The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-10
WashIngloa clly. 1so mlles. ana 10 q. Ns ~

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Washington City, 1870 miles, and to New
York, 341S miles. K 81.
i The Postal Card Works.
The postal card works are located
in a.two.story f,re-proof brick build
ing, with a cement roof. and in which
are patent automatic fire sprlnklers.
with an abundant supply Of water at
all times for fro protection, The build
Ing is not larga-1CO Ny 60 feet.
The power to run the machinery IS
furnished by tho plant OF the paper
company, whose large plant ndjolps
that of the postal works. The building
- lighted by electricity, and in winter
Is heated by steam. Neither matches
nor smoking pipes nor cigars are NJ
lowed on the premises. The front door
Of the works is always under lock and
key. During the summer:months large
lattice doors are used, with lock and
key during the day. A time register
Ing clock Is used at night, which the
watchmen have to touch at regular
intervals In thcir. rounds.
Major E, H, Shook, the United States
agent and inspector, takes the greatest
care and precautlon to guard against
theft, IRE and visitors Interfering with
either the cards after or during the
process of manufacture and with the
employees while at work
The first floor OF the building is used
for q pressroom, casing room and "a dry,
room for the printed postal cards.
There are two presses In this room
and each press hns n capacity OF 200
impressions an hour.
The size OF the sheets of paper used
on these presses is so by 80 inches, and
each sheet contains ninety postal cards
ready to be cut and packed when It
comes from the press The dies used
on these presses are furnished by the
government Four men work at tho
presses. The men oil work eight hours
day. One man is used In the casing
part of this room to put together the
knocked down pine boxes In which the
cards are. packed for shipment. The
boxes are made Of pine grown in West
Virginia and are shipped knocked
down" TO the contractor The boxes
vary in sizes. holding 5000. $4,000 and
100000 cards respectively,
The contractor has to pay the gov
ernment for the use of the dies and
also give bond for the Gaze and Gus
tody Of these plates. The size Of the
III" card (the card in general use BY
the public is 81 by 5h inches: the ~
or double reply postal card is 5,ls by. GIs
Inches; the az" or "iadies card" the
smallest postal card manufactured, is
25-16 by 4 15-ls inches; the lnternation-
al f. or double card. Is So by 61A
inches and sc!la to consumers at !
cents each, ind the "E" international
card Is 81 by 81: inches. and Is sold at
2 cents each. The III" cards weigh six
pounds and three ounces per 1000
cards, and the IF" or return postal
icSrds weigh twelve pounds and six
ounces per 1000 cards.
Everything apperta!ning to the postal
works is under the direction and charge
of Hon. Edwin C, Madden. third assist
ant postmaster genera. q: Washington.
The Cutting Machines.
On the second floor OF the works are
located three cutting machines and one
Sitter" The cutters are operated by
young lady experts and the Sitter" by
male experts The Sitter" first cuts
Into single strips the sheets OF ninety
postal cards as received from the
presses on the first floor, and than Into
strips OF ten postal cards. Afterwards
these strips OF ten cards each are taken
to the cutting machines. which are In
close proximity or tbs Sitter" and are
there cut into. single postal cards, The
cards are twice automatically counted
into packages OF twenty-five cards each
as they come from the machine. Al the
cutting machines the cards are received
by young lady. who places papsr
band around the packages OF twenty
1--WE, and these packages are put into
paatboard boxes, 500 cards to the box.
! One young lady is engaged in putting
together ''nock-down" pastcboarl
boxes. and In one day OF eight hours
this empoye Will put together more
than 5000 boxes. ready to raceivs the
packages of cards. These boxes arc
made by 4 box factory In Connecticut,
There is hre-proof vault on this
floor which has i capacity for holding
In reserve more than 4O.0O0.0s0 postal
cards. The daily capacity OF the cut
ting machines. running for the period OF
eight hours is 100000 postal cards per
machine, or 100000 postal cards for the
three machines day. But the presen,
daily average is a fraction over 100000
cards. The official report OF the third
assistant postmaster general state;
that there was Issued during the year
ending June 80, 1897, postal cards as fol-
lows:
Single cards. domestic. ....blT, zoo. 900
Single cards, International. 433, $50
Double cards. domestic. .......,5 ,417, 200
Double cards. international. 1000
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