The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-09-04
MONEY BY POST.
THE POSTAL MoNEY-oRDER SYSTEM
NOT A NEW THING.
The idea Introduced by . Frenchman In
1627-Enterprise OF Three English
Pastofiice Clerks In 1702-
Facts Of Interest.
(Chicago Inter Ocean.l

GChicago Inter ocesn.l
People Of this day believe that the great
est inventions have come to light in this
century. The telegraph they are sure Of,
and they Lelieve that all there Is in the
postal systsm has been perfected within
the last fifty years. Most people be-
lieve that the postal money order sys-
tenn Is comparatively a new thing, and
that while the United States brought the
idea from England, she greatly improved
upon it when she put the system in opera
ton This is jumping to conclusions.
The postal money orier idea Il as old
almost as the scheme for uniform letter
postage Money orders were introduced
In the United States in the year 1854,
and postal notes were introduced only two
years ago. But it is q matter Of record
that in the year 1927 Frenchman named
Pierre d'Almeras introduced INTO France o
postal money transmission system not unlike
that now in Q In this country, and in the
same year q system Of cheap registration
for letters. This gentleman spent nearly
500, 0O) in putting this scheme in operation.
The political disturbances that followed
spoiled all his plans. 1t was not until 1917
that France adopted the money order serv-
ice, and not till 1874 that she adopted post
age stamps, and not until 1859 did she
adopt the postal note system,
1t is u curious fact that in England the
money-order branch Of the postoffics was
for forty years the private enterprise Of
three pc. .tofIics clerks The three clerks
began business in 1892, their purpose being
to facilitate the safe conveyance of small
sums to soldiers ami sailors The system
was soon extended to all classes of remit
ters, and in due time the postmaster general
approved the scheme. but his department
took no part in the management Of it It
was not until 1888 that the privats enter
prise WAS converted into an official depart.
men'. Since that date many improvements
have been made, but the general features Of
the system introduced by the three post
cfice clerks are still retained.
In the United States the registered-letter
system did not attain any degree Of excel
lence until after 1859. The money order
system was first esta blished In 1864 Postal
notes came into use in 1883 We imported
all these ideas from France and England. and
1t Is doubtful whether we have improved on
the Eneli,h idea But In other respects our
postal system. notably the railway-mail
service has gone far in advance OF any
European nation. The line Of development
here has been toward perfecting a system
adapte to long distances. and mainly tc
service hy rail,
Postage stamps were frst used in the
United Slate, in 1S47; that is, the govern
ment did not adopt them until that year,
although stamps had been used in New
York and some Of the other states In lS45
This idea came from Europe, where stamps
came into use in England in 1888, although
1t is sail that postpaid envelope was in
Use in Paris in the year 1854 The first
postage -tamp used in Germany was in 1S43
Au,,ria took them up in 1850. Russia used
Iostase envelopes as early as 1915. and took
up the adhesive stamps in 1856 France
adopted the postage stamp in 184S The
South American states took them up In
1858
OF the postage stamps now in use great
majority are vignettes, showing the heads
Of noted personages In the nation repre-
sented, but in France no portraits appear
upon the stamps. America has Washing.
ton, jefferson, jackson, Lincoln, and great
men without number. whose names and
faces are as, ociated with great events In our
natl nal development. But the great names
Of France-the great men Of her history
have been associated with other forms OF
government than republican. For the re.
public to place on its stamps the head Of
the great Louis would bs to remind the peo-
pie Of the splendor OF the oil monarchy. To
use the head of Napoleon Bonararts would
be to porpetuate the memory of the first
empire. 50 it happens that the republic
uses a stamp that i in no sense a reminder
of the mast