Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-07-08

| to the story. Thus the total cost of this
story to the magazine is not lees than S2S,-
| $50. There you have a single story and
how small portion of a well made masa-
zine is piece of fiction nowadsysl
ABOUT PLAYING CARDS.
How They are Made and Facts as TO
their origiu-what n Visit TO a Large
Factory Disciosed-The Cards Used
by the Ancients and the Beautiful
Work Put on Them.
From the St Louis Globe -DemocratI
81 suppose you know little or nothing
about the manufacture of playing cards.
1t may, therefore, surprise you to learn
that this country alone produces on an
average over Il, 600, 900 packs every year"
So saying, the good-humored mansger
proceeded TO escort his visitor through one
of the largest card factories of the east
'You must know" he continued, ''that
in addition to being practical card maker
1 am an enthusiastic archeologist and col
lector. Time, trip through my estab-
lishmert ought to give you quite liberal
education in cards and card lore"
He stopped before table, around which
a number of girls were busy pasting to-
gether large sheet of almost Transparent
paper.
This is the first stage of the playing
card, remarked the manager. Sufficient
paper is pasted together to form cardboard
of the requisite consistency. The pasting
finished il is passed through yonder roller
until the surface ia quite smooth. Then
comes the printing. There are woodcuts
of all the traditional designs from the ace
and king to the teu-spot Cards are print
ed like postage stamps, in sets. The print
ing is done on paper, glszed or unglszed,
according to quality. Here, for instance,
is set of kings"
He held up for inspection sheet of pa
per divided into rows of obiopg figures,
upon each of which appeared the genial
features and customary insignia of ,he
king of diamonds. An odd resemblance at
once struck the visitor, and he looked Gu
riously, first at the manager and then at
the cards. The manager laughed. Don't
they seem like SO many portraits of my
selfi" he asked.
You may not believe me when / tell
you that, instead of being made to look
like me, have actually grown to resemble
them. Yet such is the fact When had
been few years in tine business began
gradually to assume the outward sem
blance of the king of diamonds. Ny nose
became more curved and my beard more
curly. There may have been psychologi-
cal reason for the transformation, but
never sought it out. 1 even helped the H.
lusion to the utmost of my power. The
king of diamonds was always my favorite
card, and, as he is the best looking king
/ do not object to carry his lineaments
around with me-"
This strange explanation over, the man
al 70 Shnu he
printed with kings or other designs was
pasted upon the prepared layers of card
board. A party of boys and girls were
busy with this operation, while another
party fed the united sheets into O power
| erful hydraulic press. from which they is
sued aattened and rolled.
''The cardboard is next dried before a
quick fire, SAID the mansger, "after which
| 1t goes to the enamelipg room, to which, If
| you please, We will accompany it. L will
| take this newly dried sheet of kings along
| They are of the diamond persuasion, and
SO l feel deep interest in their welfare.
| There are fifty kings in this set all Joined
| together. L wonder where they will be scat
| tered few months from now Just think!
Some may be rejected as faulty and thrown
| into the cutters. Some may 60 into ex-
elusive circles and be tapped by the jew
| elled fingers of contemplatiye beauty.
II
| ing place in the trembling hands of some
| desperate men, for whom they may win or
lose fortune. Who can say what will be
the future of any of these kingsl 1 know
a millionaire who keeps ok of hearts
framed and glazed in his umptuous library
| to remind him of the night when that same
card lost him a mighty pot, but taught him
| to leave cards alone, and thus made him
what he is. 1 also know a poor fellowswho
to his dying day preserved another jack,
with nail driven through it's face, In his
bare gsrret which cost him the last rem
nants of his patrimony. But this is mere
moralixing, and here We are at the enamel
ing room"
| The room in question was a long apart
/ men, in which sat number of young men
and boys, covering the backs of such sheets
as that carried by the manager with thin
coats of enamel. This process finished, a
long roller, something like the ordinary
| kitchen rolling pin, was passed over The
surface to make il smooth and even. As
he wathed the slender hands of the girls
| speeding to and fro with their rollers over
| the enamel, the visitor could not help
thinking what excellent practice it was for
making pastry.
THE enamelling is succeeded by a second
drying" observed the manager, ''and next
|
work. The enamelled back has to be div
ided into figures corresponding with those
in front, and each ona of the figures has to
be covered with printed design. All de-
signs for card backs are copyrighted, and
extreme care must be taken in the engrav-
ing to reproduce the minutest lines and
curves Our house, and all other promi-
nent factories, employ artists specially to
design card backs. 1t is hard nowadays to
get an original design. Only yesterday
heard our artist complaining that there was
not novel idea for a design left Designs
are of every sort and color. Some of them
are real works of art. The 'swagger' clubs
of the east, in imitation of thoss of London
and Paris, usually prefer cards with plain
backs of red or white; but the popular
taste favors rich ornamentation and hand
some tracery."
The manager opened a large scrap book
and showed several hundred "dorsal" de.
signs, as they are called, which had been
copyrighted by his firm.
when the backs are printed, !" he con.
tinued, ''the cardboard is once more dried,
rolled and pressed, until there remains no
semblance of a crease on either side 1t Is
then passed into the cutting apparatus,
which separates the cards from each other
and neatly rounds of their edges At this
stage they are considered finished and
ready for the scrutiny of the examiners" F"
The manager led the way into well
lighted room, where half dozen men sat
studying the backs and fronts of cards
through powerful microscopes. "All de-
ficient or badly marked cards." said he,
''are rejected at once: The rest are sorted
into heaps, representing various stages of
excellence, and from these the packs are
/ chosen. We have several different grades
of cards, for each of which the mAnufact-
urer has special name, just as tobacco
} men have for cigars. The very best are
called 'Moguls,' while the next best at,
technically known as 'Harrys' Then fol
. low a number of less valuable kinds, suct
t as Andrews 'Harlequins,' SO. When ,
r complete pack has been selected and ar
: ranged, 1t Is wrapped in stamped pspe