The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-06-09
Playing Cards.

A manufacturer OF playing cards in
this city, says tho N. Y. World. was asked
where the most OF tho cards were made
and what becomes OF them. He said: ~
have often wondered, when thinking Of
the vast number OF packs OF cards manu-
factured In all parts Of tho world, and
what becomes Of them all, just as the
old woman was at loss to know what
became Of oil the pins. Russia has n
population, / believe, Of about ~, ,0O0..
600, and they make the best playing
cards in Sc. Petersburg OF any place in
Europe. Besides, the authorized manu-
factory there by tho government IN the
only one IN that vast empire. II is a
government institution, inst the same as
the mint or the United States bank
treasury IL n government institution
here. II is licensed by the government,
protected 10y the government, and the
net profits go 10 the support OF found.
ling asylum. Tho same system prevails
in Mexico. In France and Germany the
manufacturers arc licensed. but the bust.
ness IL not so much OF monopoly there
as II is In Russia.
How il il in this country in this re.
spect7"
"The only restriction that exists in
this country is the imposition OF reve-
nue. tax OF five cents per pack. and this
tar has TO be paid on ali grades Of cards,
regardless OF their value"
"What is tho extent OF the manufac-
ture Of cards In this country"
Probably about 5000 900 packs q
year. OF that number I supply fully
z, Zoo, 900 packs. employ l60 persons
and manufacture my own paper. The
only rival Of any importance in this coun-
try is the United Card Company. In my
day have seen as many as twenty con
Germs started. but they have all passed
out Of existence after brief time. The
great secret OF the successful manufac.
turc Of playing cards is in the manufac
tnre and preparation OF the paper 20 AZ
10 secure the required elasticity. and the
cutting and finishing OF the cards so that
they can be shuiiled and dealt. Here Is
. pack manufactured in Chicago, which
somo one brought in here a. samples.
They are made OF pasteboard AMI cut
with die. Tho consequence ~ thai
they arc not OF uniform size, and the
edges on one side arc pressed down aud
left Jagged, so that IL Is impossible To
shuttle and deal them. The best cards
are made two-ply-that Is, OF two sheets
Of paper pasted together. Tne inferior
grades are thrce-ply. Tho prices range
from 81 80 10 Sl2 per dozen packs. while
forty years ago the range was from fifty
cents 30 50 per dozen. Tho improve
ment has been constant and steady. 80
that the third grade Of cards now arc as
good "a tho best were thirty years ago.
The best goods arc handled thirty times
after the paper is made before they
II H. wkrsah A.
To- the demand. i do not suppose there
are any more cards made now than thare
were thirty years ago. But one pack
now will last as long as dozen would
that were made then. Up 20 twenty
years ago We used hand-presses. printed
less than pack at . time, and hal as
many impressions as there were colors
on tho cards
How about the manufacture OF
marked cards, such as gamblers some
times useg"
"fhose cards are generally marked by
the gamblers themselves. Sometimes
they make them by cutting up cards and
pasting them together in some peculiar
| way. No reputable card manufacturer
| viii manufacture marked cards or have
ANYTHING 10 do with them. The gamblers
/ who use marked cards used 20 resort to
the dodge of getting the regular manu-
facturers TO print the face Of the cards,
leaving the backs white, and they would
get the backs printed and marked
somewhere else. Now, no reputable
manufacturer will do that even. have
not printed white-back card for any
body in twenty years. There art, though,
l believe, one OF two places in New York
where they are manufactured TO order
for gamblers"
Are there any illuminated cards
manufactured in this country?"
"None whatever. They are purely a
French invention and are manufactured
| In France"