River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-04-18

partments possess interesting exhibits
of their own which reveal to the in.
quiring public the nature and condition
of the business with which they are in
lividually connected. The patent office
possesses large and valuable museum
consisting of models of inventions. the
fruits of the labor and ingenuity of
mankind; the treasury department has
n rogues gallery containing pictures
of professional counterfeiters who have
been apprehended and brought to JUS
tee, and an exhibit of the latest inn
provements in life-saving apparatus;
the navy department has its exhibition
of models of vessels of our navy, unsur-
passed for magnificence and attractive
ness; while in the war department can
be seen an exhibit of the latest invent
I've development in rifles and &C dimes
used by the infantry of the army, and
also manilSins of infantry and cavalry
men dressed in the official uniforms
worn at various periods OF our national
existence.
The post Office department has re-
Gently established a museum which
ranks among the finest in the city.
Postmaster General Wanamalker, under
the Harrison administration, first con-
ceived the idea of providing perma-
nent exhibit for the pos. office depart
ment. Nothing elaborate, however,
was done towards establishing the mu-
scum until after an exhibit had been
sent to the worlds fair at Chicago.
Postmaster General Bissell, as soon as
he became the head of the de- artment,
took an active interest in ringing
about a consummation of the plans laid
down by his predecessor. The work of
arranging the exhibition was placed in
the hands of two experienced employees
of the department, and was completed
about the middle of October. 1894, when
the museum was opened to the public.
The museum occupies a large room on
the ground floor of the post Office de-
partment building; room which was
for many years used by our city post
office.
OF course. this museum is interc sting
TO the general public; but the visitors
who seem to predominant are the stamp
collectors. to whom the museum APP
pears to be veritable Mecca. Inter
ested parties may here find specimens
of every kind of stamp used by the ma
tons of the world. None of the stamps
are in books. but are arranged in beau
tiful glass cases. The most cOnspicu-
Gus of all is the collection of United
States stamps showing the issue from
ls47 to 1898. They are placed in pan
els. each panel containing one series,
and all of them arranged in an immense
gilt frame fastened to the wall. A
beautiful effect Is produced by the
artistic manner i'm which they are dis
played.
4 full set of the Columbian stamps
issued i'm 1898 form n part of this col
lection. and on either side, inclosed by
the blending colors of the different is
sues of stamps. are pictures of Post
masters General Wanamaker and Big
sell, while at the lower edge of the
frame is portrait of eSThird Assistant
Postmaster General fTazen, who was
for twenty years in charge of the issu-
ance of postage stamps for the depart
ment. \ fine display is also made Of
stamped envelopes issued from 1853 80
1929. and there is a frame full of Off
cial envelopes of all issues during that
period. Very many Ct these official
envelopes arc now used instead OF the
old department stamps.
Perhaps the finest collection Of for
eign stamps in the world is the one
displayed in this museum. in cases or
the east and west walls, classified as 10
the different countries and many of
them grouped in artistic designs Ii is
q noticeable Fact that the mai ,rity OF
them are on thinner and bette paper
than ours. and few of them art larger
than our Columbian stamy- With the
exception of the Great Britain exhibit.
sll the foreign stamps w.re contributed
uncanceled So that thu individual fea-
lures are plainly visible. which makes
them all the more valuable as n collec-
ton. Resides tie contributions of
stamps many of ,he foreign nations
have contributed large exhibits which
show In detail She workings of their
mail systems. and these form an inn
portant part CT the museum.
Jrst in front of the door leading into
the museum room is life-size repre-
sentatiou of the almost obsslete pony
express The rider is seated on life
Kize horse; he wears large sombrers
lat and is dressed in clothes typical OF
the western frontier districts where
this style of postal delivery was 50 long
in vogue. The postman carries large
revolvers in his belt. A. the rear OF
the saddle. and tightly fastened to il,
Is tla mail bag. This figure of
mounted postman represents the man
ner o. mail carrying which prevailed
when Buffalo Bill was a boy. and be-