The Van Buren press., 1893-06-24
THE POSTAGE STAMP,

Has 1t ever occurred to you that post.
age stamps, the new Columbian stamps
Tor instance. are really miniature steel
engravings? The average person who
sticks one OF these works of art on the
corner OF an envelope does not think of
THIS; but If you will look closely at the
two-cent stamp yOu will see that It has
all the delicacy and detail of a steel
portrait. II you prefer the blue variety
You can purchase a genuine steel en-.
craving without frame) for cent.
And II you chance to have money in
your purse you can secure the entire
historical series at moderate cost
The Colum bian stamps, as stamps.
are great improvement over their
predecessors. They are gems of art,
and the fact that they are to be issued
only during 1898 will make them valu-
able as curiosities. Historically the
kind critic will overlook such little in
accuracies as the representation of Co
lumbus as a beardless youth when
sighting land and as wearing a
full beard when landing the next
day Evidently the skill of the en-
graver did not extend to the tonsorial
art; or else boards grew fast in those
days. But, fortunately, trifles like this
will not prevent the government from
making profit of a quarter of million
dollars or more from stamp collectors.
The centennial of 1876 also was COM
memorated by the post office depart
ment, but in different manner. A
souvenir envelope was issued, with a
shield-shaped stamp in the corner 1t
represented mail-carrier of the olden
time, riding on horseback at full speed.
| Below was modern railway train.
The stamp was of the denomination of
three cents. At the top were the fig
ures "17T6." and at the bottom '1S16.''
AS a work of art it was inferior to the
new Columbian issue. II was the only
special issue of United States stamps
up to that time, except fifteen-cent
stamp representing the landing of Co
lumbus which was issued in 1869
! Do not suppose that stamp making is
an easy nor even rapid process Every
part of the work is performed by hand.
| The designs are first engraved on steel
and two hundred stamps are engraved
on a single plate. The work of mixing
these plates is done by two men, and
they then go to man and girl who
print them on large hand press. Three
sets of these workers are kept con-
stantly employed in this manner. As
fast as the stamps are printed they are
dried and then gummed with u starch
paste made from potatoes. The paste
Is dried by placing the sheets of stamps
in steam tanning machine, and then
the stamps are put into hydraulic
presses and subjected to pressure
of two thousand tons A girl
with large pair of shears next cuts
the sheets in two, each sheet when cut
containing one hundred stamps. The
paper between the stamps is then per-
forated, and after again being sub
iected to hydraulic pressure they are
filed away ready to be sent out when
ordered. If a single stamp is injured
in any way the entire sheet is burned.
The sheets are counted eleven times
during the process of manufacture to
prevent pilfering by employees.
The history of postage stamps in this
country is so inseparably connected
with the history of the postal system
that it is necessary to review the latter
In order to understand how stamps first
came to be used. 1t is almost incredi-
BILE that less than fifty years ago the
United States really had no postal sys-
tenn as we understand it. Previous to
1s47 the mails were carried largely by
private firms, and rates OF postage
varied according to the distance trav-
ersed TO send letter across the con-
tinent cost nearly as much as tele-
graph message at the present day.
And though costly, the service was by
no means satisfactory. Much OF the
mail matter was of necessity entrusted
70 carriers on foot or horseback, and
their progress was of course very slow
Prior to the introduction OF the ad ,
hesiye stamp. letters were sent either
ra;d or collect. at the option
~ the sender. Under this sys-
TEN stamps were in little demand:
II was the custom to mark prepaid
letters with a paid mark and each
office was allowed to adopt design OF
ITS own. The usual device was the
word paid" with the amount ana the
addition of one or more stars, the
whole surrounded by a circle. during
the first years of the late civil war thls
ola system was revived by the confed
crate states, which were without
.tamps. In some instances the or
d;ro,v date mark was altered, ana
tbrs the name of the town appeared
,,;tb the word paid and the amount
syo or ten cents as the case might
Va This system was in vogue IN the
oonfoderate states until about January
I 1869. at which time they issued '''eif
own stamps. At, .uocar,
.4a,r os II was called were SO many
r.. hafore the new issue of adhesive
s..mrs % came out, plan was devised 10
s.'.n;sb marked envelopes. Inc chiei
ahioc,ion to the paid" stamp was that
sll mail had to be brought 10 the poa,
oa,ce To be marked. This was opviateo
NV the envelope system-tne govern,
W .n. w.. marking the envelopes in advance
n md selling them to consumers
Anp' p..nrninr to our narrative we ma
.,o. NJ; W. ts4s many of the post offices had
Una. sa0,,sd n naid mid stamps of their own. These
were called ''proyis'oHsA ''''