Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-02-05

portunity to detach few Of the can-
celled stamps from bundles Of securi-
ties once IN while IL rs well worth
trying, because these curiositics are
likely 10 go up considerably in value on
account Of the difficulty of obtaining
them. ] suppose that dealers IN stamps
will not sell them cheap"
Three billions Of the Columbus
stamps. have been ordered to be print
ed. They are bclng made by the
American bank note company IN New
York city. which turns out all Of the
postage stamps issued by Uncle Sam.
HOW THE POSTMASTERS GET
STAMPS.
When a postmaster wants stamps he
writes To- the postoltce department at
Washington for them. The depart
ment sends on the order 10 the govern
ment stamp agent in New York. who
has charge Of the businefs Of dstribut-
ing all stamps. The agent draws every
day upon the bank note company for
as many stamps as he requires to FIJI
such orders forwarded TO him from
Washington He receives them In
bulk, and it is his duty to see that they
are done up In packages according TO
tho orders aud maied 20 the postmas-
tiers who require them Last year the
people of the country used up two and
u half billions Of postage stamps.
COLUMBUS STAMPS GOOD FOR
USE THE NEXT CENTURY
II ~ expected that all of the three
billions of Columbus stamps will be
used during 1893 If this number proves
insufficient more will be ordered.
Supposug that any are left over az
the eud of the Columbus year. the sale
of them will be continued until they
are gone. They viii be just as good for
mailing letters 100 yenrs hence as they
are now
Nobody is obliged to purchase tue
Columbus stamps; now unless he
chooses, every postmaster having
been Instructed to furnish ordinary pos
tugc stamps 10 anybody who asks for
them. Many persons prefer the ordinary
ones because they are smaller not
requiring such big lick
A FEW FACTS ABOUT THE NEW
STAMP.
The designs for the Columbus stamps
were picked out by the postOficc de-
partment most of them being obtained
from historical paintings: but the
bank note company made the designs
aud engraved the plates from which
they are printed at its own expense
Work upon them has been going ON
ever since last September The cngray-
duced in the world for postage stamps
though the printing is not so expensive
as was that Of the United States
stamps in two cOlOrs, issued few
years ago, which had 10 pass twice
through the press.
lnasmuch AZ the new stamps are dis
tributcd 10 pOstmusters only as they
are required, and of whatever deuout-
ination may be asked for, II is impossi-
bic to say how muny Of The high-priccd
ones will be issued 1t all depends on
the demand, aud how great that win !
be no one can tell.
Hitherto the highest denomination of !
an ordinary postage stamp has been 90 |
cents, though stamps for newspapers |
which are not good for any other pur- |
p0se-ruu from | cent as high az $50 |
The Columbus stamps will doubtless Ice |
bought in large quantities uucnuccllcd |
for collections by The people who can uf- |
ford the luxury and this will bring u |
profit 10 the government
The Columbus stamps are printed from 1
engraved steel plates big enough 10 strike |
OIL 100 of them on q sheet with a single |
stroke of the press.
Each sheet then passes beneath a re- |
vulying brush carrying muscagc. by |
which the back of it Is gummed After |
ihls rs dried and tattcncd under an
hyurauUc press. Next it is run through |
periornting machine. which Is am mr.
rangcment of little wheels revolving
parallel to each other and just fni |
enough apart 10 make the perrorntions
ny one sees them In sheet of stnnns
fresh bought, After the prrforntious
have been made across the sheet one
way by the machine. the sheet must
pass through second pcrforating ma
chne FOR the cross perfurutious. the
stamps being thus outlined so ms TO Ice
readily torn apart Knives cut each of
these sheets into four sheets of 100 |
stamps each. All stamps come in sheets
of 100 for sale
They are now done aud only remain
To be gone over counted and tagged iu
packages Of 100 sheets each. before be.
ing sent out. Each package contains
looOO stamps, of course. As thpv urp
printed the sheets of stamps ARE cnre.
iully counted. aud II one Is ever 40 slight.
~ defective though but one stnmp is
injured or Imperfect the sheet is de-.
slr9yed and carefully accounted for.
Uncle sam pays the Bank Nolc com.
pany II cents for every 1000 Columbus
stamps.