The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-04-13

partments possess interesting exhibits
Of their own which reveal to the in
uuirinc public the nature and condition
of the business with which they arc in
dividuallv connected. The patent Office
possesses a large and valuable museum
consisting of models Of inventions, the
fruits of the labor and ingenuity of
mankind; the treasury department has
a rogue's gallery containing pictures
of professional counterfeiters who have
been apprehended and brought to JUS
tice, and an exhibit of the latest i'm
provements in life-saving apparatus;
the navy department has its 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 ia 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 museum which
ranks among the finest in the city.
Postmaster General WanamalSer, under
the Harrison administration, first con-
.ceived the idea of providing per1na
nent exhibit for the post Office depart
Gnent 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 Bissel, as soon as
he became the head of the department,
took an active interest In bringing
about q contamination 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 buildings 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 predominant are the stamp
pears to be a veritable Mecca. Inter
ested parties may here find specimens
of every kind of stamp used by the ma
tions of the world. None of the stamps
are IL books, but are arranged IN beau
iiful glass cases. The most conspicu-
,ous of all is the collection OF United
States stamps showing the issue from
1S47 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 in which they are dis.
played.
A full set of the Columbian stamps
issnod IN 1888 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 Nanamaller 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
mcnt. a Gne display is also made of
stamped envelopes issued from 1858 10
1895. ard there is frame full of Off
cial envelopes of all issues during that
period Very many of these official
envelopes are How used instead Of the
DID department stamps.
Perhaps the finest collection Of for
cign stamps in the world is the one
displayed in this museum, il cases on
the east and west walls, classified rs TO
the different countries and many OF
them grouped in artistic designs. 1t 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