Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-04-09
THE POSTAGE STAMP.
The sStory of Hts Grigin-A Brief
Sketch of Hts Inventor.

The sStory OF kGs OriSaA-A Br8et
Sketch of Hts Inventor.
Mr., afterward Sir Rowland Hill,
the great postoffice reformer, and in
ventor of the postage stamp, was
born at Kidderminster. England, Dec.
3, 1895. After his education was
completed, be assumed the position of
teacher in school conducted by his
father, near Birmingham, until 1883,
when he joined a company interested
in forming a colony in south Aus
tralia, and was appointed secretary of
the royal commissioners who managed
the affairs Of the colony. He was
also member of the ''Society for the
Diffusion Of Useful knowledge. :"
The rates of postage at that time were
very high. Postage beyond the limits
OF London district postoffice varied
from 4d. to Is. Sd. for a single letter,
meaning a single piece Of paper Of
less than one ounce weight.
This exorbitant rate of postage was
beyond the means of the mass of the
people, consequently correspond
was evaded, and this proved very in
furious to commerce and the industry
of the country. The high rate of pos
tage attracted Hills attention; he ar
gued that if the price of postage was
lowered, so many more letters would
pass through the mail, that the inan-
cial condition OF the treasury would
not be impaired, while society would
derive much additional benefit. He
becanae so much interested In the mat
ter that in 1889 he'prepared pamph>
let recommending d low and uniform
rate OF postage. which he succeeded
in bringing before the British governs
ment; his plans we're much favored,
and committee was appointed to in
yestigate It's merits and present a new
code Of postal laws, which were adopt
ed, making the London direct postage
1 pence, and q general inland rate Of
4 pence. Jan. 10, 1910, the uniform
penpy post came into use, which may
be considered the birthday of the
postage stamp, although they were
not actually introduced until the 9th
of May following.
The experiment was successful be-
yOnd his own expectation; during the
next ten years it made so great diff
ferencA that in 1850 there were sent
through the mails 1899, 962 letters,
against 1, 500, 0C0 in 1910. Hill then
accepted a place In the treasury, but
change in government dismissed
him. He was generally regarded as a
public benefactor, and a subscription
was raised for his benefit in London,
which amounted to Els, 600, or S45, :
900. Tais goes to show the approbiia-
ton with which he was regarded by
a grateful nation. Ia 1916 he was ap-
pointed secretary to the postmaster
general. In 1860 he was made K. @.
B. in recognition of his public services.
We reprint the following curious and
interesting story, though we do not
know it's origin. There is a slight
probability that it may have been
what set Mr.. Hill to thinking; it is as
follows:
zone day q girl came out of an inn
located in the north of England and
received from @ postman a letter,
which she turned over in her hand as
she inquired the price Of the postage
The man asked q shilling, q sum too
large for one SO poor as herself to pay,
and so she returned the letter TO the
| postman with sadness, although she
knew that her brother had sent it.
But a sympathetic traveller named
Rowland Hill stood by, and at this
moment interposed, and insisted on
paying the shilling himself, although
the girl seemed strongly adverse to
his doing SO. When the postnaan had
departed the kind-h hearted Mr.. Hill
was surprised that there was no need
for his pity, for the envelope contain
ed no written communication, but on
It's outside were certain marks agreed
upon by herself and brother, from
which, as she held the letter Ia her
hand, she gathered all the information
she desired. We are both so poor, ,
she continued, that we invented this
mode of correspondence without pay
ing fer letters.'"