The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-07-20

after Jne metric system VI NelSHuS
and measures.
After finishing its work, as
above, the Postal Congress was
invited by the American Postoffice
Department, to take an excursion
through the country, which was of
course accepted. A special train
of nine palace cars,-the finest
that the Pennsylvania Railroad
could furnish-and most superb
coaches they were, probably on a
scale never seen in Europe. About
40 guests including many ladies
of the delegates, left Washington
on the 9Th of June. Besides the
princely coaches, were four sleep
ers, with composite, department,
observation and two dining cars.
No train ever was sent out fitted
more gorgeously for comfort and
pleasure than this for the Postal
Congress. The route was through
Pittsburg, St. Louis, Chicago,
Cleveland, Niagara Falls, Albany,
|
Boston, New York and Philadel-
phia. At the latter three cities the
delegates were received and enter
tanned in a princely manner, by
Governors, Mayors, and other
high officials, as probably no POST
al Congress was ever entertained
before.
On arrival back at Washington,
a closing session of the Congress
was held, at which tlfe next was
appointed to convene in the city
of Rome, in the year 1903. Be
fore closing, a presentation of sets
of silver service was made to the
presiding officer, one of the assist
ants to the Postmaster General,
and to other officials. These pre-
sensations called ont addresses and
responses which indicated good
feeling on the part of all concerned
in the Congress. The American
postal authorities have certainly
equalled if not surpassed any pre-
vious session of the Congress, in
the hospitality shown to the for
eign delegates, which will result in
international good will and respect
for America and Americans.
In this connection the follow
ing paragraph from the Fortnight
" Review for June, shows what
an influence the penny-postage
stamps have exerted in making
Queen Victoria popular.
The Queen has witnessed the entire
growth of the nervous system given
to the planet by electric biography
growth mainly due to British enter
prise. 1t was held in germ by the pen
ny postage that began early in her
reign. The Queens head, when the
Queen was young and her profile pref
ty, became on envelopes and newspa-
per wrappers the symbol of cheap and
rapid communication by letter. No
circumstance that can think of help
ed more to build up that popularity,
which has become the instrument of
so much good, than the penny postage
stamp. We do not think of it now, be-
cause we are so used to it. But / can
remember the time when the Queens
head, as the postage stamp was then
called was new to many. In the pres
tige that cheap arrangement brought
her, she much more than made up for
the prerogatives she waived in her at
tempts to be a true constitutional
Queen. The Queens head had former
ly only been seen over public houses
But Rowland Hill brought home to
every family where a letter was de-
livered the idea of young Queen who
had come to reign on quite new and
superior basis. A mania for postage
stamps sprang up. Stamp fanatics
promised thousands of pounds for be-
nevolent objects if so many stamps
that had passed through the Post Office
could be furnished them against GER
tain date Louis Napoleon was so
much struck with the increased pres
tige of the Queen through the penny
stamp that when elected President he
lost no time in having a three-half-
penny stamp struck with his profile on
it. Doubtless it helped to open his
road to empire.
And it may be added that the
humble postage stamps, printed
here in Honolulu in 1851, from
common types, have helped to
spread the name and fame of Ha-
waii into every country, state and
village of the world, wherever
stamps are collected and albums
for them are priced. And more
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