The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-11
STAMPS CAME WHlRElNG.
Feat of the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing.

washington, July 10-Ihe4 Bureau of
engraving and printing in conjunction
with the bureau OF internal revenue has
accomplished the greatest feat in it's his
tory in the printing and distributing of
The pressure on all persons connected
with the two bureaus during the last
three weeks has been tremendous. Chiefs
clerks, printers and assistants have
worked night and day.
The labor involved in printing these
stamps has been immense The burec u
of engraving was not able to begin work
on these new stamps until the war reve-
nue. act was finally passed on June Is.
Some preliminary work had been done
in the way of getting up sketches for the
stamps but owing TO the fact that the de-
nominations were subject to change little
could be done in making the plates The
bureau had only II days in which to en-
grave the plates and print enough stamps
to give the bureau of internal revenue
first supply. In addition to this work the
bureau had to print a large number OF
postage stamps to prepare the plates for
the new bonds and to supply the extra
heavy demand for currency, incl uding
silver and gold certificates, greenbacks
just begun the work of printing the Oma-
ha Exposition postage stamps, SO that
without the printing of the war revenue
stamps it had abundance of work on
hand. In fact owing to the great pres
sure of business the bureau had been COM
PEELED to do away with the system of
guides by whom visitors were enabled to
see the work of the bureau and the en-
ployes were required to work overtime.
When. therefore Chief johnson was in
formed that the secretary of the treasury
had failed to secure pOstpoCement of the
date on which the stamp tax was to take
effect from July to July Is, and would
hold him responsible for the delivery of
sufficient number of stamps with which
to begin business on July ], it looked
almost as. If an impossible asksw set be-
for him.
In the process of preparing plates for
printing The stamps a number of stelS
are necessary. The designs having been
furnished to the engraver the latter copy
them on soft steel plates. The plates are
then hardened and the engraving trans
ferrd to steel rolls. The latter are hard
ened and the printing plates prepared
from them. The bureau was then ready
to begin printing the stamps. Mr.. john
son had at his disposal II or Is presses,
none of them in extra good condition.
About 400 sheets or $4,000 stamps can be
ptiAoou Oll Odon pI6eS III all LOLlf. MT.
johnson arranged to keep tho presses go
ing "a hours day with the exception of
such time as was necessary for repairs.
10 accomplish this he arranged his force
i'll shifts SO that they worked eight
hours one day and sixteen hours the next.
Thus he was able to furnish to the bu-
reau of internal revenue from fifteen to
thirty million stamps each day.
10 Snip these stamps was no small task,
elJl6r Every sheet is COUntAd before if
leaves the bureau of engraving and print
ing. When itarrives at the st amp vault
of the bureau OF internal revenue it is
again counted. All of the counters are
women and such is their dexuerity that
some of them count as many as go, 900
sheets day. AS the sheets are counted
they are laid out In piles of 100 each.
They are then carried into the vault
where four men are constantly engaged
in packing them. The sheets are packed
in quantities of 10, 100, 500 and 1000
sheets. They are bound with heavy ma
Mia paper, tied with Irvine and sealed.
These packages are then laid away and
shipped to collectors of internal revenue.
During the recent rush it has been neces
sary for employees in the stamp vault to
remain there until ~ and l O'Clock at
night in order to ship the stamps deliv-
cred from the bureau of engraving and
printing.
The stamps are then shipped by regis.
tered mail to all parts IF the United STATES.
This work has been done under the lirec-
ton Of Superintendent II. l.. Godsey,
who has frequently stayed at the vault
all night and has practically lived there
since the delivery Of the stamps began.