The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-18
IL wal taken from Trumbull's painting and
represents Washington in his generals uni
1StafNPed on WEPH|roSe PdPeHs
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Il was taken from Trumbull's painting and
represents Washington in his generals uni
form.
These stamps continued in use until 1861,
when the war broke out, and a vast guam
bity of stamps which were in the hands Of
came useless. The postmasters of the con-
Fsderacy did not suppose they would ever
be called upon to account for them and
Postmaster General Blair issued an order
stating that after a given date all stamps is
sued previous to that date would not be
was advertised that the old stamps would
be redeemed il they were presented and
1pon the date fixed the new issue of stamps
was made and this was the issue of 1861.
The sAms denominations were used as in
he former issue, but the two-oent local
postage stamp was added. In 1865 stamps
bf five, 10 and 25 cents were issued for news
paper postage. but they were not popular
Ind were soon discontinued, The next is
rue of stamps was in 1865 and We had
Another in 1870. The series of 1870 con-
kinued until 1880 and 1t was superseded
pnly a few months q by the stamps now
IN use.
At present there are more stamps in use
han most people have any idea of. The
new stamps alone range in denomination
from one cent to 80 cents and there is a TO-
cent stamp, q 15-cent stamp and a 30-cent
stamp. Ihe designs for all the stamps are
detected by the postmaster-general with
he assistance Of his subordinates. The
faces on the stamps are sharply criticised
Bigns which will be popular and appropri-
BITE. 1t has been said that tho portraits on
bill the American stamps are taken from
Dusts or statues. This is a mistake. The
portrait of Abraham Lincoln, on the new
four-cent stamp is after a photograph from
life, and the same il true of the five-cent
Grant stamp and tho six-cent stamp bear
ing the face of ex-President Garfield. The
ken-cent stamp has u portrait of Daniel
Webster after a degusrreotype from life
lind the same il the origin of the portrait of
Henry Clay on the blue fiftsen-cent issue.
The remainder of the stamps of the new
ssue are taken from busts and Commodore
+Ptrry's picture on the ninety-cent stamp ia
hitter W~olcott's statue.
The highest denomination issued by the
United States in the form Of u stamp is the
Sixty dollar stamp which ID used by news
papers in paying THAR postage bills. For
Fhe same purposes the one-dollar-and-
Fiinety-two-csnt stamp. the three-dollar
stamp and the various other other denom-
fnations ranging from that on to forty
blight dollars.
In no way can one get a better idea of the
growth OF the United States in both popu-
pation and business than by looking over
the statistics of stamp salos. During the
three years after stamps were first adopted,
from 1S47 to 1851, only 1000. 900 stamps. in
round numbers. were sold. II took the
people about three years to get acquainted
with their value. and to show that they APP
preciated the reduction Of. the postage to
three cents in 1852 the volume of letters in
creased almost 80. 000, GOO in a single yenr.
In 1852 there were hfty-four million letters
ssnt with American stamps through the
American mails, and from that on there
hus been n steady increase up to
the present, when the number runs up into
the billions. A financial panic materially
reduces the increase in cur snlss OF postaus
stamps. Prior to 1878 ths country had en-
Logged a long season Of prosperity. This
war had been followed by the rs.toration VI