The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-08-19

improvements Made and Immenss
Qusntity OF stamps Sold.

rmprovements Made and Immense
Quantity OF stamps Sold.
It is barely nfty years since this con-
venience was introduced into the United
States The stamp II little olderlin En-
gland. When first introduced, postage
stamps were sold in solid sheets. VI
course, great many were wasted In the
effort to tear them apart when there were
NO perforations. Indeed, the loss and In
convenience was so great that the govern
ment offered a liberal reward for patent
which would overcome the difficulty.
The first machine submitted was one
which cut the stamps nearly, but not en-
tirely apart. While the Post Office De-
partment was considering this machine
the idea OF perforating the sheets in rows
each way was offered and promptly ac-
cepted. Nothing better has ever been
sought.
There was a time when better paper and
mncfiage was used. and when the print
ing was an improvement upon the present
stamps, but since we have learned that
damp sponge isfully as good as the tongue
in preparing the stamps for adhesion, the
quality Of the mater ials used becomes OF
less Importance.
The number Of postage stamps used in
q year Is something enormous. For in
stance, the ordinary postal revenue for
the year ending June 30, 1891, exclusive
OF the money order business, was S6b, O65,-
2g3S7 OF this, al, 1872 129. so came from
letter postage. The bulk of this Is, OF
course, in two-cent stamps, and II is safe
to put the whole number of this denomi-
nation used at more than 1000, 900 600 per
annum.
The issuing OF postage stamps, stamped
envelopes and newspaper wrappers all be-
long to one of the divisions under the
care Of the Third Assistant Postmaster
General There Is another division OF the
came bureau which looks after registered
letters, and still another which attends
to he system for the special delivery oil
letters. The classification OF mail matter
belongs to this bureau, and 1t is with the
Third Assistant Postmaster General or
his clerks that newspapcrsand periodicals
have to quarrel over their rights to official
entry as second class matter.
A ten-cent special delivery stamp on &
letter is supposed to keep it In constant
motion from the time the letter is de-
posted in the main or branch post Office
until It is delivered to the addressed
There is liable to be a little delay in the
starting of letter when it is deposited
in letter box instead OF post Office, but
everything must make way for special
delivery letter after they once get in thu
vicinity OF mail bag. The clerk hustles
them out with the FIRST mail leaving tn,
office and puts them on the outside o.
packages, or in q bundle by themselves
so that the next official can see them al
once.
II the Iecial delivery stamp is put on I
package OF second, third or fourth clas
matter ii has TO be treated in a first clas
mannerthat 10, 1t goes into a pouch in
stead Of sack and is pushed through JUS
as rapidly as q letter bearing the SAM
stamp.
Lastlyear there were over 800, 600 piece
sent by special delivery, and II is inter
,esting to note that the average time con
sumed in tire delivery OF each parcel ate
It reached .he POST Office of the addresses
was only twenty minutes.-Kate Field
Washington.