The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-28
ABOUT POSTAL CARDS.


postal cards have received any great
amount of attention from the stqmp-col-
lecting fraternity. In the past it was
most generally the custom to confue the
philatelic hobby to the collecting of adhe-
sive and envelope stamps, but these be-
came so numerous that it resulted IN
specialism; that is, the collecting of special
classes of stamps, and this impeled many
TO include postal cards in their collections.
Some even went so far as to make postal
cards their specially.
As the total nun Der of varieties of Dos
tai cards issued throughout the world is
much less than the number Of postage
stamps there is a temptation among many
| to revert to this branch of philately, es-
pecially as the number of very rare postal
cards is far less in proportion than great
rarties among stamps
This Is due largely TO the fact that postal
cards came into use tweuty-nne years
after the adoption of postage stamps. The
first country to use them was Austria,
though the idea originated with German.
who submitted it TO the postal authorities
of his country. The latter, however, for
some reason failed to see the advantage of
it and permitted Austria to gain the honor
before mentioned. 1t was not long after
though, that Germany followed her neigh
boris lead, as the postal card came into
use in that empire within a year after its
first introduction by Austria, and during
the Franco-German war they were very
literally used by the army while in the
field. Strange as it may seem, the United
States did not fall into line in this depar-
ture until 1873, while France was among
the last of the great modern powers to
engraft the postal card on its postal Sys-
TEN. This it did not do until 1878, or
nearly a decade after 1t had first been used.
To-day the United States is the greatest
nf orlicr o1a m
in fact they are now looked upon as actual
necessities in this country, though their
use is mainly confined to business commu-
| nicatiOns. Germany is q good second IN
| the use by her subjects of correspondence
| cards, as they are there termed. 1t Is not
| infreQuent to find them made the means of
| conveying long aud feryent outpOurngs OF
| a love-sick swain or maiden. The French
| people apparently never oveTcame their
original dislike to this open means Of COM
munication, and there are few countries
| to-day in which fewer postal cards are
used than in the French republic.
| The most noted improvement Ia postal
| matters of recent years was the Invention
and adoption among the postal union
countries of the reply postal card Aud
here, again, the United States showed
less progressive spirit that might have
been expected, as it is only little more
| than year since the reply card was Is
sued in this country. This comparative
novelty consists of two cards of the oTdI-
nary size printed in one, bent double. aud
partly separated by means of perf0ratl0ns.
one being intended for the original COM
munication and The other for the use OF
the recipient in sending reply. The
reply card met with general popularity IN
NJ ost foreign countries, hut up 10 the pres
ent time they have been comparatively
little used in the United States. The de-
partment issues two classes of them, one
plti
The most enthusiastic collector OF pos
tai cards In this country, and prooaoly IN
the world, is George II. Watson OF New
York. who is president of the Postal CARD
Society of America, organized two years
ago. and which now has eighty-elsht meii-
bers. Mr.. Watson is also editor OF The
Postal Card, monthly paner devoted TO
postal-card collecting. bis c0iIectIon
comprises several thousand varieties, III,
Guiding many of great rarity, sevelai
being worth $50 each. DIS e1 on anari-
of them was quite feature OF tne A d1 81
can Philatelic Association S eXhipl' d. 'N0
Chicago Worlds Fair. ,o ,a
Mr.. Watson is one Of the few VINO nave
| followed this fad persistensly ioI Yeas,
and 1t is said by his trishu ns N hone or the
| Tpdian nrovince of Travancors OF ooutn :
| A rican principality has Issued ne" cara
he is in danger of suffering all the agoples
| of insomnia until the coveted caro mas
r6stInQ-pIHc CO III uie
q ii. NorthingtoB ana d. V. FAINTER,
both wealthy hen OF cleveland, Ohio.
nossess the next finest collections in this
among the greatest curiosities in this
limo ara the cards used by Germany and
France during their unpleasautness in
1871. Germany issued a special series for
har soldiers. These were called field post
correspondence cards. and were sold un-
stamped to the soldiers al the rate Of about
I'VE for a cent. The soldiers had the priv
ilege of using them without paying fur
Their postage. All cards addressed to
soldiers were also exempt from additional
payment.
Another series was Issued for civilians.
These had place left for stamp, and the
writer had to affix one of the regular Ger
man postage stamps to the card before
mailing. These filed post cards are now
very rare. the used ones being much
scarcer than the unused.
Another card of equal raritv and also a
reminder of the same war Is what is known
as the balloon card issued by France dur
ing the siege of Paris. They were sent up
from Paris in a balloon, and the mail bags
were thrown off Into the surrounding
country, where there YVES the least pos.
sible opportunity of their capture by the
enemy. They were considerably smaller
than our blue postal card. and were GOV.
cred with warlike expressions as .sParis
defies the enemy!" 'Only one war is lust
and right, it's that for independence"