Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-09

two and One-halt pence % CCuts) as the
uniform postage rate. on July r. 1888,
the penny postage e. cents) was car
ricd In the house OF commons by 2l5 10
1l3. lie was offered "a situation with
a salary OF e1,5OO $500 TO carry out
his project and bring 10 into practical
operation. Obstacles ~ great moment
had TO be overcome, especially from ofi-
Gals surrounding him. IL was not un-
I'll Jan IL. 1870, that the penny postage
came into full operation.
In 1854 he was made secretary Of the
whole postofhce. In 1864 his health
gave way, and he retired fun of honors
on full salary OF $4,000 and "a parlia-
mentary grant OF E20,O00 fc died ON
Aug. "a, 1879. So much In brief OF
penny postage and its inventor
Now for another man who has done
so much In another suherc-lsaHc Pitt
mantle real inventor of the penny
postage stamp, and spelling rcformer
BY a strange coincidence these two
men. who afterwards became united by
the strongest bonds OF sympathy and
purpose should IN the same year make
their initial step In their different ways
TO "a greatly similar aim. In 1887 after
many years OF patient studying and
experience Isaac Pitman issued mis-
modest system OF stenographiC sound
writing, the basis Of his system OF pho
biography. and the spelling reform. Up
to the time OF the adoption of the
penny postage. the most common
method OF epistolary correspondent.
was by use OF what is known ass 'l't-
ter paper (four 20 size), folding mp
and inserting the ends in each other
and either by sealing wax, wafer or
some other adhesive substance, closing
the letter Envelopes soon came into
general use but these were not then
gummed as now.
At the time OF the advent OF the new
postal arrangement. Isaac pItman had
procured "A private printing office ana
bindery. where his shorthand books
were produced. He had provided among
the station requisites, "a sheet OF snurt-
hand waters in small diamonds with
gummed backs, for use in sealing en-
vclopes, about folio foolSCap size. lu-
der the old postal system. letters were
taken TO the postoffiCc. the fee deposit
ed and its acknowledgment made by
writing the amount on the face. Ey
reason Of the great Increase of hu-i-
ness consequent on the adoption ~
penny postage. the method was soon
found too cumbrous. and "a large in
crease Of clerical force needed TO keep
account at the various head postoftIces,
as will readily be seen. All the force
az the postOffice were unable To salts
faCtorily carry out the work and the
lords OF the treasury issued proclamo-
ton offering a bonus Of E200 $1,000
for "a practical method of overcoming
the difficulty The phonogra phic "waf-
ers" suggested to Isaac Pitman a meth
cd Of doing H. He opened "a cores
pondence with the treasury. suggesting
a sheet similar to his waters be pro-
duced. containing ~ stamps ON line
Zone shllng's WORTH. ana 20 deep,
making 240 In all or one pound In
a
places and accepted by the authorities
for mailing letters. lie also proposed
ready means of paging small busi-
ness accounts. and also prepayment Of
revenue stamps, and fees ON filing doc
umonts In law courts His system was
at once seen Co bc feasible. The en-
iuent playing card printers Messrs. Dc
Ia Rue Of Bunhih Row. London, were
consulted and commissioned 90 produce
the stamps such as are now in use. In
very short time they were issued by
tho stamp office, and their utility ac-
kuowlcdged on every hand.
such in short. Is the history Of penny
postage system, and of the mon 70
whom honor should he rendered f0r
their inestimable contribution 70 the
benefit OF mankind.
The writer by his intimate relations
with Sir Isaac Pitman for years In his
private office knows whereof he speaks
and desires 10 honor the memory OF
both these worthless.
From the great sympathy ~ them
for each other. he Is assured that
neither Of them would wish, or desire
their friends TO detract from an the
honor that Is due 10 each.
Isaac Pitman was born I'm TrOw-
bridge. wiltshire, England IN the year
1913. and died IN the city 81 Bath, Eng
land Jan. p, 1897.
RICHARD r. SAMPSON.
salt Lake city.