Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-13
THE FIRST POSTAGESTANPS.
Tie TiiriJ eighth Anniversary OF Their
ise-A History of Their Invention.
IHarffo Uouu1 3 Times


tSe-A History of Their Inyenron.
Hartford Conn Times.
Thirty-eight years ago to-day the
first pOstsge-stamps were used in the
United States. For one hundred and
seyen;y-tiye years postage bad been
collected entirely in money, and in all
cases prepayment was optional. Good
old John Haywood, WHO, in 1865, be-
came the worthy master of the
posts at Boston, and the first
postmaster in America, employed
chance conveyance instead of post
age, with "by the kindness Of g"
some traveller as his postal service :;
and nothing was thought about stamp
ing until lS4l, though such men es
franklin, Bache. Pickering, and Ken
dali had been at the head of the Post.
Office Department, and though the
number Of Offices had come to be nearly
li.otU. On the 18th Of March, 1910,
John VI. Niles. Of Hartford, became
Unconstitutional, and Signalized
his administration by many re-
forms. He turned the wrong side
out Of his predecessor work,
ard convinced his party and the presi-
dent that Amos Kendall was not such
great man as had been imagined. +.
wss necessary 10 cap all by genuine
rno'atiOa. and he performed this By
suggesting the pOstage-stanp. The srg-
gesuon was received with rldicnlc. and
Mr.. Niles soon at,erward retired. Ills
successor, Charles 4. Wickli.lc, put the
department into the ancient ruts again.
and when Cave johnson assumed the
portfolio on ihe'5th of March, 1915. he
found 1t
An HEHCULEAN TASK
to reinstate the reform measures Of
Mr.. Niles. During WicAlle admir-
istration the number ef po,t-of'iceS had
Increased by nearly go, 1i. johnson
saw in his term of Office 4.231 Offices
added to TIE rolls, and witnessed other
tokens Of prosperity. Among the
measures Of Mr. Niles that he adop ed
was the postage-stamp idea. The Pre-
sident converted his PostmaSter-Gene-
raj from opposing the reduction Of
postage to a championship of the
lowest paying rates, and johnson
gaIrished his conversion with father
ing the suggestion originated six years
before. The matter took form as a
bill before Congress, and though it was
quite the fashion to oppose any Cabinet
suggestions. the act authorizing the
issue of stamps Of s. and l0-cent de-
nominations was passed and approved |
March 3, lsi7. The date OF the issue
was appointed as July LIST, but there
way delay in the contractors work, |
and the time ran over month.
On the 9th day Of August, soon after
the opening Of the Postmaster Gene
rails Office for the day. an old gentle
man cal'edto see Mr.. johnson on busi- |
ness. The gentleman was the Hon.
Henry shaw, New Yorker. who was
not stranger in Washington in those
days. and whose home was in Lanes
borough, Mass. He was a Berkshire
courty magnate, politician Of no mean
qualifications. and the father of the
well-known Henry Shaw. Jr.. Josh
Twenty-three years before
Mr.. Shaw had recognized in youth Of
seventeen
TANNER's BOY
WHO came to Lanesborough to study
aw-the germs of a great life. He as
sisted the lad in obtaining library.
lrd thus inaugursted a friendship that
Ieath alone could sever. After twelve
Tears Of practice, in the fall OF 1880
Re young lawyer was elected to Con-
pess from the Eleventh congressional
district Of Massachusetts,. When
ieorge ii. Briggs took his seat in
december, 1861, he was deter
ained to work, and he carried out
is determination SO we'll that bis con-
,ituents kept him in Congress twelve
faiz. Diving that time hs djd Iane