Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-12
tinuously since 1870, is superseded by an
other famous sea fighter Admiral Farra-

tinuously since 1870, is superseded by an.
other famous sea fighter, Admiral Farra-
gut.
The art critics in the Post Office Depart.
ment also concluded that it would be good
idea to have uniformity in the general style
of portraits employed, and the designers
were, therefore, obliged to skirmish arouno
and find good, full face portraits of Frank
lin, Washington and Jefferson to replace
the profiles on the l, and 3-cent stamps.
All these changes serve to emphasize the
fact that Miss Columbia has been rather
tickle with regard to the public men hon
ored by places on her postage stamps.
Washington, of course, has been fitly
recognized, and in the series Of stamps
which went into use just half a century
ago his portrait in one style or another an
peared on all the denominations save two.
Franklin and Jackson likewise have held
places with scant interruption, and the por-
trait of Lincoln has appeared In every series
since the civil war. Presidents Johnson and
Arthur, however, have never had places in
the postal art collection, nor, of course, has
Grover Cleveland, who, while living, is in
eligible. Stanton, Scott, Hamilton and
Zachary Taylor were all portrayed on
postage stamps at one time or another but
have had to give way to statesmen Of more
recent prominence. Nor, indeed will the
changes end here, for it Is expected that as
soon as the new Mckinley postal card has
served the usual period of usefulness and
been retired, his portrait will supplant that
OF either Sherman or Webster. So, too,
n,
For the 80 and 9O-cent stamps of some
years since the 50-cent and 81 denomina-
lions of the present day have been SubSti-
tuted, and the 50 and s. values are COM
parattVe newcomers.
Engraving the plates which are used in
the production of postage stamps is a deli
cate operation. Perhaps a dozen different
engraVers, each an expert in his particular
line, contributes to a design for a stamp
that is not an inch square. One supplies
the vtgnette, second cuts the delicate
scroll work, a third furnishes the artistic
lettering and so on. The original plate
bearing a stamp design, although baked
until it is almost as hard as diamond, is
never employed in the actual printing. 1t
is much too precious for that, since, were
1t destroyed, 1t would in all probability be
impossible to engrave a new plate that
would be an exact duplicate in every deli
cate detail. Accordingly, the original plate
constitutes a steel die, with which impres-
SionS are made on soft steel, and these lat
ter, termed repl1cas, are used, after harden
ing, for the actual printing.
Postage stamps are printed in sheets of
four hundred, and all the printing is done
in one immense room, known as the bee
hive, containing over three hundred hand
presses, each of which requires for its
manipulation the services of two opera :
tlves-one an expert plate printer and the
other his woman assist ant, whose DUTY II Is
to feed to the press the blank sheets of
paper and remove them after receiving i'm
preston. The ink is applied by means of a
hand roller, and inasmuch as the varied
hues inevitably tinge the hands and faces
and clothing of the workers, the immense
press room presents a picturesque specta Gle
of kaleidoscope color.
Cumming the samples is an important
process, and those persons who never mois-
ten postage stamp without momentarv
uneasIness regarding the possible presence