The morning news., 1894-07-30

be gone over, inspected, counted and
tagged IN packages of 100 sheets before
being sent out. Each package of 100
sheets holds 10000 stamps, Of course.
But stay There are one or two more
preliminaries yet. After receiving the
pertorations, the sheets of one hundred
are put under a press to removed the
"burrs' around the little holes Other
wise these would greatly increase the
thickness OF a packages. Then they are
counted and are placed in steel clad vaults,
from which they are drawn as the post
office department may want them. The
bureau of engraving has not yet began to
furnish stamps to the government, but it
is all ready TO do so. In response to or
ders received from the postoftice depart
ment it will put the stamps up in pack
ages, address them to postmasters who
require them and deliver them at the
postofhce at Washington for mailing.
The postoffice department now has an
agency at the bureau of engraving. When
a postmaster wants stamps he makes out
a requisition upon the department The
latter will communicate with its agent in
the bureau, who will draw upon the bu-
reau every day for as many stamps as he
requires TO fill the orders thus transmitted
to him. All. this business used to be dore
in New York city, where the stamp agent
received the stamps from the American
Bank Note company in oulk, his business
being to put them up in packages and
send them off by mail.
The inks used for printing the stamps
are manufactured at the bureau of en-
craving The materials are bought in the
shape of dry colors and linseed oil. The
colors come in the shape of powders. The
only stamps turned out thus far are two
cent red and the one-cent blue. For the
former carmine is employed and for the
latter ultramarino. Both colors are
toned" by the admixture of other ingre-
dients-the carmine with paris white and
white lead. Pure carmine would be very
costly.
Ultramarine is not very expensive, but
it is too strong in the printers phrase
that is to say, too dark. 1t used TO be
the costliest of colors, being made from
the precious lapis lazuli. But in recent
years chemists, having analyzed the lapis
iazuli, have produced in the laboratory a
successful imitation of the color stuff.
For making the ink the color powder is
com bined with linseed oil and ground be-
tween rollers. Each printer receives
every morning his allowance of ink, and
sharp account is kept of every bit used.
Uncle Sam will save about $780, 900 a
year by pFinting his own postage stamps.
Congress has given to the bureau of en-
cravings Sl63, 900 for this purpose for the
hScal year oeglnn1ng July l, Out OF inns
appropriation some machinery must be
bought. The expense used to be $20S, 900
per annum. OF course, the government
had nearly all of the required plant
ready at hand About fifty new people
have had to be engaged to do the extra
work The plates used by the American
Bank Note Company for printing the
stamps were the property of the govern
ment.
The postoffice department has made re-
Gently. 500 sets of fac-simile stamps for
distribution among member of congress
and high officials Each set includes
specimens of all OF the issues from the
earliest to the latest. They are printed
on thin cardboard, being intended for
curiosities and not for the payment of
postage.