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The Worl a oo
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
HE recent announcement
from London that the
world's first postage
stamp had been placed
on sale In that « at.
traeted
tion rom
stamp but
from the public in gen-
eral, because it em-
phasized the fact that
this present-day common convenience,
millions of which are used every-
day, is of comparatively recent adop-
tion. For this stamp, an English one
bearing the likeness of Queen Victoria,
is still attached to the envelope on
which it was used and bears the post-
mark “Bath, May 2, 1840.” This means
that the postage stamp In its present
form is less than a hundred years
old.
The first postage stamps In
United States were put on sale in
New York on July 1, 1847. Previous
to that time, postage stamps were is-
sued by private companies doing a
general express or local delivery serv-
fce of letters. On January 1, 1842,
the City Dispatch Post, otherwise
known as Greig's Post, was estab-
lished In New York city, and it is
said that this Post issued the first ad-
hesive stamp used in this country.
But the use of these private stamps
proved such an annoyance to the gov-
ernment that it was suppressed and
in its place the United States City
Dispatch Post was established.
In the early days of the United
States postal system the receiver of a
letter paid for its delivery according
to the number of sheets of paper
which the letter contained. In 1845
this system was discarded and the
weight system was adopted with a
lower rate. About the same time
came the envelope to give secrecy to
letters. Prepayment of postage and
the use of gummed stamps were put
into use in 1847. During the first fis
cal year of their use postmasters were
supplied with 860,380 postage stamps
to be sold to the public. Now, 83
Years later, the Post Office department
is supplying some 14,000.000.000
stamps every year to the 50.000 post.
masters in the United States!
Since the first gummed stamps were
issued In 1847, there have been a
dozen distinet series of regular post.
age stamps with additions to each
after their issue. Only 16 of our Pres
idents have been honored by having
their portraits appear on our stamps,
while 19 other persons prominent in
American history have been thus re
membered,
Washington and Franklin have been
honored in every regular series of
stamps from the beginning and Jet.
ferson and Lincoln have seldom been
omitted. The other Presidents pie
tured on various issues are: Madison,
Monroe, Jackson, Taylor, Grant,
, Hayee, Garfield, Cleveland, Harrison,
McKinley, Roosevelt, Harding and
Wilson, Memorial stamps also bave
been issued for Lincoln on his one
hundredth birthday anniversary in
1900, for Harding shortly after his
death, and for John Ericsson, the in-
ventor, on the occasion of the unveil
ing of a statue to him in Washington
in 1026,
The other men whose portraits have
been selected for stamp issues are,
besides Franklin, Henry Clay, Daniel
Webster, Winfield Scott, Alexander
ie
ity
unusual
only
atten-
not
collectors
the
£5
Pocahontas
Hamilton, O. H. Perry, Edwin M. Stan
William T. Sherman, John Mar.
David G. Farragut, Robert B.
Livingston, Willlam H. Seward, Na-
than Hale, Capt. John Smith, Christo
pher Columbus and Vaseo Balboa,
women had
Martha Washington w
first, as was befitting the “First
Lady of the Land,” and the other two
are Queen Isabella of Spain and Poca-
the Indian princess,
interesting of all the
by the government, perhaps,
special series, Issued from
time to known as commemora-
tive stamps. The first of these ap
peared in 1503 to commemorate Col-
umbus’s discovery of America. There
were sixteen of these stamps, ranging
in denomination from one cent to £5.
each one telling a little of the story :
Columbus in Sight of Land, the Land:
ing of Columbus, the Flagship of
Columbus, the Fleet of Columbus,
Columbus Soliciting the Ald of Isa-
bella, Columbus Welcomed at Barce
lona, Columbus Restored to Favor,
Columbus Presenting Natives, Colum-
bus Announcing His Discovery, Colum-
bus at La Rabida, Recall of Columbus,
Isabella Pledging Her Jewels, Colum-
bus in Chains, Columbus Describing
His Third Voyage, Isabella and Colum-
bus, and Columbus alone.
