The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-20

Wanamaker in a series of changes, put
the 2-cent stamp back TO carmine. His
not wholly satisfactory. and in May
signify different tint was brought out
which lasted till 1884, when the Bureau OF
FFhtlng ana Engraving undertook the
manufacture Of the stamps. At first the
bureau was not able to initiate the color
Whlch the american Bank Note company
had given them but after q few months
trial they reached the tint now so familiar,
and il is likely to remain.
Before the days of postage stamps IT was
customary to pay in cash at the p0stOffice
the charges for transporting the letter, and
the postmaster stamped the word paid
above the address. Our first stamps We're
of two deEomnations-5 and 10 cents. The
first bore the likeness Of Franklin in rose
color and the second OF Washington. En-
Velopes were not in use in those days, but
sheet of paper was carefully folded ana
sealed with a red wafer. For a letter of
one sheet of paper for a distance less than
three hundred miles the scent stamp suf-
feed When envelopes, including the
stamped envelope came in in 1851 a revision
of postal practices was necessary and
weight instead of the number of sheets of
paper became the standard OF measure.
Postage was in that year very much re-
)duced and the 3-cent price for the half
ounce letter adopted
An interesting episode in the history Of
American postage stamps occurred in 1851,
when the government declared obsolete
all its stamps then in current use and sub
sttuted a new series. This was designed TO
kill the value of the large stocks held
throughout the South, where they had been
In considerable use as fractional currency.
In the loyal States q certain period was
named within which holders of the old post
age stamps might exchange them for the
new, and so no loss was entailed upon either
postmasters individuals who acted
promptly. The Confederate government at
once declared the postage then on hand
valid until their own stamps should
appear, and the receipts from the sale
of the old stamps We're ordered to be turned
into the Southern treasury. The Confed-
era q stamps soon appeared, however,
and the rate for ordinary letter postage was
fixed at cents. But of these stamps de-
clared obsolete there is still a large supply
in existence, which are constantly finding
their way into the hands of collectors, and
occasionally the department is appealed 70
for relief by some impoverished possessor OF
them. 1t is a singular fact that the original
order declaring these stamps obsolete can
not now be found. Montgomery Blair was
postmaster general and issued the order.
The department has always since acted
upon it, although recent attempts to dis
cover the original authorization OF their &C
ton have proved fruitless
The likeness of Franklin upon our postage
stamps is taken from bust made of him by
Cerrachi, and not by the artist whose name
usually figures in postofiice reports. ms
man Cerrachi was q Corsican and one OF
the party who attempted to assassinate Ma
poleon while on his way to the theater one
evening at the time of his aspiration TO be-
come Emperor Cerrachi was gulllotlned.
He had made the acquaintance of FRANKLIN
when the latter was the American envoy to
France, and on FranklinS invitation had
visited America and here made busts or
many eminent men.