Telegram-herald., 1891-10-26

Dale 03s ssotfe tiS
envelopes after deducting the face value
of the postage. The use of stamped en-
velopes obviates the danger Of tho
stamps falling OF in the mills. and it
lessons the number of letters which
come 10 the dead letter Office. The pa
per Of which they are made has water
mark which efectuany prevents coun-
terfeiting, and there Is no danger OF
anyone trying TO wash the ink of Of
stamped envelope and thereby use 1t q
second time for postage. The first
stamped envelopes were iseued In 1852,
of the two denominations of three and
six cents. and 10 was not until two years
later that the ten-cent envelope was
added. In 1850 there was a new series,
including a one and q four cent stamp,
and as soon as the war broke out a
new set of designs had t. be gotten
out and new envelopes made. In
juno, 1888 we put out q two-cent
stamped envelope, and the next year
we had stamped envelopes of the de-
nominations of I, 2. 8, 8, 9, 10. 10, Is. 90,
"a, so and 20 cents. The envelopes con-
tanning q printed request for return on
their outsides unless delivered within Q
certain number of days, were first is
sued in 1868. and they were very popular.
In 1870 there was . new series which
left OUT the forty-cent stamp and in
cluded ninety-cent stamp. Thes. en-
veiopes are now In use with the excep-
ton of the twelve and twenty-four-cent
stamped envelopes, which have been
discontinued The government now is
sues seven different sized envelopes and
Of three different qualities Of paper.
The stamped newspaper wrapper was
hrst adopted in 1851. and the depart
ment sold one million Of these during
the first three months following their
issue. They were FIRST made bearing q
two-cent stamp and in October, 1870. the
ene-cent stamp was added. The in
crease Of newspaper wrappers and
stamped envelopes has been steady
since their reduction, and last year 45l, :
900, 600 Of the two were issued. OF
these 80. 900, 900 Of the envelopes bore a
request for return to the writer in case
they were not called for.
There Is not the same scope for the
engraver in the making of the stamped
envelopes as there Is In the postage
stamps There is an art in postage
stamps and the United States has stood
high among the engravers of the world
for years as 10 the beauty and finish of
its stamps. The stamp collectors of the
world now number hundreds Of thou
sands and every stamp is scrutinized in
It's minutest details. Our stamps arc
sent abroad in large numbers. and many
people know America as much by its
postage stamps as by anything else. In
engraving stamp the work is largely
done in accordance with the colors in
which the stamp Is to be printed. The
green three-cent stamp was work of
fine art. and II you viii take the old
green three and compare IL with the
late green two you will see what l
mean by engraving In accordance with
color. In the three-cent stamp the
background of the oval h heavily
shaded and the head stands eut In strong
relief. In the two-cent stamp the back
ground is lighter and this gives the
stamp . lack of strong contrast and
makes IL look Cat and tame. The ens
craving upon stamp u necessarily the
work Of the best artists, and 70 look at
the stamps you would not imagine the
amount Of time end thought which Ia
spent upon them. The new stamps are
smaller than the Old onea They arc
In better proportion. and I doubt not
hey viii be verv popular with The peo-
pie. A. n. HAzEN