Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-07

stabler. In device this last article vas still
according 30 the details Of the original, how
ever, and il Is the ore now recognized by Secre-
tsry Foster. IL viii necessarily remain In its
present shape. unless congressional legislation
makes alterations
established department there we're others which
boosted a seal long before the department be-
came known BY that name in 1883. In iT7s
Franklin, Adams and Jefferson were appointed
committee TO select a seal for the Continental
Congress. but 90 far rs known nothing was ever
definitely done in the matter until 81, years
later. and during that time various committees
had tried their hands. For q long period there
was no official insignia in the colonies legisls-
ture, excepting the seal used by the presiding
Officer. This consisted Of device showing
thirteen stars in the midst OF breaking clouds,
with the national motto, "E Pluribus Unum,~
on the outer edge. The Post Once Depart
ment did business over q seal. nevertheless. as
early as the latter part OF LIS. Franklin had
been the colonial postmaster general under
King George before the revolution broke out
but his removal from Office was summarily or
derd In IVA The printer-stateeman was bet
ter qualified than anybody else to take up such
position under the new order Of things. and
on July 20, i775. Congress appointed him
and directed the formation Of q line OF posts
from Falmouth (now Portland) TO Savannah.
with as many cross posts a he might think
best. The. first Postmaster General was al
lowed $1,000 annual salary. with a $40 stipend
for both a secretary and controller. and this
was the germ OF the present department under
Mr.. Wanamaker.
TIRE rosr OFFICE SEAL.
With so small force records could not have
amounted TO much compared with the showing
in these DAYS of money orders and cheap post
age. But the department sported wood-cut
seal. ana practically IL is the same as now.
franklins stamp was a post rider on horse
back, going at full speed. with the mail pouches
strapped behind the saddle. Postmaster Gen
eral Kendall took different view of the situa-
ton in lS49. fer he had learned that postmen
don't ride fast in delivering mail. So when he
directed Mr.. Stabler 10 design a new seal at his
Sandy Springs home the letter accompanying
the order requested that the horse in the cut
should be represented as travelling only moder-
ately fast; the old cut was misleading The
engraver complied and the stamp used by Mr.
Wauamaker still shows the force of Mr.. Ken
dali q suggestion. In other respects il 10 an
exact counterpart OF Ben Franklins old wood
cut.
The Navy Department. which sprang from the
original board of admiralty. comes next in the
order Of establishment, but the War Depart
ment, which did not begin operations until
June IL, l776, was the second executive branch
to have seal Of its own. Congress appointed
five members as board OF war and ordnance and
allowed the committeeman a secretary and one
or more clerks. They held Office until October.
1I11. when a new board Of three was chosen.
none of the appointees being members Of Con-
gress. seal was at once adopted. and the
present War Department seal differs from its
prototype only in the elimination OF the orici-
nal date and the words Twill defend" from tbe
device. When Robert lincoln was appointed
the first Secretary of War in 1881 he used a
seal containing a oroun of military tronbies sur
mounted by a Phrycian can ms the emblem of
freedom. and having a coiled serpent AT the ton
of the disc, which was fanked by musket and
spear. These portions have been retained nm
to date. and the legend is still: ..Board OF War
and Ordnance
The State DEPARTMENT became a needed niece
of service in November. I775. for the purnose
of securing recognition of the lighting colonies
Mt the hands OF foreign nations outside Of
England. but the establishment of the hoard OF
admiralty on October IA preceding helned in
the salutary effect the State Denartment's an
VOWS had on the powers across the Atlantic
Congress at first ordered the building Of ..a
swift sailing vessel Of ten carriage gnns and .
proportionate number of swiyels 10 be handled
by a crew of eighty men This was stumble
mented with n resolution calling for another
of fourteen guns. and then two weeks later two
additional vessels were ordered into service. A
naval committee of seven took charge Of oper-
atoms. but on December Is following the youne
tbirtaa, sisters q, lo me A., c,,r,;ss;c, % soor