The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-10-15
HOW PLAYING cAaDs AaE MADE.
A Great lndustry-care Used to Pre-.
vent Cheating.

.t. NC0t CNcdtl08s
During the year 1906 more than So
o0o,OOO packs Of playing cards we're
printed and sold at a profit by manu-
facturers in Great Britain, France,
Germany and the United States. 1n-
dustrially regarded, the playing card
business is one of the best manufactur-
ing adjuncts to the world OF workers.
As n contributor to the revenues or
those countries where cards are pro-
duced in quantity. says the Chicago
Tribune. II Is O gold mine
siAt the same time. however, the ex-
pert player who is making a record
at cards. or who has a desire to win
money at the gaming table, finds little
use for card costing more than rs
or 80 cents pack. His objection TO
the finer card is that 1t doesn't "feel"
right and shufIies too easily. For the
card sharp" too, card which has
the standard back serves his Illicit
purpose Of marking better than the
most elaborate of art back that can
be designed in gold and colors. In
cidentally too the necessities which
the players feel for a frequent renewal
of the pack makes the item Of expense
for hand made cards seem useless in
whist games, where some one Of the
four players ls likely TO ask tor a
new deck after two or three games
at the most Cards at retail may ne
bought for 10 cents, IS cents, % cents,
S5 cents and so cents pack.
Considering the hand made cards
that cost from as cents to 81 pack,
il is interesting TO remark that what
ever elaborate departure may be made
in the artistic effects of the back, the
consuming public will have no change
made in the conventional card face,
which has been in use for more than
fifty years. This card face, as an ex-
preston of artistic design, is consld
cred far below the standards of the
designer Of the present time. For
the person who will afford Bible in
s20 the standard card face Is quite
enough to satisfy his artistic tempera-
ment. Time and again some enterprise
ing card manufacturer who has made
a hit with novelty in card back
has tried to make the face of the card
meet in artistic measure-and mas
failed. Not even the variation OF the
card spots will be tolerated; not even
the "soueezer" mark in the corners
may be altered. The players first
wish Is that he shall recognize a cara
the instant he turns its face, and to do
this he insists upon the card face as
has stood for half century at least
That the back of card shall not
soil easily is one of the first deslder-
atums Of the player In many Of the
ornate backs that have been put ON
the market there In too much light
surface to carry the print of a linger
Then in the cardboard base there are
two sheets Of paper pasted together,
making the hand made card too thick.
while the double coat of enamel with
its composition slip makes II too
smooth for handling by the player,
who does not stick always to this style
of card.
continuous roll of cardboard, the
backs printed first and the faces last.
afterward covered with a coat OF en-
amel which has the slip" introduced
by secret process. The hand made ar
ticle is made virtually deck at time
from fiat sheet of cardboard On
this the backs are printed first upon
the first coat of enamel, each color
on back and face neeessitating its
separate imprint, and when these coats
have dried another coat finishing the
card with enamel and slip" Is ap-
piled front and back Another drying
process prepares the cardboard with
its fifty-two imprints ready for the
punches
1t is in punching the card from the
strips into which sheets are cut that
the highest degree of precision must
be reached The card punch fits into
the die as closely as polished, tenn.
pered, sharpened steel can be made
TO ft, and after the punch has been
perfected the greatest care must be
aken OF it in preserving the edges
SO that not the slightest abrasion OF
irreguiarity shall exist In pack oI
cards after they are assembled.
Only one punch can be used In cut
ting pack, There may be lOC
punches at work In the factory, bul
not one OF these can cut a card effee'
lively for the completion Of dccE
cut by another punch Somewhere il
| the edge OF such card an uneven
ness would serve 10 identify II In Tho
haHds Of man who might try to use
the pack into which ii was placed
| Punching the flfty-two cards Of I'M
| deck With the same sharp punch, how
ever, tho result Is a smooth, even sur
race as unintelligible to the touch a
the faces or backs. Of the indiyidua
| cards themselves.
He lesson Gearneu ~ -