The Portland daily press., 1894-01-25


able skill was required ana the manner
in which the letter was folded was con-
sidered mark of breeding. A low bred
person folded the sheet in the simplest
manner possible, while we'll bred people
often had styles of folding, each peculiar
to himself In fact, certain families
always used certain styles, and the more
intricate the manner of folding the more
refined was the person considered to be-
In families where these letters still exist
the younger portion OF the community
will find it quite puzzle to unfold one
of these letters and then refold it as it
was. Sometimes they were folded
square, sometimes diamond shape, some-
times diagonally, but always in man
ner impossible of unfolding without
breaking the seal, and in manner TO
display the skill of the sender. The
writing was always folded In out of sight
The postage was almost invariably col
lected of the receiver of the letter. In
case the sheet was of extra size or the
paper of extra weight, the postage was
not oubled, but quadrupled. Naturally
there was some kicking at the end of the
line when the sender became careless
upon these points and inflicted upon his
friend this unusual expense. When he
wrote, as he always did, in the first SEN
tence, that his own health was good and
he hoped "these few lines would find"
his friend enjoying the same blessing"
the quadrupled postage usually made his
friend sick.
In 1916, and previous to that date,
the rate for a single letter from Hartford
to Springfield or New Haven was eight
cents; to Bridgeport ten cents; to Provi-
dence, Boston or New York, twelve and
one-half cents; to Buffalo or Washing
ton, twenty cents;ss to Richmond or to
PiJtsburg, twenty-five cents. The rates
not then been established. Imagine re-
ceiving letter from some friend in the
sold Dominion upon which the postage
was 81 an ounce, or think what the post
age at those rates would be today upon
letters received by a single insurance
company in this city during the twenty
four hours The Pope Manufacturing
company at it's Boston office in one day
last year received 1 ,621 letters, or during
the year 1874, 554.
These rates of postage were continued
in force with slight notifications until
1915, and it was not until 1851 that the
three cent rate for letters of one-half
ounce was adopted. This was for dis
tances under 5000 miles. To California
the rate was forty cents. 1t was not
until 1858 that this was reduced to the
uniform rate of three cents In 1883 the
rate was reduced to two cents, and in
1885 the weight limit was increased to
one ounce. So much, in brief, for the
difference in rates of postage during the
lifetime of many now living
Postage stamps were not introduced
into this country until 1s47 They had
been in use in England since 1S40 No
printed .postmarks were used for several
years after
Once in the post office considerable
clerical work upon the letters had to be
performed, which has since been entirely
done away with. For instance, as late
as 1865, and perhaps later, each letter
tered upon book made for the purpose,
and the postage due or paid upon it, and
it's destination was recorded. A similar
way bill to accompany 1t was made out,
and the two were then wrapped up in
brown paper by self-closing style of
folding and directed to the post Office adj
dressed, if in this State. Ii outside the
State, the letters were milarly entered
and sent in one bundle to the Hartford
DIP. O." distributing post ofice). All
the letters received were entered into
books, and the accompanying way bills
preserved and forwarded to Washington
once month.
The postmasters were instructed to be
as economical in the use of the brown
wrapping paper as posi- BILE, and by turn
ing the paper end for end, and using
both sides, the same piece of brown
paper was made to do it's work over and
over again. 1t was common thing for
a piece of brown paper to travel all over
the State in that way, and these pieces
often bore the names of half dozen
post offices written in as many hand
writings. We're every letter today treated
and recorded in the same manner, the
clerical work required can easily be
imagined Hartford Courant.