Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-07-20

ordinary United States postage stamps.
altered simply by the addition Of q
word printed across the face OF each
ono in unornamental black letters.
Thus all Guam stamps have the word
Guam" marked on them as If it were
for cancellation. and the word Philip
pines" makes our common stamps scr
viccable for carrying mail matter in
Uncle Sans new oriental archipelago.
The first process in the manufacture
Of stamps at the money mill is to
count the sheets Of blank paper. which
are purchased by contract. This work
is done BY women, who. indeed. Der
form most Of the abor in the bureau
Of engraving and printing. simply be-
cause they have proved th"m2c'F"9
more capa bic than men for business nf
this description. Each sheet ~ IN"
proper size to make 400 printed stamps.
with Il small margin. After they haV"
been counted the sheets are moiStrn"d
by laying wet rags between them at
intervals of 20, and next morning.
when the rags are rcnoI ed, the sheets
are ready for printing.
The press for printing postage
stamps is a qucer-loDlIing machine. half
automatic in its action. II If qsite q
small affair. with four square -Sleel
plates. set horizontally. occupying the
four sides Of Il horizontal square. n.
These plates. always horizontal. tf1v-
~ around the four sides Of the square
Ill a moderate rate uf speed passing.
~ turn. beneath An ink roller. Each
of them is engraved with the faces of
20 stamps. and after being mixed by
tho roller. goes under a mechanical
rubber. which removes most Of the ink.
Then the plate is clcansed Of all the
rest nf the ink save what Is in the
craven lines by man who rubs It with
cloth and his bare hands. and finally II
goes under a dry cloth-c0vered roller.
which. sheet of white paper beng
intcrposed. DOS the printing. All or
these processes arc accomplished four
times inside of half minute.
4 girl supplies the fresh. white
shccty as the plates come round u her
in quick succession. and another girl
takes them out. fresh printed. as they
appear on the outside Of the cioth-cov-
cred roller. piling them neatly as she
does ~. Then the sheets 50 new and
beautiful with their bright coIored inn
~ hc counted. after which they are
laid on racks in wire cages on wheels
ana hauled into a steam drying room
~ stay over night.
on the following morning they are
taken into the examining room, whore
each of them is carefully inspected for
detects Torn ar otherwise imperfect
ones arc rejected. hut AN fragments
are carefully stuck together 50 mat
Zach sheet nay be accounted for.
Each person in tn" department Of the
money mill is expected 70 examine r.
lH0 sheets in q days work.
Now comes the cumming pf the
stamps which is one AZ the most inter
est:ne steps in the whole process. Each
sheet of 800 is taken in its turn and
placed between q pair NJ delicate ttecl
hands. which pass il hen"ath roller
that csrrics "A solution NJ finc gum COM
posed chiefly Of dextrin.
An endless belt carries the nrv!y
gummed sheet through wooden box
loo feet ~ length. which Il lined with
coils ~ steam pipes. 50 that II comes
out at the other end few minutes
later perfectly dry, being rer".Ved
thnreupon by deft fingers Of steel and
laid accurately upon y p.c nf similar
sheets
II. Eummed postage stamp, before
thev are ready for USr. must 10" per
fnratcd. 50 as To he torn apart easily.
ANA this process is performed hy ma
chimes with rows NJ small tnoth"d
wheels of brass Set uarallcl to -ach
other Washington Times.