The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-04-18

CANINE MAIL CART'AND nRIvER
 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- dividually 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 rogue's gallery containing pictures of professional countcrfeiters who have been apprehended and brought to jus ticc, and an exhibit of the latest iin- provements in life-saving apparatus; the navy department has it's exhibition of models of vessels of our navy, unsur- passed for magnifcence and attractive ness; while in the war department can be seen an exhibit of the latest invent i've development in rifles and carbines used by the infantry of the army, and also manikins 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 Wanamaker, under the Harrison administration, first con ceived the idea of providing perma- nent exhibit for the post 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 Bisscll, as soon as he became the head of the department, took an active interest in bringing about 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 large room on the ground floor of the post office de- partment building; a room which was for many years used by our city post office.
 Of course, this museum is interesting to the general public; but the visitors who seem to prcdominate are the stamp collectors, to whom the museum ap- pears to be veritable Mecca. Inter- ested parties may here find specimens of every kind of stamp used by the na- tions of the world. None of the stamps are in books, but are arranged in beau tiful glass cases. The most conspicr- ous of all is the collection of United States stamps showing the issue from 1s47 to 1893. 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 nrtistic manner in which they are dis played.
 A full set of the Columbian stamps issued in 1893 form 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 Bis sell, while at the lower edge of the frame is portrait of ex-Third Assistant Postmaster General Hazen, who was for twenty years in charge of the issu- ance of postage stamps for the depart ment. A fine display is also made of stamped envelopes issued from 1853 to 1893, and there is frame full of off cial envelopes of all issues during that period. Very many of these official envelopes are LOW used instead of the old department stamps.
 1f r- eign stamps in the world is the one displayed in this museum, in cases on the east and west walls, classified as to the different countries and many of them grouped in artistic designs. It is . noticeable fact that the majority of them are on thinner and better paper than ours, and few of them are larger than our Columbian stamp. With the exception of the Great Britain exhibit, all the foreign stamps were contributed uncanceled so that the individual fea- lures are plainly visible, which makes them all the more valuable as collec- ton. Besides the contributions of stamps many of the foreign nations have contributed large exhibits which sho" ;:, detail the workings of their mail systems, and these form an im- portant part of the museum.
 Jrst in front of the door leading inta the museum room is life-size repre. sentation of the almost obsolete pony express. The rider is seated on life. siza horse; he wears large sombrera