The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-01
AMERICAN POSTAGE STAMPS
The FIRST Issue and Its Successors-Some
Rare Specimens.

Rare Specimens.
THE issue of postage stamps was
authorized by Congress in 1885," said
Third Assistant Postmaster General
Hazen, as the correspondent was curl
ously examining the case containing
specimens of the different issues and
its contents few days ago. Before
that time the postage was paid incash.
sometimes by the sender and some
times by the receiver of the letter, and
the schedule of rates varied with the
distances. The charge for transmitting
a letter thirty miles was six cents. and
the tariff increased in gradual ratio
until a maximum charge of twenty-five
cents for three hundred miles or moro
was reached. This method was il
vogue for two years after the issue a.
stamps was authorized by Congress.
''ln l847 the first stamps were issued
They were of the denominations of five
and ten cents. The fve-cent stamp
had a picture of Ben Franklin and the
ten-cent the head of Washington as the
principal figure in the design. Those
heads have continued to adorn the
postage stamps of our country from
that day to this. The stamps first
issued was a little larger than those
now in use. In 1851 the carrier sys-
TEN was introduced in all large cities,
and stamps of a peculiar design, cost
ing one cent each and known as car
riers' stamps. were issued for the pur.
pose of providing prepaid delivery. In
that year the letter postage was re-
duced to three cents. and the old brick
dust red three stamp came in. AT
the same time the issue was enlarged
to eight stamps, the largest denomina-
ton being ninety cents. The portrait
of Jefferson was introduced on the five
cent stamp, but the other seven bore
the heads of Washington and Franklin
in different designs. These stamps
were the most popular ever issued by
the department. They remained in use
for ten years.
1.-The new three-cent stamp issued in
1861 was of light red. 1t was almost
rs popular as its predecessor. You
must remember at that time the three
cent stamp was the popular stamp or
the one most in use, and not the two
cent stamp as now. The light red
three-cent stamp remained in use until
1869, when there was a decided limo
walton in the designs of the entire is.
sue. The new stamps were square in
stead of oblong, and many of them
were printed in two colOrs, the central
design being in one tone and the Dor
der in another. The principal figure
in each design was in almost every in
stance representation of some mode
of carrying the mails instead of the
head of some departed statesman. The
three-cent stamp was printed in blue
and the principal figure in the design
was a locomotive. That issue oil
stamps lasted about ten months. The
people clamored so against them that
in 1870 return was made to the old
designs, which were printed, however,
in different colors. The three-cent
stamp was then made green with the
head of Washington in the center Of
the design. That stamp is of such re-
cent date that its design is familiar to
every one. A great many of them
were stored away in old cash boxes
and stamp boxes, and occasionally now
we find them on letters received at this
Office"
The green three-cent stamp which
was adopted in 1870 continued in use
longer than any of it's predecessors. II
was used until October l, 1883, and il
might have continued in vogue much
longer had not Congress reduced the
nate of letter postage to two cents.
Under the new law brown two-cent
stamp was issued. 1t continued in use
until 1887, when its color was changed
to the Objectionable green.
Among the rarest American stamps
are some which were not issued by the
Government. When Congress, in 1915,
authorized the use of stamps, it neg
lected to make such provision as
warranted the postal authorities in
their estimation in the issue of stamps.
During the period of two years pre-
ceding the issue of government stamps
the principal cities of the United States
issued what were known as post
masters stamps. They were intended
for the convenience of business men
who desired to mail letters after the
closing of the post-office, for the post
office did not remain in operation all
night in the primitive days of the post
al service. These stamps were issued
by postmasters at New York, Phila.
delphia. Washington, Baltimore, St.
Louis, Providence, Alexandria and a
great many other places. Some OF
these stamps were merely slips OF
paper bearing the signatures of the
postmasters. Collectors value the
Baltimore stamp which is of this
character at 5000. A stamp which
was issued by the postmaster of New
Haven is worth on an original-used
envelope $500 and more. A postage
stamp issued by the Milbury postmas
ter. which was of elaborate design for
those days, and bore the head OF
Washington, brings easily $500 to $500.
Washington Cor. Pittsburgh Dis
patch.
After the fifth or sixth year on the
average. raspberry plantations are
liable to deteriorate. the fruit becom-
ing small and scanty; and as it takes a
year or two for new plants to get into
the best bearing condition new plant