Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-03-18
WILL FOIL ROBBERS
Machine to Impress Stamp on
Envelope Invented.
Heavy Losses Through RobberIes Of
Pcstoffees VIII BE Avoided, II
10 Claimed, by Use Of
This Device.

Kansas City.-A machine TO stamp
postage, which will render unneces-
sary probably IS per cent. of the post
age stamps now in use and practically
put an end to the loss of stamps by
postofflce robberies and by petty
thefts In large business concerns, is
the invention Of w. ID. Nelson, assist
ant fire warden Of Kansas City.
In this city alone " is estimated
that business firms are out $4,000 a
year through the loss of stamps that
are dishonesty appropriated, or
stolen" said Mr.. Nelson. my machine
will stop this absolutely, saving the
business men Of the country hundreds
of thousands Of dollars annually"
For ten years Mr.. Nelson was EN-
ployed in the postoffice here, and he
has practical knowledge of the stamp
business, says the Star The neces-
sity of the machine he has invented
occurred to him while he was engaged
in this work, and six years ago he
perfected his idea. He submitted his
plan to the government officials in
Washington, but received little en-
couragement, as they told him that his
idea was not feasible because its prac-
tical adoption would require a too
radical revision of the postoffice regu-
lations.
Recently he learned that the gov
eminent is considering the adoption
of machine almost exactly like his.
Now he purposes to assert his rights,
and as he was the original inventor
and his suggestion to the postofice de-
partment six years ago is a matter Of
record, he expects to win his conten-
ton.
Mr.. Nelson's machine will stamp let
ters with great facility, the postage
being represented by an impression
instead of the ordinary postage stamp.
Each machine will represent a spe-
CITED amount of postage. Should a
firm want 800 worth of postage, the
government, which is to retain the
| ownership of all the machines, would
place 800 machine in the possession
of the firm. After that amount of
postage has been used, the machine
| will lock automatically and no more
impressions" will be forthcoming
from it. Each machine will have a
certain individuality, consisting of a
number and when desired the name
of the firm using it. This number and
name will be stamped on each letter
with the postage. Thus every letter
will carry an Identification quite dis
couraging to the postage pilferers.
THE government sustains an enorm
GUS loss every year from postof1ct
robberies in small towns" said Mr.
Nelson. "My machine will prevent a
least two-thirds of this loss. Of
course, in small individual sales the
postage stamp would still be in vogue
| but for all large sales the machine
! would be invaluable. 1t would be
used so extensively that even in the
small towns only small stocks of post
age stamps would be necessary and
the incentive for robbery would be
! greatly minimized."
| When the inventor had demonstrate
ed the practicability of his idea local
business men volunteered to build a
factory for the manufacture of the
machine. All the royalty they asked
from the government was an amount
equal to the cost Of the paper and
printing of postage stamps, thus saw
ing the government the expense of
mucilage, the most important item in
the manufacture of postage stamps.
Two kinds of mucilage are used on
stamps. There is a summer style in
mucilage and a different kind used in
winter
my greatest difficulty was In max.
ing my machine lock automatically
at the right time," said Mr.. Nelson
II studied on the problem weeks and
months and was about to give up in
despair when one night awoke from
a deep sleep and the solution of the
problem came to my mind like a flash.
Before l went to sleep again my idea
L nnreootad