After five years another commemo-
rative series followed, known as
Transmississippl-Omaha stamps, is
sued during the Transmississippl and
International exposition. The nine
denominations, ranging from one cent
to $2, were titled Marquette on the
Mississippl, Farming In the West, In-
dian Hunting Buffalo, Fremont on
Rocky Mountains, Troops Guarding
Train, Hardships of Emigration, West-
ern Mining Prospector, Western Cat-
tle In Storm and Mississippi River
ridge.
The Pan-American exposition at
Juffalo in 1901 was marked by an-
other series, depicting means of trans-
portation. A lake steamer was shown
on the onecent stamp, a railway
train on the two-cent, a steel-arch
bridge on the five-cent, ship canal
lock on the eight-cent and an ocean
steamship on the ten-cent stamp.
The next special series celebrated
the purchase of Louisiana from
France. The stamps bore severally
the portraits of the men most respon-
sible for accomplishing it—Robert R.
Livingston, minister to France at the
time; Thomas Jefferson, President,
and James Monroe, special ambassa-
dor to France,
The Jamestown series of 1007 fol-
lowed, depicting the landing of the
colonists 300 years before and bearing
the likenesses of Capt. John Smith
and Pocahontas. The first single
commemorative stamp—that Is to say
one that belonged to no serles—was
that of 1909 to mark the development
of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific territory,
having for its design the portrait of
William H. Seward, who as secretary
of state negotiated the purchase of
Alaska from Russia.
In the same year a two-cent stamp,
showing Henry Hudson's Half Moon
salling past the Palisades and Robert
Fulton's Clermont under full steam,
commemorated not only the discovery
of the Hudson river but also the
centennial of its first navigation by
steam, The 101218 series marked
the opening of the Panama canal and
the discovery of the Pacific ocean. In
ton,
shall,
Only three have that
distinction. as
the
hontas,
Most
Issued
are the
stamps
timmy
wiine,
i
PDueen
Trabella
19190 a special three-cent stamp was
issued to commemorate the successful
the World war. It
picted a figure of Liberty victorious
against a background of the flags of
United England, France,
Italy and Belgium.
In 1020 the Pligrim Tercentenary
was celebrated with three stamps il.
lustrated Ly the Mayflower, the land-
ing of the Pligrims and the signing of
the Mayflower Compact aboard
historic ship. The coming of
Huguenot-Walloons to America
celebrated in a tercentenary series in
1024 and the arrival of the first im-
migrants to the United States
Norway in 1605 was also the inspira
tion for another series, known as the
Norse-American series,
ottcome of de
the States,
that
the
Wis
During the past five years the one
hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
many of the stirring deeds of the Rev-
olutionary war has given the im-
petus to a large number of patriotic
issues. The first of these came out
in 1925 with the of the three
Lexington-Concord stamps. Then came
the Sesquicentennial stamps with the
Bell of Liberty in 1928, closely fol-
lowed by White Plains Battle
stamp In same year, the Green
Mountain Vermont and the
Burgoyne in 1927, Wash
ington at Forge, and Molly
Pitcher in Rog
ers Clark ivan
stamps in
jasue
the
the
Boys of
Surrender
Valley
1928
and the George
§
amd the General Sull
1920,
10530 ents of the
During other ev
Revolution probably will be commen
and a
ried
the
Massachusetts
orated movement has already
been stn for a
tercentenary
Bay
Two special stamps, honori
special series
colebrate
colony founding
Americans, have appeared
three years. In 1027 Lindbergh's epic
flight Atlantic
ored in a special air-mall stamp and
during the Thomas E
was honored with a stamp coms
orating the fiftieth anniversary of the
invention of the incandescent lamp. In
connection with the latter two, many
persons wondered why portraits of
Lindbergh and Edison did not appear
on the stamps which bore the mes.
sage of their fame. The reason was
that the law of the land prohibits the
use of the portrait of a living Amer
ican on the postage stamps of our
country. (And for a similar reason
this article is not illustrated with re-
productions of any American stamp.
It is “agin the law” to illustrate
United States stamps, the same as
United States currency or colns!)
across the was hon
past year ison
em
mous plane, the Spirit of St
and the Edison Light Golden Jubilee
stamp showed an picture of the first
incandescent light.
