Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-02

acter from those thrown about them
after they start on their journeys, long
or short, to the retail counters OF the
city and country post ofsices. The pro-
ing have been built up by long experience
and are almost infallible. Four times a
day the stamp rooms are balanced up,
and the balance must be true or the
roomful Of girls is held until the error is
detected.
But after the stamps have been count
ed into bundles, sealed and prepared for
shipment to the local post offices, the
men who are responsible for them must
trust to other agencies than their own
supervision and care. The eyes of the
government still follow the stamp, but
to the protection Of great values rather
than of small individual items. The
single stamps have--Secome parts of ship
ments of greater value and Importance
Single shipments of stamps for the New
York post Office often run up to 30. 900 600
stamps. or even more. The shipments 60
ing through the Washington registry office
one day. when photographs of the actual
operations were taken, embraced consign-
ments of stamps valued at over $1,000. 900
for the post offices at ST. Louis and Gin
cinnati. The bulk of these shipments con-
sfsts of packages containing 200, 600
stamps. and at no stage of the journey,
from the time these stamp bundles leave
til they arrive at their destination. are
they exposed to danger of loss or theft
The trucks in which the stamp bundles
are handled are large wooden cases
mounted on wheels an. standing about
five feet high. These trucks are rolled into
the cage at the bureau of engraving.
where an order from some postmaster in
a distant city has been prepared for ship
ment. The countless checks and recounts
have made the contents of the sealed
havnnd a nf
a doubt
The packages are thrown into the tops
Of the boxlike trucks, each being checked
Off on a list as 1t goes in When the
truck is full the man who has supervised
the loading closes the top and puts a lock
on it, the key to which is held In the reg
istry division Of the post Office or in his
own pocket. The truck is wheeled out of
the cage. across little platform and
stand by as it Is placed in position Four
of these locked trucks can be put in the
wagon at a time
Two men step inside when the loading
is finished, and the doors of the wagon
cage are locked upon them and the load
of stamps. Two other guards mount the
rear of the wagon, and the representative
of the bureau of engraving, who is to de-
liver the load personally to the superin-
tendent Of the registry division, takes his
seat In front with the driver. few
minutes later the wagon brings up at the
receiving platform Of the post office.
where the wagon cage is unlocked and
the wheeled boxes rolled out.
Here again every possible safeguard has
been erected to protect the stamps from
loss or theft. The Washington registry
Office because of the valuable government
property going through it each day Is
probably the best protected registry Office
in the country. Under the eye of the rep
resentative the stamps are transferred to
the custody of Granville NJ. Hunt. super
intendent Of registry, and prepared for
the registered mail.
One at a time the trucks are taken in
from the wagon, the guards remaining at
the wagon. The locked truck passes into
an empty. room and the door Is locked