The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-04-21
Oar New Mailing Machine.

doubtless noticed the change in the man
ner of addressing the paper recently. In
stead of being written. as heretofore, a
neatly printed paper slip with name,
/ post Office, and date of expiration Of sub
scription, appears on the margin of the
paper, which can be easily read and in
sures almost certain delivery.
/ THE NEWS, like most papers, has ex-
perienced no little annoyance from com
plants of subscribers who failed to re-
ceive their papers regularly and, I'M
der the old system of addressing them
with pencil, it was impossible to find out
to whom the blame attached. 1t was
with a view of obviating this difficulty
and to meet the demand of a rapidly in
creasing circulation, which had changed
the work Of directing and mailing from
few hours to that of an arduous
days labor. that mailing machine was
deemed a necessity and its purchase de-
termined upon.
The machine is similar to those used in
the offices of the large dailies, and few, if
any towns thesize of Palatka has one in
operation, and some reference to the
workings of the mailing department
may not prove uninteresting to the read
ers of THE News.
Upon the receipt of the daily mail,
the Business Manager opens the letters
intended for this department, makes a
list of their names, post Offices, etc, and
turns them over to the Mailing Clerk,
who enters them on the mail books, and
in turn places.them in the hands Of the
printer, and they are then put in type
and placed on q galley "a fiat piece of
brass about feet long by 8 inches wide,
with three raised sides about an inch in
height, in which the type is firmly held
by wedged-shaped pieces of
wood known as "quoins" forced
between the inner edge of the galley
and beveled piece of wood called a
"side-sticl1," which is placed alongside
the type) among hundreds of others. I'M
der their respective heads, each galley"
containing about six columns, and as
many hundred names. After this has
been accomplished and a "proof" taken,
the Business Manager carefully scans it
over TO make sure the names have been
properly inserted and credited with the
amounts paid. The proof being pro-
nounced correct, the printer proceeds to
take another proof" this time to be
used in the mailing machine. The sheet
or ''proof thus taken, with columns of
many hundred names, undergoes further
treatment; this time the columns are cut
apart with large pair of shears, their
ends pasted together, which forms a mar
row string many yards in length, and
carefully wound upon roller in the ma
chine, one end protruding through a
groove just the width Of the names and
beyond the "clipper" or knife used to
separate the names.
As the list of names unwinds to the
movement of the Mailing Clerks hand, a
roller beneath revolves in a compartment
filled with paste, and touches the names
on the imprinted side, while they are be-
: ing carried on to the clipper"
The Mailing Clerk, who now has the
, machine attached to his left arm by
l a heavy strap, gives tap on the blade
with the forefnger of his right hand
: cutting from the list the name of a sub
scriber, the same stroke FASTING it on the
paper upon which the machine is placed.
, While the right hand is thus occupied,
the left is not idle; for it is busy turning
a small wheel which unwinds the list OF
names from the roller and rapidly feeds
the ''clipper." The names of post offices
are set in large or capital letters, and are
pasted on wrappers, which encase theiI
respective list of subscribers. This being
the final treatment, the mailer is laid
aside and mail bags are now called into re-
QUESTION, and into them the packages OF
newspapers are placed. ready for trans
: mission to their various destinations.
| We would be glad to have our subscri
bers and public call and see the machine
: in operation any Friday after 10 o'clocb
I n. m, when the heavy weekly edition is
being prepared for the mail. THE WEEKLY
+, News now numbers many hundreds o.
; subscribers. and has introduced itself int
! the homes Of scores of new subscriber:
: within the past few weeks.
Q While the machinery and its accesso
: ries has necessited q considerable expen
i diture of money, THE News feels graft
= fed at finding a means of remedying tbs
4 evil complained of, and, in that particu
c lar, IS fully abreast with the dailies o
: the large cities, and other Improvement
: will follow as the increase of bushes
demands.