The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-02-18
MILES OF STAMPS,
Some Idea of the Millions of stamps
that Were Issued Last Year,

Some Idea of the Millions of stamps
that Were Issued Last Year.
Uncle Sam printed just few post
age stamps during the year 1895.
The number Of &c stamps issued
during the year was about 800, Co.,
900. Such a number. obviously, is
bevond the grasp of the human mind,
but perhaps the matter may be MA de
more clear by putting it otherwise.
An ordinary &c stamp is exactly
inch long. From this fact, by little
calculation, it is easy to discover that
the snmber of stamps of this demon
ination issued in 1898, placed end to
to end, would extend q distance con
siderably exceeding $4,000 miles. In
other words, they would make a con-
tinuous strip OF stamps, each one
adorned with the head Of the father of
ihis country, stretching in a belt more
than once and half areund the
equator.
OF course, though the &c stamps are
those principally used, there are
others. Enoogh lc postage stamps
have been issued .duE'ing the year 1898
TO stretch from New York City. by
way of Europe and Asia to Bombay,
India, if similarly arranged in one
strip. All other stamps, as to pro-
ductiou and sales, are ,0f minor i'm
portance cotnpars lively speaking, but
it is interesting to know that a1mos:
exactly o3e mile of ~ stamps WE'RE
manufactured for the demand of 1898.
eQuiva iert to Il little mo.u tltau hilIf:&
furlong- or about orc, fteenth uf Il
mile.
Now, if - tae l,..s1a"a Stamps
printed }'y .>. uiI-o ol-l..% govern
mef,t iR SIS G. ,aaceu s,;.o Un~:op
anotherr 80 ! atty -, a 1t h. v.3h-
out putting ihem uro"r 1s-sattre. ow
high do you suppose the pie OF tncm
would be? There Is no use guessing:
you would newer get it nearly right.
unless YOU went TO work to ca lcui ate
it for yourself. The 3,;0J. .Uao. COO
stamps Of all denominations printed
during the,calrrent year-the statement
of course. is .approxin,ate-w would
tower to al elevation OF tyentF-one
miles. This is mere than three times
the height of the highest ls!Ountain Ia
the world-Moupt Everest, IL the
Himalagas- If the same numl.;r Of
stamps WAS piled up IN the iuIIu of
the ordinary sheets of l4G each. it
follows that the stack would be over "a
fifth of Il mile high.
During the year 1898 the number of
specia! delivery stamps sold was
5.25O.0 600. 1t is only reas onable to
suppose that the average journey of
the special delivery messenger iS half
mile. Indeed that is absurd under
estimate; hut let it go at that. On this
assumption the total distance travelled
for special delivery in 1895 Was about
2,625, 800 miles. That is u very con
siderable space 70 traverse, as may
be realized Mhen.it is considered ahat
a messenger hoy, in order to accom-
plish that total distance. would have
to go about l1Q0 times around The
world, or fHe timer to the moon and
back.
1t appsars. from figures furnished
by tn. PostAfnce Department, that the
average person in Massachusetts, in
cluding men, women and children,
spends 81. 30 on postage per annum
New York Comes second with } ex-
penditure Of s2.21. The District Of
Columbia third with s2.l6. Colorado
is fourth with sl.93, and Connecticut
is fifth with Sl,S0. The States rank |
ing lowest in this regard are South |
Carolina, with 2Sc per capita; Missis (
sippi with BIC: ALabamu with 35c: Ar !
kansas with 37c and North Carolina |
with h41c.-Washington Star.