The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-10-11
Tho Evolution of Postage.

As the new law that permits the senulng
of letters through the mails for two cents
per half ounce went into effect yesterday
1t may be interesting to note what may be
termed the evolution OF the postage stamp
A great many changes have been effected
in the commercial value of this little article
since the days when our grandiathers had
occasion to send, at long intervals OF time,
love missives to the fair creatures VINO nelu
their affections in adjoining states, when
such infrequent lovers lived so apart. 1t
was not very long ego, in the days OF stage
coaches, when the sending OF a letter from
Maine to San Francisco was luxury that
only the nabobs OF the community dared
indulge, 1t required more cash than some
home-tarrying SWANS could save from the
earnings OF year, as IL was tne
right round figure of $40 per simple packet.
In the early days the postage stamp was
still unthought Of, though IL may have had
an EN- bryonlc existence in the wafer that
the discreet writer employed to put his
honeyed words beyond the immediate en-,
croachment OF pry ing eyes A letter could
be sent scarcely any distance at all tor less
than so cents, as the carrier had to be fed
independently as rule. Less than
a hundred years ago, there were
only sevsnty-ive postot1ces IN the
At the present time we have 80 0O0 OF
those useful institutions with only restful
ride between. BY the gradual increase OF
the number of links in the chain OF ofnces,
the certainties OF the letterreaching its des-
tipation were enhanced, and with the
added care OF delivery come fair reduc-
ton in the rates of postage. Ot course, I'M
der the government supervision, the letter
rates were not as exorbitant as the cost to
IL. IL ph
by Uncle Sam was neither excessive nor
unreasonable.
In the cary days of the service distance
was the dtlsrm ming factor OF price. A let
ter of half an ounce could re carried forty
miles for cents, be, ween that and ninety
miles for 10 cents, over 100 miles for IL
cents, up to 500, when it was 20 cents, and
tor O greater distance 20 cents, though
the distances were rarely much in excess
of that. 1t was not until 1916 that there
was any especial modification OF the prices,
hut then a law was passed permitting the
sending Of half ounce letter less than 3OO
miles for cents, and over that 10 cents.
But the government found this was far
more profitable reduction the expenses of
maintaining the mails exceeding the re-
ceipts, and congress made an unsuccessful
effort to increase the rate. In 1891 there
was another reform; prepaid letters going
900 miles, cents, or for cents unpaid,
and over that distance for 6 or IL cents, as
prepaid or not. In 1852 postage stamps
were first legally named. In 1868 prepay.
ment was made com pulsory, the rates being
cents for 5000 and 10 cents for more.
There was no further change until 1858,
when distance was knocked out OF the cal
culations entirely. That date marked the
enactment of the law governing rates OF
letter postage. that remained in effect until
repealed by the Law that yesterday went
The evolution of the postage stamp has
really been definitive of the progressive
steps of the general government, the
growth and prosperity of the country being
the determining causes of all the variations.
The first time postage stamps were used, or
the payment of letters, was in 1910 in
Great Britain, and they were regarded as
great curiosities when seven years later
they were introduced in this country. Our
first stamp was the value Of five cents, ana
made its appearance in New Haven, Con-
necticut, introduced by X. A. Mitchell,
postmaster OF that place, aud was his own
private evidence that the letter had been
prepaid. But postage stamps have become
such common everyday affair that they
seem always to have existed, SORT OF
spontaneous outcome of our natural being.
What was first used as friendly accommo'
daton to special business acquaintances
has come to be an essential of gov, rnment
prerogative. We have progressed from the
$40 to the 2-cent era of postage. and 1t will
not be long before we will have the legally
constituted penny post.-[lnter-Oce