The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-05-01
HOW 10000 DIVIDEND
CHECKS ARE SIGNED
MODERN OFFICE METHODS AND
NEW DEVICES OF GOLDFlELD
CONSOLIDATED,

At the offices of the Goldfield Com
solidated Mines company the clerical
force is working overtime, starting
often before a. M, In preparing the
checks that will be sent to stocllhold-
ers for the companys eighteenth div-
dend. payable April 80, and which viii
be mailed in time to reach the hold
ers of certificates on the last day of
the month, says the Goldfied Tribune
This dividend win bring the total of
the Consolidated companys disburse-
ments to stockholders In the form of
dividends to the sum Of $24, 906S11 40
practically all of which has been paid
within period of five years.
10000 Stockholders.
In the preparation of checks for
more than 10000 share holders of the
Consolidated company the most adj
vanced labor saving devices are EN-
ployed. The checks are engraved in
sheets Of five each and these must be
handled several times in order to re-
ceive the Impressions of the name and
address Of the payee. the amount for
which the check is drawn, the sigma
ture of the secretary and treasurer Of
the company and then be enclosed In
an envelope, together with the usual
quarterly financial statement.
Use Of Signograph.
Office machinery, which has been
brought to high degree Of efficiency
for the elimination of manual work, is
in use in every department of the Con-
solidated office where it can be util-
lied.
The only work on these checks that
is done by hand, singly, is that of the
stamping the amount for which the
check is drawn and enclosing them in
envelopes. The sheets of five checks
are run through the addressograph
which prints the names and addresses
serially of the stockholders; the
checks having been numbered by y
check numbering machine The sign
ing of this great number of checks
has been greatly simplified by the sig
nograph, machine that enable the
secretary treasurer to afiix his sigma
ture to 10 checks by writing a single
signature.
Short Work Of Signing.
Under ordinary conditions 1t would
require many hours. even days, to
sign 10000 checks, as the most expert
penman, or one accustomed to writ
ing for hours together, would under
the strain imposed by the continuous
writing OF the single name, develop
writer's cramp" and would be unable
to complete task of this magnitude
without frequent rests Mr. Howe was
enabled to complete the signing of all
these checks In one morning and to
attend to the usual details of work in
his busy office.
Description Of Sisnosraph.
The signograph appears to be sim
plicity itself in construction Ten
short fountain pens are so adjusted
that by the use of the only one with
II holder al the left end of the lower
row, all touch the same point on the
check as that used by the writer. The
Is most delicately adjusted
and the bearings meeting on circular
bars, running on fine ratchets, have as
light contact as bali bearings. Sec
rotary Zoebel, sitting at the opposite
side of the machine. feeds" in the
sheets of checks and as each double
sheet of ten signatures Is completed.
occupying only few seconds, the
writer turns small crank with his
left hand bringing the next ten checks
under the pen points. After this the
checks are cut down and inserted In
the envelopes. together with letter
size statements. that have been fold
ed by the mechanical folder, all oper-
ated BY electricity.