The Lamar register., 1893-05-20
FORTUNE IN WAITING.
FOR ANY ONE WHO INvEHTS
AN iNDELisLE INK.
Uncle Sam Continues to lie rFoasird by
Mashed Postage stamps and no
Chemical Is Invented
That Answers

indellble Ink Tor making postmafAs'
II has been trying to lind such an
article for ever so long. while ago
it called into consultation two learned
chemists. one from Yale and the
other from Harvard. Each of them
agreed 10 prepare a canoeing ink
which could not be erased Without
the knowledge of either stamps
marked with the ink which Professor
A produced were handed over to
Professor b 10 see il he could wash
them. while Professor BIS product
was submitted to like test Mt the
hands of Professor A. Both experts
sent back the stamps perfectly clean
The fact Is that there is no abso-
lutely indelible ink except pure car
bon, and that cannot be applied with
stamp Marshall Jewell. when he
was postmaster-genera advertised
for canceling devices and materials,
whicn were offered TO the depart
ment by the bushel, Some OF them
dispensed with ink by picking or
punching the stamps. but none was
OF any use. Mr.. Jewell himself had
"a pretty taste for chemistry. When
minister TO Russia he was taken
through a Russia leather factory at
St Petersburg. The composition
used in the manufacture OF this
product being q secret he dipped his
thumb slyly into 4 pot OF it and bad
the stuff analyzed after he got home.
Another postmaster-geueral once
stated in a report thai tho govern
ment lost n million dollars yearly by
1. Il ~ faar
stamps This was great mistake
As q matter OF fact, this fraudulent
industry is practiced only on very
contemplate scale. No skilled chem
lists make a business Of it Employees
in paper mills have been known 10
cut the least delaced stamps from old
envelopes and cleanse them. When
il is noticed that the stamps which
pe-son puts on his letters commonly
look worn and dirty, the postmaster
Is apt to keep an eye apon that indi-
vidual Anyone who uses second
time even stamp which has received
no canceling mark in going through
the postoffice Is liable to a 500 fine.
or one years Imprisonment, or both.
That the washing Of stamps Is a
/ common practice Is said TO be proved
by the known fact that stamps are
sold in great quantities at 4 discount,
writes the Philadelphia Times corre-
spondent The fact is that stamps
/ thus disposed OF are put on the mar
/ ket by firms which receive more than
/ they can usa. Seedsmen and dealers
in certain other small wares are
| flooded with postage stamps, sent to
| them in payment for goods At
| Marblehead. Mass, one scotsman
sends out and receives one-third Of
the mail OF tho town Yet he never
buys any stamps. receiving more than
! he wants from customers. This cir
cumstance lessons by one-third the
salary OF the local postmaster. whose
stipend is per centage on sales OF
stamps. New York uses SS.0OO. 900
worth of stamps annually, which are
not bought in the metropolis Mer-
chants sell them. through brokers or
otherwise. at discount Of three per
ceat Millions Of them are disposed
OK in that way.
The postofice department Il
obliged to redeem an enormous number
OF stamps which get spoiled in the
/ hands Of postmasters. In warm
weather nearly 100 packages day
OF damaged stamps come in to the
stamp division. During the winter
comparatively few are turned in
| Most of them arrive from the South
ard Southwest. where stamps find the
climate most trying. The parcels re-
cetved run in value from few dol
! lars to several hundred dollars. Their
contents must all be counted. Usual
| ly they are stuck together in solid
masses. which have to be put into
hot water and steamed. II they come
out in full sheets the task of reckon
ing them is easy, but the worst work
is when a postmaster keeps his
| stamps he knows not how. the play
! full cocliroach roofing among them
and eating the muciiage OF. Some
stick, others tear, and they make no
end OF trouble.
The department does not particu-
larly admire the practice of collect
! ing stamps. People who save them
arc sometimes tempted to wash them.
1t is almost appalling to consider
| that the business OF philately sup
ports $50 publications in this country,
employs 5000, 0O0 of capital and Gu
cages the attention of 10000 col
lectors. The stamp gathering cranks
/ bother Uncle Sam. A few years ago
postmaster general ordered re-
print Of scent stamped envelope in
an obsolete design. This action be-
ing recognized as a mistake, the on