The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-02
POSTAGE.
The First Days Sale of Stamps Under the
New Law-More About the System.

lie new tWo-cent postage stamps began doing
duty yesterday. 1t is light purple and portrays
tne head OF Washington, a profile view, set in
an oval medallion and placed upon an heraldic
shield, which boldly proclaims that it is U. s.
postage and worth Two cents. The four-ceut
stamp is green in color and bears the head of
Andrew jackson.
Inc stamp window was thrOnged yesterday,
ike the ticket wagon of popular circus, and
SUCH a crowd has never been seen there before,
not even the day before st. Valentines day.
Ihls may be accounted for by the fact that bust
ness houses and manufacturing establishment
mad allowed their supplies to run down in an
ticipatlon of the change and began stocking up
on the first opportunity. There were 81 ,O43
two-cent stamps sold, amounting to 81, O2O. SO,
and of other stamps $3.50. SO, making a total of
Sl,21l.e4. 1t is thought the sales to-day will
be nearly as large, and that the rush Will keep
up for the remainder of the week.
81 want you to correct an erroneous idea that
Is giving US a great deal of bother in answering
questlons," said Postmaster Wildman. 9Th
impression appears to be with some people
that the old three-cent stamps are no longer
good. Say as plainly as YOU can that they are
still good and will pay postage, but that the
postmaster can not exchange the new stamps
Tor Them"
GLOW are the old three-cent stamina To he cot
rid off"
"They can be used in combinations. For in
stance, a letter that would require two Jwo-cent
stamps postage can be made up with a three
cent and a one-cent stamp; a six cent letter with
Two 6hrees, and so on"
$50 the only way to do is to write heavier let
tersl"
Just so; for they cannot be exchanged at the
office. The old cent stamps pay letter posta ge
as well as the new. All the law requires is that
a half-ounce letter shall pay two cents postage
Instead of three cents"
afHnw mnnb OlA ofAo1r 1,a-a 49, Lee -, o-d1y g
ION Saturday evening we closed the office
with less than a dollars worth of three-cent
stanps. On saturday morning we had to go out
ana Duy three-cent stamps of newspaper offices,
banks and wherever we could get them. We
ran short IN this way because L had determined
not TO nave any three-cent stamps LEFT on hand.
so at the beginning of the quarter 1 ordered a
smaller supply of three-cent stamps than usual
only 100000. During the last forty DAYS we
have been ordering by telegraph. The first or
der was for 100000. That being insufficient an
other order was sent for $4,000. and on last
lasted until Saturday. During the quarter $780,
OO0 three-cent stamps have been sold"
How about stamped envelopes2"
81 am informed by Mr.. Thompson that we have
only forty three-cent stamped envelopes in the
ohlce. That's S120, You see we have watched
our supply closely. A number of business houses
nave been caught with a supply of three-eent
envelopes on hand. There is no present pro-
vision for their relief, but no doubt, 1t Will soon
De arranged so tnat they can be exchanged. |
settled a question this morning. A number Of
letters were put into the Office yesterday Sun
u"yJ "hlCh was tuo uay oeIOre inc new stamp
came In, that had two-cent stamps on them, an
tlclpatlng the reduction in postage. These
stamps were cancelled in due form by the can
ceiling clerk. and then laid aside for insufficient
postage. Such of those letters as had the i'm
print OF the business houses sending them were
returned by carriers to the writers, who gave
the that at the time they were
mailed the old law was in force, ana they re-
CURED three cents, and that now, although The
law only required two cents, those letters could
not be sent without paying three-cents postage.
do You know that there is an average of six
letters a day, two thousand a year, put into this
Office without any stamps on them at alf That's
a result of haste and carelessness."