The times., 1898-01-04
ART IN POSTAGE STAMPS.

Third Assistant Postmaster General
Merritt has received a number of sug-
/ gestions, from all sorts of sources, for
| designs. for the new issue of postage
stamps in honor of the Trans Mississip-
| pi Exposition at Omaha. 1t has been
! decided to enlarge the number of de-
| nominations from five to seven, max
ing the list now approved as follows:
The one-cent, two-cent, five-cent, ten
! cent, fifty-cent, one-dollar, and two
! dollar stamps. Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt has responded to General
| Merritt's invitation with letter full of
suggestions. These include a Cheyenne
| warrior on horseback in full war cos
tune and feathers; an old-time Rocky
Mountain hunter and trapper, with full
beard, belted hunting shirt, and long
rifle; typical cowboy; an emigrant
wagon or prairie schooner, crossing the
plains If single portraits are to be
used, he suggests old Kit Carson, or
General Custer in cavalry uniform.
symbolizing the influence of the army
| in opening the West. Or if scenery is
to play part, he would have Pixies
Peak, or one of the boldest canons. But
above all things he would contrive 10
bring in the vanishing buffalo as a re-
minder of the long-gone days of wild
chase, wild warfare, and wild pioneer
ing"
A citizen of Iowa, who has lived
nearly fifty years west of the Missis-
sippi suggests that five denominations
of stamps be treated serially, and made
to commemorate five successive epochs
in the hiGtory of the West, thus:
TIE one-cent, the aborigine an Indian
Sllh spear, mounted on pony, chasing
bison.
The wo-eent. the Immigrant IA covered
wagon, drawn by oxen, IA man with gun.
anu woman.
The five cent, the settler-a man plough
ing with oxen, his cabin in the back ground.
The tencent, the railrOad-a train, cross
ing landscape, with cattle feeding; and
Tiie one dollar stamp, the city an urban
scene, with factory, street cars, etc.
The trouble with these subjects, as
with some others proposed, is that they
involve too large an array of small fig
uTes on a single stamp, in that way re-
peating the mistake made in most of
the stamps of the Columbian issue.
A. G.. Heaton, the artist, who took a
prominent part in suggesting and
choosing subjects for the Columbian Sc
ries, hands in dainty little sketch of a
prairie-schooner stopped in the midst of
it's Journey by the fall of one of the
horses. The father of the family is
busy helping the animal up; the mother
sits in the open front of the wagon with
a baby in her arms, while a boy and girl
are on the ground at one side watching
the father.
An enthusiastic admirer of the pres
ent administration sends from Ohio a
bust-portrait of President Mckinley for
one design, but without explaining the
connection of this subject with the
trans Mississippi West He has been
informed that the law forbids the use of
the portrait Of any living person on a
postage stamp.
Director johnson of the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing has submitted
a design to illustrate the beauty of
square stamp as distinguished from one
oblong in shape.
Another contributor makes a point of |
using for the borders inclosing the pic |
toral part of the stamps conventional !
lied types of Western products or in /
struments used in their development, |
such as the cornstalk with tasseI and |
ears; wheat-sheaves, the pick and !
shovel of the miner. and the like.
One proposal which seems to meet /
with general favor is the recognition of
General John G.. Fremen,, either by
bust-portrait or by a picture showing
him in the act of raising the American
flag on the crest of the Rocky Noun
tains; another. which will probably be |
used, is Postmaster General Gary's idea |
of an engraving of the Rock Island !
Bridge, the permanent bond connectin.;
East with West.
The opportunity is still open for ar
lists and others of resourceful mind to |
suggest designs. it will do little good
for them to hold back now, but. after
the stamps are out, to assail their au-
thOrs for laundering