The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-07-05
The New Postal Bill.

This bill became law Just before
the session closed, making some
changes in existing postal 'regula-
laIions which are Of general interest.
The most impol tant is the authori-
cation of one cent postal cards for
correspondence or for printed circu-
lars, similar to those which were in
trOduced In Great Britain two years
| ago, and which are now in use in ali
European countries. The House
provided in the bill for cards with
flap to cover the writing. The Sen
ate changed this to an open card.
In conference committee the style
of the card was left to the Postmas-
ter-General, who prefers the open
card, and will order that kind only
to be manufactured. The face of
the card viii bear a one-cent stamp,
and viii be provided with lines for
address, and the back will be ruled
for the letter. The price of the card
and stamp viii be only one cent
1t will probably be three or four
weeks before they will be ready for
sale, as the plates for printing are
yet TO be prepared. The postage on
circulars, newspapers, and other
transient printed matter, which un-
der the old law was two cents for
every four ounces or less, is now one
cent for two ounces or less. Small
circulars, which formerly cost two
cents to mail, Can now be sent for
one cent-an important reduction
ArD L
largely to advertise to their business.
The change is now In force, the law
being immediate in its effect. The
First Assistant Postmaster General
refused to-day to recognize the law,
however, when an attorney laid the
question before him, after having
been told at the post Office that his
circulars with q one-cent stamp
would not be sent. The official |
claimed the right to suspend the OPP
Grafton OF the law until it could be |
prom ulgated to the post masters |
throughout the country. This claim /
is regarded as iDdefensibIe. The law |
is now operative, and everybody is |
entitled to claim its benefits post |
masters being expected to know its
provisions as well as other people. |
The Weather OF 1872, Past andtO Come.
The weather of 1872 presents, thus
far, a marked contrast to that of the |
two years preceding. Those years
were characterized by a rain fall far |
less than the general average all over |
the civilized world, and by unusual |
elevations of temperature, due to |
d minished evaporation from the |
ground. This spring has been |
marked by cJpious rains IN most |
parts of the land-surface of the globe, |
so far as heard from The eastern
states, especially those which suf-
fered from lack of rain in 1870 and |
1871, even more than most parts of |
the Northwest, have had an abund-
ance of pluvial blessing within the
last two weeks. The same is true of |
the southern part of our state and
Iowa, where many wells are now full |
for the first time in score of
months. AS with rain, so with tenn
perature, the two being, in fact,
closely connected. The water came
down freely in the shape of snow, in
many portions of Europe, and the
spring was a very backward one in
all the cereal-producing climes. To
this we may add that the earthquakes
and tornadoes have been unusually
frequent, with attendant volcanic
eruptioDs, and we have a great mass
of meteorological fact which places
the first half Of 1872 iii marked con-
trast with 1870 and 1871, in many
important points,-most important,
as they bear directly on the general
welfare of humanity. The most OBJ
viOus inference to be drawn from q
of these facts is, that
year is one of compensation. Long
before the movements In the atmos-
phere could be iEtelligently watched,
still less predicted, the law of gene
raj averages was reasoned out and
to meteorological conditions.
The average temperature or rainfall
at any particular point, ascertained
by observations of a series of years,
is found to hold good for a subse-
quent series; hence, If one particular
year presents a meteorological excess
year will be deficient, so as
to restore the mean and keep up the
general average. It is true that we
cannot, as yet, tell In advance when
these cOmpeBsatiOns viii occur; but
we are none the less certain that they
belong to the established order of
nature. The atmospheric conditions,
thus far, point to the year 1872 as
the year that shall compensate for
the unusual dryness of 1870 and
1871, and we are, therefore, justified
in expecting that, while the present
will be spasmodically hot,
with perhaps a couple of months in
which but little rain will fall, it viii
be followed by a wet autumn, some
what similar to that Of 1866, with
its attendant physical prostrations,
and possible damage to the mRtured
but unharvested crops in many parts
of the civilized world.
A physician visiting a sick lady
during a storm, she expressed con-
cern at his having come SO far IN
such bad weather. to which the doc
tor unluckily replied: "Oh, madam,
1 have another patient inati is neigh
borhood, and by that means, you