The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-11-12
TO AID NOBLE WORK
Kenosha People Asked to Buy
Christmas Stamps From the
Red Cross Society
WOULD RAISE LARGE AMOUNT

Wnen people tie up their Christmas
packages a few weeks hence, they may
have contributed to the movement Of
the Red Cross society to stamp out
tuberculosis.
The American National Red Cross
society Of which William H. Taft is
president has followed the lead of
Denmark. in establishing a. Christmas
stamp. The proceeds are to be de-
voted to the work of wiping out the
white plague. The first place to try
the plan in this country was in Del
aware, and the sale of the stamps was
so large that this season the society
is going to make a concerted cam
paign in every state in the Union.
The government Of Denmark, in 1904,
issued a Christmas stamp, bearing the
kings head, and the Danish word
"Jule,' which corresponds to the Eng
lish Yule The stamp was not good
for postage, but simply as "sticl1er, -
for Christmas letters, postcards and
packages. The proceeds were used to
build hospital for children suffering
from tuberculosis Denmark still con-
tinues the stamp, and it's sale has
doubled each year.
Jacob Riis, Dane, wrote an elo-
quent article which was published in
The Outlook of July 6, 1907, urging
action in the matter, but there were
too many difficulties in the way. Then
the Red Cross society took up the
problem, and with the approval of the
government has issued the stamp.
The stamp which the society will
sell has been designed by Howard
Pyle, and is attractive, bearing a holly
wreath which encloses the red cross
the emblem of the society, and the
words "Merry Christmas" Below is
the legend, "Happy New Year" This
stamp is printed in holly red and
green upon white paper.
Delaware was ignorant and uninter-
ested on the subject yet the stamp,
printed and put on the market only
eighteen days before Christmas amazed
everyone by it's sensational record.
Fifty thousand had been printed to
sell at one cent apiece. They went in
week, and then the stamp got into
Philadelphia, where the Pennsylvania
Red Cross welcomed it and backed it.
The Delaware schools sold it. the
woman s clubs in Delaware took it up,
the newspapers gave columns to it,
the department. stores, banks drug
stores and hotels sold it. It was sold
in the corridors Of the Wilmington
Federal building, by permission from
the government, though not the post
office itself. The presses in the last
few days before Christmas ran night
and day to supply the demand Peo-
pie used the stamps on packages and
letters, and business firms on their
correspondence. Nearly four hundred
thousand were sold and nearly $4,000
cleared.
With this money the Delaware Red
Cross first brought an educational an
ti-tuberculosis exhibit to Delaware,
which was visited by 10000 people in
ten days. The clubs, oranges, city
boards, teachers, clergymen, labor
unions, state officials, were invited on
special days and the whole state
walked up. A nurse was sent to the
sanitarium, and a free dispensary sup
piled with milk and eggs, drugs, and
a. visiting nurse for the consumptive
poor, and this has gone on all year.
One thousand dollars has been set
aside as a nucleus toward building a
hospital.
The stamp will be on sale at the
Red Cross headquarters in each state.
and probably can also be obtained
from local dealers in almost every
town. It will be sold in sheets like
an ordinary stamp, and also in small
books, twenty-four for 25 cents forty
eight for so cents, like the govern
ment stamps.
The Christmas stamp is not good for
postage. It will not carry any kind
of mail, but any kind of mail will car
~ it. Each one who uses this holiday
stamp, will help to "stamp out the
white plague