Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1901-08-10
MING THR
POSTAGE STAMP
SIS Of Applying Mucilage
| Complicated One
nent Has This Department Of
amp Making Down to a
AieGtV

VI Il lDoldHt HAdllp anu Il ~
L to a letter you will find that
o adhere as desired. If so, it is
fault Of the government Ii
one thing above another which
ted States has brought down
xact science it is the cumming /
sive stamps. The work is done /
bureau of Engraving and Print
ch is now in charge of Captain |
NJ. Meredith, a practical print
was foreman of the Missouri |
at in St. Louis in 1S72-73 and |
S spent the greater portion Of
about big printing establish
The precautiOn taken at the |
to secure a uniform coating OF
the back of postage stamps APP
8 the marvellous. When the
are gummed they are tested 70
b if the coating varies on sheets
en-thousandth of a pound.
THE CUMMING ROOM.
cumming room to which the
sheets of stamps are sent for
batting Of gum on the reverse
in charge of Fred J. Croker
spent all of his waking hours
asst fifteen years handling gums
mining devices for the govern
The stamps after being printed
him in sheets, each containing
nps. The cumming room was
pecially for the work which isl
u it. Pipes lead into it conveying
4 in a heated and melted state toI
ats. into which it is slowly
d as needed From these watts
owed to Ooze slowly on to roll
ne sheets of stamps pass under
ers, receiving a thin coating of
I'D then drop on to a continuous
Dr. belt. The belt carries them
is which contain coils of steam
tv feet long. The slow passage
freshly gummed stamp sheets
4 the watts dries them. When
zach the other end of the watts
re dry enough to be piled one
another. counted, tested and
ready for shipment.
precautions taken to insure uni
\ in the cumming are the most
ing part of the work. Each
e when the workmen report for
hey are given a series of blanks
they must fill out during the day
IN work progresses. The govern
fxeeps a most careful account of
ounce of gum given to them and
ry sheet of stamps which they
The system is an absolute
on the stamp sheets, but was
ed to insure the use Of the proper
ty of gum in proportion to the
sheets
m the work starts in the morn
Ell of the men is charged up will
sheets of stamp and twenty-siA
4 of gum. He must spread tina
{ of gum over the given number
cts. Exhaustive experiments anI
scientific calculation have deter
the proportion of gum and paper
and continuous inspection an'
,eping of a running account will
operator in the cumming room
it impossible to neglect any shee
dispose of the gum except b,
ling it with absolute uniformit
he sheets. The little watts whicl
over the rollers contain delicat
ments which show the tempera
n which the gum is kept and 1t
ic gravity From time to tim
,rocker passes along the row c
TORS and inspects these instru
He requires an absolute ten
ire of 80 degrees and a speciil
ty Of 20.
. EFFECT OF MOISTURE.
isture in the atmosphere presen'
treatesu problem to the operator
e cumming room. Many eXper
5 have shown that the worst pa
e United States to furnish staml
the Mississippi Valley. for the
moisture attacks the stamp shee
ner and Winter. Bureau eXper
re that a stamp which gives sa
ton in the Mississippi Valley w
4 the climate of almost any pc
of the globe.
Q quality of the gum varies wi
'easrns. the figures just given bell
Inc Immer gum. There is also
ntel Jun and an 'intermediat
the tier being used inthe Spri
FALL ne Summer gum is the hal
when applied to the stamps becau
he danger Of the sheets sticking
er. and the quality OF the Whit
is determined with a view to P,
ing the rolling of the sheets
traction. At the present time
Is 200, 900 pounds Of gum per {
! to prepare the stamps for I
.4rrr In ON aiofhf-botIf. rQu