The Glenwood post., 1908-03-28
RISE OF PICTURE
POST CARDS

Three or four years ago all the
facts about the picture postcard
industry could have been related
in few words. In fact, so far
as the United States was concern
ed, there was practically no story
to tell. There may have been 100
shops in the entire country where
persons in search Of picture post
cards could find a small stock
from which to make a selection.
Originating in Europe, these
cards had met with little favor,
except on the continent, where
they found a somewhat ready
sale as inexpensive souvenirs, and
this had been the condition Of af-
fairs for many years. Suddenly,
however, the tide turned, AMI
where manufacturers had hither-
to been unable to dispose Of the
stock, they now found it i,npos-
sible to supply the demand-ap
imperative cry for picture post
cards from every part Of the
world, from Asia and Africa, as
well as from America.
Millions upon millions of them
are mailed during the year in this
country. In New York City
alone the postoffice handles no
less than 100000 of these cards
every day, and it is the same sto-
ry elsewhere-in Chicago, San
Francisco, New Orleans, Buffalo,
and in all the large cities. More
over, it is not in the United
States alone that these conditions
exist. In Europe, too, all the
postal services are actually inun-
dated with postcards. 1t is off
cially stated that no less than
500.0OO,0OO passed through the
British postoffice during 1906.
These are stupendous figures,
but-this is the point at which
the imagination balks! We can
read the numerals, but we cannot
comprehend them. just think OF
it! One hundred thousand post
cards day-enough in a year, if
laid end to end to extend from
New York to point somewhere
between Salt Lake City and the
Pacific coast. Five hundred mil
lion-so many that one might
make belt of postcards extending
completely around the earth at the
equator without using more than
two-thirds of them.
The enormous vogue of post
cards means that the sale of =
cent stamps required to carry
these cards must also have be-
come enormous, and there is no
reason to doubt the truthfulness
of the assertion that the postoffice
department of this, as well as of
other countries. is finding it a
difficult matter TO deliver them.
This was especially true during
the summer months, when every
badly who went mentioning pur-
chased these cards by the dozen
to send them over seas and to all
parts of the land. Under those
conditions it is not strange that
the mails should have been con-
gested. 1t is not surprising that
the letter carriers should have
been swamped beneath the flood
of pictures that they fell far be-
hind in their deliveries. 1t is not
difficult to believe that the reve-
nue. from this source should have
become so great that the postal
authorities have about decided to
ask for more men to operate this
branch of the service. Already
these cards have been made the
subject of more than one post
office department ruling, as when
the Introduction Of the tinseled
card was decided upon, because
the isinglass used in giving a
touch of realism to the scene por-
trayed worked into the hands Of
the postal clerks and made them
sore and also put the cancelling
machines out of order.