Bisbee daily review., 1910-03-06
MUSEUM OF POSTOFFlCE At
WASHINGTON IS INTERESTING

al the many museums and specia
eNhIkits at the Nations Capital non
have gained more in popularity thai
the ssoseum OF the Postofiice Depart
ment oaiy a few years ago this mu
seus consisted OF a few curios an'
ODDS and ends. assembled In a small
room ON the first floor OF the Depart
R'er, building on Pennsylvania Ave
nue.. Month after month the collec
ton sxs tseeo enlarged until now II 1:
one Of the most interesting Of all tn,
numerous places for sight seers II
Washington. This museum has grow
10 s0eh an extent that the entire cor
rioor Of the first floor OF the nam
moth building h now necessary 10 dis
play the many articles typical to tbs
postal service and which are TO b.
foucd in no other museum in the coun
try. TIE number of visitors to this
museus has increased By the thou
sasds A conservative estimate. after
several days tally. places the mum
Der es visitors annually az from 10000
10 ice. coo
S.Dec the revival of the interest in
pos age stamp collecting many people
have been known 20 make special trips
To Washington Just to get a glimpse OF
the great collection which Is on exhib.
II IN this museum. The display here
consists of a complete collection of
postage ssrnps. postal cards and
stamped envelopes issued by the
InEed States Government and all
stamp issuing countries OF the world.
The actuai value of this stamp collec-
tioa IS probably more than s2o0. goo.
but - they were ever put on sale in
the open market the price they would
command would be many times that
amount. as the premium on the ma.
iority OF them has Increased to an
sorDors fsure s;nce they were Is.
sued.
A most interesting section of the
exhibit Is that devoted to the equip
nent used In handling the mails and a
comprehensive exhibit OF the mails
transportation facilities. from the dog
siedse and the pony express 10 the
newest type OF the all steel mail car
bow IN use. Along with this most
elaborate exhibit is the unusual col
lection of articles from the Dead Let
ter office. Recently mu.oscope pic
ture machines were added to the ex-
hibit- These machines depict by NOV
ing pictures the various operations of
the postal service from the time a
letter is mailed 10 the time of its
final delivery Among the miscellane-
Gus collections are many very inter
est,Bg things that every American is
proud 20 see-such as the original
models OF the Inflated batlteship
81 Maine. the Monitor" the "Merri-
mae first submarine torpedo boat
and The fi-st mail carrying ocean
steamer
This exhibit is now much more than
a collection of odds and ends-it is
an attractive exhibit. showing how
letters are carried in this and other
countries. and the collection Of Gu
rios is confined 10 those that have
come in through the Division OF Dead
Letters. Many OF the articles in the
museum have been shown at the grea.
exposition held recently Il may be
said that when a large exposition is
contemplated this is one Of the first
OF the Governments exhibits the man
ayers want to draw on. At all ex-
positions where the Postofice Depart
next has displayed this exhibit it has
been considered one of the leading
features or he occasion.
Many OF the articles included in
this remarkable exhibit are valuable
from a historical standpoint OF in
stance, there is the old stage coach
WlEch carried mail in Montana; it
saw stirring times in its day and
many celebrated people have ridden
on H. IN 1877 it wa scaptured by In
disHs only 90 be retakeu after fierce
fieht by General Howard. in thar
same year General Sherman used the
coach while on his tour Of inspection,
the distance between Fort Sill and
Helena, 100 miles. being covered on
that occasion in eight hours. General
Garfield also made use Of the old con-
yeysnce before he became President
as did his successor. President Arthur.
A zsodeI of the first steam vessel to
carry the United States mails across
he atlantic is to be seen here. The