Another interesting fact
Lindbergh stamp is that
of this issue were printed.
all of them have been bought up, giv-
about
15.000.000
000, post office officials estimate.
been used, the officials estimate that
tained as souvenirs. The fact that
these stamps contain an error will
make them more valuable in later
years, it is predicted. The error is
that Newfoundland is shown as sev.
eral islands instead of a large piece
of land fringed with Indentations,
About 10,000,000,000 postage stamps
are printed for our Post Office
partment each year by the bureau of
engraving and printing at
ton. Dies are made and stamps are
printed In sheets of 400 each.
being printed and dried the sheets
are taken to the gumming mchines
pan, at one end of which it comer
into contact with an adjustable re
volving roller. After being gummed
the sheets pass into a tunnel where
the temperature Is kept at 130 de
grees, This tunnel is 72 feet long and
the stamps take a minute and a half
to traverse it.
Although the postage stamp 1s »
comparatively recent Innovation ip
usage by mankind, the idea of a postal
service conducted by the government
for the carrying and distributing o!
the written messages between its peo
ple goes back to anclent times. The
first “postal systems” were in Baby
lonia, Egypt and China, but they were
little more than mere courier services
to keep the kings and emperors and
government officials In communication
with their subordinates,
id
dl
ommuni
vy Buildin
Well by Library Truck
ary out of cities
stretches are
Lib:
lying near
trucks running
large rural
now reading matter into the
of the country,
: by Anna
1's
carrying
most remote
ne
Corners
ording to a survey
Richardson, of
Home Companion,
The lurgest library trucl
Rochester, N. Y., serving
its hold 1.600
and its Horarians act as eh
Steese
out
Tires
runs
M
of
county. shelves books
ufieurs to
save room and expense.” Each library
must in
weeks, The date of library day
nounced by mall to several
people who In turn notify
and tu
the appointed time
nile and a
the center with baskets
to hold (
the on
the truck’ ves Is called for, it Is
and from
aochester
Greeny
center be visited once seven
is an-
interested
their neigh.
At
{
lepha
rimmers
half con
bors by MEeRRENEer
ne,
radius of g
a st . for
whole family, a book not
noted
cured a
of iis
books
So, 000 pet
Abrary
282.000
SONA,
} ¢
J as
The call
and
people read,
iliiterate
report.
iography more his
tory
The m (N. C.) library circu.
inated 1028, a 500
per cent increase in five years.
In many other cities library trucks
have been donated by clubs or philan-
result reading has
within past few
never before, the ar-
41,000 volumes In
thropists and as a
1
been widened the
years us
ticle,
Bays
People Awake to Value
of Artistic Roadsides
io
readside
vantages and
be derived an urtistie
seem apparent that it
pleasures
from
Ky
would ap-
pear unnecessary to of the
matter, but as
country and see
mment on
we nhout
travel
the borders o
uttered w'th shuel
mushrooms, are in m
way to houses of archi.
tectural
the Influence A
vival will extend ont
metropolitan
merit
In time, withoy
of this
ar 8
will disappear
by more graceful
Urge City Planning Study
Pointing out that mon in the
ness of real estate !
are the only group
hinel.
whose selfish interests (ff
higher
study of the subject of city planning
or planning a part of their
daily office routine, the Arkansas teal
Estate is for
initiation in every in
glate of a program of public edocs
as to the heed for proper planning
execution of
grams,
Effective land or city planning must
come as a demand from a public bet.
ter Informed as to the need of de
velopment of land resources to thelr
highest use and the preservation of
land the holds in
resolutions passed at its annual con.
vention just closed.
purely no
motive exists, demand that
land be
association asking the
community the
tion
and
pro-
civie improvement
values, association
Select Material With Care
The small house is typically Ameri.
