The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-23
STAMP CANCEtfNG MACHINES.
Ingenious Appliances Used in the Eoston
Postonicc--I.abor Saved.

! These cDnceling m1chIncS are very in
| ycnlous device, indeed. and remarkable labor
| AYERS Each one OF them does work equal
% that IF four of the quickest men in the de-
| par;mcnt. 1t IS their business to cancel the
'taml,s Of the letters rs they are received.
And thereby hangs tale. The Boton Office
IS the only postofcc in the United States
chat has the canceling machine. These in
,enious appliances were invented and per-
'ected some three or four years ago and
yhey were placed in the postofiice for the
purpose u demonstrating their practicahiiity
md their powers rs labor savers. As hIs
.cc8 sand before, each of these machine. does
he worI; Of four men, and, consequently, a
,roat saving is effected for the public service
Letter. ana postal cards. as they fall upon
he table azores id-Nia-aras q them are
continually streaming through the apcr
,urcs-arc taken hy the men and "iaced' iii
-ectly into the hopper Of the machine. where
they are automatically adjusted. stamped,
packed and propelled toward the sorting
,ases, ready for distribution to outgoing
mats, all by one continuous mechanical
operation
These machine are spccdcd 10 run a little
iaster than the fastest operator can face
letters into them, the average speed being
rom 100 20 80 letter, per minute The ma
hines, of course, save all the time aud space
necessary bv the old hand processes The !
Boston poSioihce PAYS yearly profit Of /
aoariy 81 10000 20 the government The |
1eOple who contribute 10 thi, profit. and are /
thereby entitled % quick service, will see !
That here Is the vital point in the transmits !
.0n Of mails. Of greater Importance even |
han the increased speed Of fast mail trains,
because fast mails trains are not especially
valuable II the mails are left behind through |
he inability Of the clerks 10 prepare such
.ast masses Of matter for transportation
The demands upon the po,toilire department
or more rapid transmission of mails are ire
luent and pressing. Tic working force.
ave been doubled and the speed of fast
rains qu> kcued, bat the demand for still
greater haste increases. Vast quauuue, Of
nail matter are DEPOSITED I'm pOstOilicls only
few moments before the closing Of mails.
and upon each separate letter the stamps
must DE Cancelled and the postmark i'm
pressed before 10 can leave for its destination
The work when done by hand is source OF !
great delay, and often is SO imperfect that
It's difficult to read the postmark
The V9stotiicc department has accepted the
en- machines IN the Boston office at yearly
rental of $500 oacI, including care, repairs
and renewal Ten more machines are about
o he placed in position, aud 800 more viii
lrohobly be required - supply all the large
jostoilicas i'm the country. StInce "a it may
Gem. the postofiice. although of the greatest
Importance TO the public is. perhap, the last
ield IN which labor saving machinery las ,
leen adopted. 1t may be well to say that
hcse cancelmg machines were invented bya !
}os,onian, Mr. Etherdcc and that they arc !
wncd by Boston parties The machine. have
low become absolutely indispensable. and
be ten now in operation save the labor and
alarie5 Of forty men Their operation is
mazingly quick, aud they will cancel 1000 !
tiers in the time it takes to write this para. Il
raph.-Bostou Herald 7