The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-02-27
MAKING POSTAGE STAMPS.
ALL THE STAMPS MANUFAC
TURED IN NEW YORK
Great Precautions to Prevent Any
Going Astray-How stamps are
Sent to Postmastcrs.


Going Astray-How Stamps are
Sent to Postmastcrs.
The millions Of people who dampen
the back of postage stamp and stick it
on the corner of an envelope have but
little idea of the precaution adopted and
constant vigilance practiced by Uncle
SANS OF cials to prevent any of them
going astray until the Government has
been properly rccompensed for them.
All postage stamps used in this country
are manufactured in ew \ ork and pass
through the registry department of the
General Posto ice in being sent to their
destination. The acquisitions from post
masters throughout the country vary in
value from 81 to $500, coo. The latter
figure is the highest that has ever been
reached at any one time and was made
by the Postmaster of this city. AS
superintendent of the registry depart
ment of the New York Postodce, the
work of handling the stamps comes un-
der the supervision of MIR. j. j. Phillips.
"There are quite few million stamps
used daily he said to star reporter.
"Ihe general public has but Little idea
of the method in which stamps are or
dered and delivered. When the post
master Of Jaytown, in Montana, wants
hundred dollais' worth of stamps he for
wards his order to the Third Assistant
Postmaster Of Washington and it is re-
corded alphabetically. When twenty orc
orders have been recorded under the
letter - the sheet containing the orders
is duplicated and one copy sent here TO
. the American Bank Note Company, who
print the stamps as per the order. The
work is performed under the SUI ervision
of agents of the Government. For in
stance, say the order calls for 5000 sheets
Of paper. That number of sheets are
taken from the vault and counted \
receipt is given for them. If one sheet
is spoiled in any manner it is taken
charge of by the agents, who forward it
to Washington, with their statements
sworn to before notary publ c, and AN.
other sheet OF blank paper is returned in
its place.
when the printing of the stamps IS
complete we are notified by the com
pany, and an hour or two later they come
over to this department in iron safes. y
duplicate of the original order accom-
panies them, and we check each indi-
vidual order and furnish the company
with receipt Its future course, until
arriving at its destination, is that of
ordinary registered matter, with the ex-
ception that the postmaster receiving
the package must acknowledge 1t to the
department at Washington and also to
this Office. The orders for stamps vary
in number. Philadelphia, Boston and
Chicago frequently order So, 900 worth
at time, and it is not unusual to get
$50, 900 request from Brooklyn. The
largest demand is, of course, for two
cent stamps and the smallest for ninety
cent ones"
'Does package of stamps ever go
astray."
"Yes, they have gone astray. Then
the tracer is used. 1t is a description
OF the package, containing its number,
the number of the pouch 1t was sent in,
the number of the rotary lock, the hour
it left this otice, the route it was sent by,
and all details. Attached to this are du-
plicate coupons, and it is sent in the same
manner as the package. The first mail
agent fills up both coupons, tears one
off and forwards it here, and the rest is
sent on to the next agent. Each one has
recipted for the package, so the spot
where it went astray is easily located.
For instance, say the mail bag was burned
in railway accident. The identical
package is traced down to the hour the
accident occurs, and then the inspector
Of the division where the accident hap
pened takes the case and if he is salts
fed the package was destroyed he mott
ties us and we send the Bank
Note Company Blank Vanilla 5G5.'
This is printed sheet contain
ing numerous questions, such as
Name of clerk who did up package,'
Name of Government agent checking
them,' etc. This statement is sworn to
and forwarded TO the Third Assistant
Postmaster, to whom the tracer has
also reported, and he issues an order for
the duplication of the reQuisition. Post
masters, as a rule, order once quarter,
and only sufficient stamps are printed to
fill the order. They are not kept in
stock like ordinary goods. The Bank
Note Company are under heavy bonds,
and they take every precauton to assure
the safety of the engraved plates. The
latter are kept in ayault, of which only
certain members of the company pos
sess the combination. They are taken
out only in the presence of q Govern.
ment agent and receipted for as they
leave and enter the vault. The business
is conducted under perfect system,
and it would be almost impossible for
impressions to be printed secretly.
Glow often do postmasters make
settlement with the Department.
"Ihere is no set time for them 10 do
so. Their accounts are supposed to be
balanced daily and as a rule they are,
for they never know at what moment a
stranger may step into their o,l.cc with
credentials ordering any aud every post
master to turn over their books 10 him
Country postmasters entertain the idea
that inspectors are sent from N ash ne
ton, which is a mistake. The country is
sectioned oil into divisions, under change
of certain inspectors, and a man can be
on the grounds in a very few hours after
being notified by the department at
Washington, in addition 10 which they
are generally pretty well posted on the |
men in their own division. An inspector
is an accountant, a sort of geutool detec-
tive, and is usually a very shrewd man."