Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-11-23
AN INTERESTING YARN
How Some Valuable Stamps We're
Brought to Light at Providence.

Drought W Light at providence.
An interesting story of the finding Of
some old postage-stamps which were
engraved way back in the '4O's. comes
from Providence, +. l. The postmaster
Oh that town was Welcome Is. Sayles
bright, progressive lineal descendant
of one Of the first of Rhode Island
families. The United States had no
postal system us it has NOWADAYS.
Inere was not general postage
stamp in use, and for this reason
postmaster Sayles of Providence con-
sldered the idea of a stamp for the
Providence postotfice an excellent one.
He went to work upon the new
scheme, and i'll Il very short time a
! copper-pEate VISA produced. 1t was
an excellent engraving, and the plate
would print IL stamps, 10 fiye-centers
and one 1O-cent stamp. This was the
proportion of high and low stamps used
In those days. The stamps were Il
great novelty when they appeared, and
! they were the finest issued in this
county from any post-office Soon
after st. Louis, Baltimore, New York
aasd Brattleboro fell into line and
issued their own postage-stamps. The
stamp looked like an ordinary steel
engraving, was printed on strong
fibered paper and held its adhesive
powers much better than do the
stamps of the present day. The
groundwork was black with the words
providence post-office, Five-cent
stamp" showing in white.
One morning not long ago Lawyer
LycurguS SayleS, whose office is on
College hill, spied some children about
the door, and, being fond of little
ones, he called them into the office and
began to hunt in the dusty pigeon
holes of his big desk for something
to amuse them. Finally he pulled out
a roll of the ancient stamps, the sheets
being good and complete He took his
shears from the office table and cut
Off stamp after stamp from the roll
One by one the stamps were moistened
and plastered onto the forheads and
cheeks of and chinS of the children and
then they thanked the lawyer and ran
out to play. Soon after the little cpl
sOde of amusing the children and him.
self by their antics Lawyer Sayles
went down town to a brokers' office
to learn the news of the day and to
ascertain what the senate was doing
to relieve the financial depression.
He left the children playing about the
doorway, all in the greatest glee over
the fashion in which they were stamp
ed UP. He had been gone but a few
moments when a man named Bhven
walked down College hill, and in q mo-
ment OF curiOusity stopped to see what
all the frOlic among the children was
about. Blivep looked at the little
black spots on the children's faces,
and he stood amazed. He was a stamp
collector and an authority on such
and a close eXamina ton re-
vealed to him that the stamps so reck-
leSsly stuck all over. the faces Of those
children had a regular value of from
SO to $50 apiece. The children inform
ed Bliven where they secured the
stamps, and while Bliven was knock
ing at the office door of the absent
lawyer, the children with the stamps
ran away, becoming alarmed over the
evident excitement and agitation of
Bliven. Bliven was agitated when he
reached out his hand to shake that of
Lawyer Sayles, and the latter plainly
saw that something was going on Of
much concern to him. How about
those stamps" said Bliven, "have you
got any mOre?" Lawyer Sayles asked
for an explanation, and Bliven went
on to tell in detail the very singular
occurrence of his trip downtown; how
he had found out from the little ones
who decorated them with valuable
stamp souvenirs, and how to his great
sorrow the children had fed while he
was trying to get access to Lawyer
SayleS'S door. Those postage stamps
are very valuable, worth many hun
dred times then weight in gold" said
Bliven. Didn't you know that? Why,
they are worth $40 and $50 apiece, and
l have one which cost me S25. 81 have
a lot of them," said Lawyer Sayles,
whole sheets of them, and they are
as good as new. And, come to think
Of it, L have the original plate which
printed those stamps" Biven wanted
to buy Lawyer Sayles's ancient stamp
and all-for a good round
figure, and for Il starter he offered $3.50
for everything the lawyer had i'll that
line. The Ouer was soon raised. and as
the news spread. stamp dealers from
all over the country sent in their bids. .
The stamps were finally sold to a
man for $1,000 in cash.