCIETY.
froa, .iadIo'"S' -lmeJi"nn Q""cn
Good breeding gives us certain definite