The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-09
UNCLE SAINTS POSTAL MUSEUM.
Collection of stamps TO Make n
Collector Turn Green With Envy.

Collector Turn Green With Envy.
Washington Letter in PHILADELPHIA Times
When Mr. Wanamaker was Postmaster
General he conceived the idea Of having
museum connected with the department al
Washington, in which could be exhibited
10 the public the workings OF the postal
system, as well as the many interesting
and valuable relics of the service. A cool
many of the exhibits were collected during
his term, but the plan was not fully car
ried into effect while he was in the cabi-
net After the new administration came
in Third Assistant Postmaster General
Hazen took an active interest in the pro-
Ject and IT was largely due TO his efforts
that the museum was finally established
and opened on the 22d Of October. A large
room in the department was set aside and
in it were placed the contributions sent
from the various governments who bave
systems similar to ours, as we'll as the col
lection Of the United States eutIipment
Inc exhibit of the postoffice department
at the worlds fair formed the nucleus
around which the selection was arranged.
At the main entrance one meets a fine
specimen of the mounted mail carrier. or
what was more commonly called the
pony express, a familiar figure on the
western frontier In days gone by The
horse Is a papier-mache one and covered
with the skin of very fine animal The
carrier is represented by the waXen figure
of a man wearing the rough garb usually
selected by mounted carriers on the West
tern prairies, and fully equipped with sad
looking II over one is reminded Of the
famous Star Route cases. which were tried
IN washington some years ago, and in
which so many able LAWYERS and proni-
nent persons were Interested
The stamp collection, both foreign and
UoiIihestc' is enough TO cause an habitual
collector 10 turn green with envy The
Haghlhcent collection prepared by the
American Bank Note Company, and which
VIII be remembered by those who visited
me columbian exposition. is one Of the
work than the grouping of the stamps,
with the portrait of Postmaster Bissell
l IN me center, is seldom seen Here arc
copies of all the stamps ever made IN this
country, from the first one used in 19i7
uoWn TO the Columbian issue. and rang
ing IN denomination from l cent to 50
fo auh coIiectlon OF stamped envelopes
iOrns another exhibit, and contains con
les OF the hrst postal cards, which were
issued IN 1873. The stamped envelopes
were hrst used in 1853 and some OF them
~ very rare, and, of course CORES
Pondingly valuable There are a couple
IN the collection worth $50 each, one that
VIII bring $50 and two valued at 500
tbe n, CIoSe 70 the collection taken to
sle world tair is the exhibit of the
government stamps at the centennial ex-
hIbItfon held In PHILADELPHIA in 1875 A
ttbpdhp larson OF the display at once shows
ele vast Improvement that has taken
pace IN less than twenty years A fine
MoIkins model of a postal car of the pres
en,,n srns is also shown. 1t is thoroughly
S4uppeu' neated by steam and lighted
with electricity, and has mail bags and all
me apparatus of the regular cars in the
service % II IS exactly one-sixth the size
tion ne equation car, and an exact imita-
MI MI VI one now In use on the Chicago
NliWaukee and st. Paul railroad.
bsn5 i o.Ils IN an open court close at
hh ilta,i ana exposed to the elements is an
ms affair. 1t is an old-tme mail
ana passenger coach that was once used
on the road between BoZeman and Hell
ena, mont. In view of its service and the
associauons surrounding 1t, the old coach
certainly deserves a better fate than
pslhg allowed to rot away from the effects
~ 81. 5uhshlne and rain. Almost in view
Vi me model of the mail car, ii is a con-
stant reminder of the rapid workings
OF inventive genius and enterprise SO
characteristic of the present century. The
nlu coach was captured by the Indians
IN 1877 and recaptured by United States
troops shortly after During the davs
OF us usefulness many prominent men
Ioue IN IT, Among those were Gen Grant
PRESIDENT Garfield and President Artbur'
Wnen ne made his trip to Montana in 1881
", w men en- Gen sherman was out west in 1877
ne travelled los miles in the old coach
IN little less than six hours II vas
then drawn by a team of six horses and
with frequent relays.
ne Ilmes correspondent was shown a
postal card that went around the vonrId q
IN lZV days. In the case with II wac
registered letter that was completely COW
ere ere. with the hieroglyphics of the differ
ent postoihces through which il had
passed, and which were made bv The
Jerks IN order that it might be traced If
l4st. Inns letter is presented in order to
tiers. e'0i GU TT
One of the leading attractions alongside
me oId stage coach and the modern mail
car IS an exhibit showing how the mail lie
carried in midwinter in northern NIichi.
san Inc mail bags are placed in a long
put very narrow sleigh, which is drawn
Dy three dogs driven tandem. The dogs
are GUIDED by Canadian Indian who
goes over the snow on snowshoes and the
outht moves very rapidly
The rapid progress in fnoproveman+ l.,
the service is further evinced bv nerfant
working models of two vessels rsed ~
CARRYING our mail across the Atlantic
wheel boat called the Southerner, and
winch was the first vessel used nv fbe
United states government in CARRYING,
mans mans across the ocean to Europe; the
other is working model of the celebrated
man steamer City of Paris, and the model
alone cost the company owning The boat
ssoIIiIelhlng over 5000. In glass case
IN the museum are many COMES of Ie+tere-
written before stamps were Invented ana
showing the manner in which the most
aye was collected at that time The rates
70 the hearts of some of our modern
!!etter writers who think nothing of send
ing out 100 or more missives per day. The
ainout or postage to be collected-the ra-
clpient paid instead of the senderNv1as
written in the corner Of the letter wbere
sne stamp is now generally placed and
ran from l2ls to 50 or so cents. accordino,
10 the distance and route
There are portraits in the nousa,,,, 90
some OF the men who have grown old in
3 f,le service and the most notable one is
HosWeil Beardsley present postmaster AZ |
North Lansing, n. Y. He was apnointsd |
~ loSS' ana has served continuously ever
s3nce. IL is pretty safe to saw thai %
ehange In the administration has NO fear !
TOT 20 r nm Then there are the account books
OF Benlanin Franklin when he was Posi- |
master General, or what was e0uivaIent ~ |
pCsoa. general at that time-I775 Tho |
accounts are Well preserved. Other ar
hlbljs consist of tho equipment Of carrieT, /
IN ma alH fpSf countries such as Japan Aus
showing the workings of the postal ser1,'
ice ice, 9hder their respective governments
besides wonderful collection of foreie,,,
stamps Of great value. % A0Ieish
At the Capitol.