The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-06-02
POSTAGE STAMPS.
COMPLEX PROCESSES USED IN
TIE NATIONAL FACTORY.
Extraordinary Precautions to Pre-.
vent Fraud The Most Interest
Ing Detail is the Application
of Adhesive Gum.

=
paper on which stamps are printed. 1t
Is merely frst-class wood-iiber paper
with tho Governments water mark
~. >. L. s. repeated again and
ngain on its face to render difficult it's
counterfeiting. The counterfeitino of
stamps IL, however, rare crime.
probably because the game is scarcely
worth the candle.
Even the precaution of tho water
mark was not employed in the produc.
ton OF stump paper before the Gov.
crnmcnt took the matter in hand last
year. In any stamps produced since
April %, 1898, you Will find, il YOU
holu them before n strong light, some
portion of the watcrlIue letters "JI.
=. 4. =. This water mark is made Mt
intervals of qu inch or less all over
the big sheets ON which the stamps
are printed. Tho.date OF tho. intro.
duction of the water mark is already
n mnttpr oflntGrcst TO stamp collec.
torb.
After the paper is started in the net
ual process OF stamp making it has
countings galore. When it finally is
ready to issue in the form of red and
and blue and brown and green stamps.
1T has had no less than iiftY-two sep.
nrate and distinct countings. When
the Bureau of Engraving ind Printing
makes n requisition on the loan diyi.
SION OF the Treasury Department for
stamp paper, 1t must state specifically
what IL TO be printed on the paper. If
the bureau gets 10, 600 sheets of papcr
TO PRINT two cent stamps, it must nc.
count to the Treasury Department for
the III, OUO sheets OF two.ccnt stamps,
less, OF course, tho number actually
spoiled In the different processes; and
these spoiled sheets must also bo in
evidence, and no cloquence that has
yet been invented can otherwise ex
plain any discrepancy. The moment
paper Tor stamps of II designated de.
nomination leaves the Treasury De.
pRrtmcnt 1T becomes worth on tbo
books of the department lust the
amount of the stamps of the piycn de.
nomination TINT can be printed on it.
Inc transfer OF the paper from the
treasury to the Bureau of Engraving
ana Printing is made in iron bound
chests which are placed in n great van
Ilned with chilled steel and guarded.
AT closing time Mt the bureau no en-.
ploIe is allowed TO leave the buildIno
until the last particle OF paper, printed
or imprinted, and the last plate md
die are accounted for, nor is INV EN-.
ploye permitted to depart before clos
Ing Tune without pass from the chief
OF his or her room, approved by the
chief OF the bureau
Stamps are printed in sheets of 400
stamps, or "hends' rs thew Gro chilled
Mt the bureau; and as each press car.
RES four plates one revolution of the
press means 1000 stamps.
A plate containing 400 stamps il
about two Ivy Effect in size, and will
last great while. As the.shcets come
damp from the press they are backed
mp in stacks, n sheet of tissue papcr
between each two sheets of slnmps
After more. counting md passing OF
receipts they are taken to another dl
vision, where they are placed in small
patches in wire bottomcd trays. The
room is filed from floor TO ceiling
with these trays, and series OF cleo.
tricolly ropellcd fans keep the mir
continually in motion.
In about twelve hours the sheets nre
dry OF ink and moisture. Then girls
take them in large bundles, and Law.
ing one hnnd in the middle Of the
sheets, turn with incredible rapidly
sheet after sheet. The Impression
made upon the visitor is that they are
counting them, and counting Mt n furi.
Gus rate, too. And so they IRE. but
they are keenly md critically cxamin-
iIg the sheets ut the same time for all
sorts OF imperfcctions. When n sheet
is found imperfect in my way the
rustIIng OF tho sheets ccnscs lone
enough for the girl TO Withdraw the
sheet and mark Il with hastv gcrawI
which TO tho uninitiated means moth
ing on Garth, but 20 the stamp people
s quite full critique OF the sheets
shortcomings. Then the rustic pro.
ceeds as before.
Probably the most interesting Of MI
the details Of stamp-making is the pro.
cess OF applying the adhesive gum.
Inc cumming division is n biz npart.
ment IN the bnsemeut Of the buildino
The greatest care is taken TO keep the
temperature Of this room evenly at
eighty degrees, summer and winter
The temperature corresI To the
temperature Of the gum asst is mn
pllcd to the stamps. Even grcater care
is taken to keep the average humidity
Mt about fifty, which is just midway
between thc humidity of 70 damn. driz
zly day nnl crisp, bright one. So
much importance is attached to this
atmospheric condition in iho gum.
ming OF stamps that six humidity
tosts arc made Iuring the seven hours
which constitute the WORKING dav of
the burCau-at ., tOand 11.3Jin 'fho
forenoon, and at ], and 3 I'm ibe of
ternoon A cnrcful record of theso
readings is kept, 80 that 10 would be
possible for the chief Of the division
by referring to it months anil yenrt
ntterward 60 tell just what weather
conditions he had in CUMMING apsr.
ticulor output OF stamps Apparatus
IS provided 10 correct any tendency
to undue dryness brought about bv
the weather conditions outside the
building.