Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1888-06-23
POSTAGE PREPAID
THE PROGRESS MADE IN LESS THAN
HALF A CENTURY.

Origin OF tho Idea In INSTRUMENTATION !
Of the System In England In ls4O.
What the First stamp Looked Like.
Collecting.
How many letter writer's, when they lick !
the back OF the portrait of tho Father OF his
Country before ornamenting u corner Of the
envelope with 1t, realize that they are taking
the initial step in the enjoyment Of privi-
cge which their grandfathers did not pos
sesss So thick and fast come the advancing
steps Of civilization, the march OF progress is
such company front" movement, that the
labor saving, time annihilating, ease and
comfort bringing innovation OF yesterday II
tho sraid, accepted, commonplace fact Of tO-
day.
Thus It Is with the prepaid postal system.
Tho children who wondered at the first post
age stamp are nearly all in the lnnd OF tho
living yet, to tell the wonderful story. But
they don't tell 1t. They havo forgotten all
about 1t. To the Rev. Roland Hill, OF Lon
don, who was a statesman rs well as a greas
divine, should be given the credit for tho
Introduction OF an idea which was equal In its
dny and generation to the most startling
invention Of Edison.
It was In lSA0-not long ago, to bc sure
that tho old system of leaving the postage
on your missives to be paid by the receiver
was abolished In England, and the prepay
ivg postage stamp made its first bow to the
puonc. ~ pore apout az much resemblance
81 aihhity 10 the Deautilui ana artlstlc Jubi-
Ice series issued last summer by the British
government as ueorse stephensons first To-
comoC've ooars 70 sne IRON steeds OF tho rail-
r'aos oA Vooay.
ohiuiN os THE IDEA:
Inc iaea OF prepaid or stamped paper orig
inaV" IN the brain OF NJ de Nelayer, who IN
l"'o, IN 'ie rei oi LOUIS AiV, established
f'va'e penny POST placing boxes at the
CORNERS oi the sIreets oi Iaris Tor the recep-
tioh OF iet1ers' wich were franked by past
..is oa'ius "oou' 'ncu'. nese shps were SOLO
? .of SOU u'lN, anu couio oe pought' says
Al. fnon IN pamphlet published In ls's
~ .i'o ps'.ace as lhe 'uri' INDIES oi tne con
vei., 'a''a =, li"i'l .iio pu,Nis u coheses bu'
'le uca uleu appa,eisiy WIN its originator,
hot 70 pe reVlVhiei I'll. III ioo! Rowland hi
oota,heo the passage py parliament Of bill
"nicn proposed the prepayment OF postage
ny means oi s1ampee envelopes.
"iiia'h muireaay oota'ied the CONTRACT
ior engraving the envelope III is4o, and MI
aeslsn was un'que anu perhaps pressier an'
j ino'e .as.eiui 'nun any ioiioW'ns issue o
ufeat britain. ~ had the merit OF symbol
s", oo. ~ coVc'ea the whoie upper nal
e ana e'ias OF the enveiope, leaving only space
p eno"sh LOT ehe aaoress, IKE postai cards o
.ouuy. Anero was "h iueai portrait OF Bri
oai'iia sehaing out ahgeiic messengers TO TIL
nations Oh 1he ear'n' "n'ie female hgure
were seen rcao,ha 'e'ters Mithih yea
ems uhwieiay oeVice was discarded Tor
simpler concert wnich could ne pasted O
su"siheo W "ii o'o.hary eh'eiope' ines
stamps were prihtea in sheets anu were sepa
ruteo py cutting linen some one lose =
tame 'hought OF way 70 gum Them III IN
sheets ready tor use, ana MtefWaih anothe
uhsuhs pe'leiaetor u the tace ihvehted th
per1oratiig macnihe' "incn Is sti,l used, 8
lhas no sclssors "efe heeaea 70 separate t'l
STAMPS.
once io4o the brltisn government ha
ISSUED q dozen series OF stamps, renowne
among phila1eiists as the least attractive
the Whoie e,oo varlesles OF postage s'amT
thas haVo oeen printed IN these forty-elgl
years All Inc BRUSH stamps bear the dla
dened mead OF queen victoria, and IT ma
Dc said IN passing tnat there are hfty-hv
colonies ana provinces OF the dominion o
which the sun never sets which have issue
postage Stamps bearing the portrait 9
Queen Victoria
y IN THE UNITED STATES.
:. but this boosted iand OF progress did nc
= take up the new tangled notion OF our Britis
!" cousins till ls47-after Switzerland, an
even Brazil had adop ed 1t !. Walter Scot
who has made small fortune In the bus
ness Of collecting the postage stamps OF
nations ana selling them 70 collectors, an
his possession bill made out by J. Lorime
In Graham, who was postmaster Of New Yor
city prior to the introduction OF prstap