Thousands are being built every
year, many of them on the supposition
that the art of small house architee-
ture is Independent of its material,
Sense of proportion and the laws of
structure are based in great part on
the material employed. The material,
in turn, Las an important bearing
upon the design, Since lumber will
continue to be the favorite material
for small house construction, those
who bulld small honses should be fa-
miliar with the best practices in plan
ning and designing,
can,
Move for Highway Beauty
It is encouraging to see that the
Vermont chamber of commerce has
decided to make a national campaign
out of its program for the beautifica.
tion of highways. The movement is
worthy of the co-operation of every
chamber of commerce in the United
States, and it seems that these bodies
should be eager to give their help,
New Houses From Old
Buying an old house and moderniz.
ing it is becoming more and more
popular, Frequently st.h 4 house
can be obtained at a reasonable figure,
and through the expenditure of sey.
eral thousand doliars made into a rest
dence worih much more ban the ine
Nowadays, people take Bayer Aspire
in for many little aches and pains,
and as often as they encounter any
pain,
Why not? It is a proven anti-
dote for pain. It works!
And Bayer Aspirin tablets are
utterly harmless. You have the
medical profession’s word for that;
they do not depress the heart.
So, don’t let a cold “run its
course.” Don't wait for a head-
ache to “wear off.” Or regard
neuralgia, neuritis, or even rheum-
atism as something you must en-
dure. Only a physician ean cope
with the cause of such pain, but
you ean always turn to Bayer Aspire
in for relief.
Bayer Aspirin is always avail
able, and it always helps. Famil-
iarize yourself with its many uses,
and avoid a lot of needless suffering.
Made Shees Last
When a woman recently applied to
oes, she declared that
he ones she
27 years
Than Savages
of Brazil
OHN J. WHITEHEAD, explorer
and lecturer, has just returned
rom eight months in the jungles of
South America, where he was search-
ing for traces of the lost Colonel
Fawcett and his son.
Dangerous as he found the jungle, he
encountered a worse danger at home.
But let him tell it,
“One of the great problems of a trip
of this kind is keeping in healthy
condition. When we started, some of
the members of the party had laxa-
tives with them, but made wise by
experience I carried Nujol. All too
quickly my stock ran out. Soon I
was in bad shape—what with a diet
of rice and befins, lacking vitamins
and green vegetables,
“When we finally got back to civiliza-
tion, entertained firet in Brazil and
later in the United States, I became
positively ill. Severe stomach pains
and poor elimination made me realize
that Nujol would again prove the
reliable, trusty keeper of health. Sure
enough, with the first bottle the
trouble disappeared.
Don't think Nujol is a medicine. It
is as tasteless and colorless as clear
water, It brings you, however, what
your body needs like any other ma-
chine-—lubrication. Just as a good
bath washes our bodies clean, Nujol
Worth Remembering
from pat.
of
Scratches can be removed
4
ire
nist
: Ung several
Danger
John J. Whitehead, ¢xplorer and
lecturer, with a Jungle Warrior
sweeps away, eesily and normally,
those internal bodily poisons (we all
have them) that make us feel dull
and beadachy and sick. Nujol can-
not hurt even a little baby; it forms
no habit; it contains not one single
drug. Doctors and nurses use it them-
selves and tell you to use it, if you
want to be well.
Take Nujol every night for two
weeks and prove to yourself how
happy and bright and full of pep you
can if your body is internally
clean. Get a bottle today at any Srug
store. It costs but a few cents, an
makes you feel like a million dollars.
Start traveling the health-road to
success and happiness—this very day!
No, Regardless
Office Doy—Sorry, but the
won't even read your article,
Embryo Writer—But did you tell
him that if he read it he would surely
accept it?
Office Boy—Yes: that's why
won't read it.-—London Tit-Bits.
editor
he
ev
Babies
Had Taken Precautions
“My dear, it's no use you looking at
those hats. I haven't more than $2 in
my pocket”
“You might have known when we
came out that I'd want te buy a few
things”
“1 did "Stray Stories,
There are times when a baby is
too fretful or feverish to be sung
to sleep. There are some pains a
mother cannot ,pat away. But
there's no time when any baby
can’t have the quick comfort of
Castoria! A few drops, and your
little one is soon at ck
to sleep almost before you can
ener thi harmless,
r this
vegetable ion when Chile
dren are ailing. Don't stop its use
when Baby has been t
safely through the age of
diarrhea, and other infantile ills.
Give good old Castoria until your
children are J their eens!
ver coated tongues tell
constipation; whenever there's
any sign of that
needs no stronger to
relieve. Castoria is pleasant-taste
ing; children love to take it. f
the genuine—with Chas,
Fletcher's signature on wrapper.