Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-22
STAMP CANCEliNG MACHINES.
Ingenious Appliances Used In the Boston
Postonice-Lahor Saved.

Ingenious Appliances Used In the Boston
Postofice-Lahor Saved.
These canceiing machines are very in
genious devices indeed, and remarkable labor
savers Each one of them does work equa!
to that Of four Of the quickest men in the de-
partment. 1t is their business 70 cancel the
stamps Of the letters they received
And thereby hangs tale. The Boston offIco
is the only postofflce in the United States
that has the canceling machine These in
EeniOus appliances were invented and per
fected some three or four years ago. and
they were placed In the postofSce for the
purpose of demonstrating their practicabiiIty
and their powers as labor savers. AS has
been said before, each Of these machines does
the work Of four men, and, consequently,
great saving is effected fer the public service
Letters and postal cards, as they fall upon
the table Gforssaid-Eiagnras Of them arc
continually streaming through the aper-
tures-are taken by the men aad ''facsdn d.
rectly into the hopper OF the machine, where
they are automatically adjusted, stamped,
packed and propelled toward the sorting
cases, ready for distribution TO outgoing
mails, all By one continuous mechanical
operation
faster than tho fastest operator can ''face"
letters into them, the average speed being
from 100 10 $50 letters per minute. The ma
chimes. Of course, save ali the time and space
necessary By the old hand PROCESSES The
Boston postofioe pays yearly profit Of
nearly 81 $50 900 70 The government. Tho
people who contribute to this profit, and ere
thereby entitled to quick service, viii see
that here Is the vital poin: In the transmits
ion Of mails, Of greater importance even
than the increased speed Of fas. mail trains,
because fas, male trains are not especially
valuable II toe mails are left behind through
the inability Of tee clerks % prepare such
vast Tnasscs OF matter for transportation
The demands upon the postoface department:
for more rapid transmission Of mails are fire.
Guent and pressing. Tho working forces
have been doubled and ths speed Of fast
trains quickened, but the demand fer still
greater haste increases Vas, quantities Of
mail matter are deposited IN posso.fices oniy
q few moments before .as closing Of mails,
and upon each separate letter the staraus
must be canceied and the possrnRrk i'm
pressed before !. can leave srT IL destination
The work wien done by hand Is q source Of
great delay, and often Is 80 imperec. that
1t is difficult 70 read tie pos-El&Tk
The po=totlscs department. has accepted ths
ten machines in the Ses.on o1.cs a; q yearly
rental Of s3oo each, including care, repairs
and renewal Ten more machines are about
20 be placed In pos1t.on, and 200 rssore viii
probably DC required to supply al tie Iasgs
poStoaicss il The country. Strange e. 4, may
seem, the posooCice. although Of the greatest
importance TO tie pub..c, IL, perhaps The Lar.
fed Ia which labor saving uaca.ae,y has
been adopted Il may De vol 10 say tha.
these caocsling machines wsrs4nven.ed bv a
Bossopiaa, Ar. Eih<ridga, and that ta@y arc
owned by Boston p<xrties The machines ksvo
20. become absolutely indzsy<1sAbIe. I'D
tie ten Low IL operation care the laocr Ard
salaries Ct forty rsea. Tseir opsrsx.ca q
amazingly qz.ck, azd tSey win cancel l. 200
ietters IN the tine I. takes &c write tHls rarn-
graph--Bozsoa Herald