davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11
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a small object to call so much energy
into play. individually the Christ
mas Seal Is a sticker no larger than
a postage stamp. Indeed they called
them Red Cross Christmas Stamps at
first and until some folks got the
idea that they could be used in pay
ment Of postage for carrying letters
through the mails. But insignificant
as these bits of gummed paper are in
dividually they are mighty formidable
collectively. The mere selling of
them at a penny apiece is a task that
enlists the efforts Of thousands of peo-
pie in all sections of the county,
most of them volunteer sales folk
And how great a chore is the dis
tribution of the little souvenirs and
the keeping tab on sales may be
imagined from the fact that the Red
Cross last Christmas sold thirty-one
millions of the diminutive greetings
for which the American people paid
an aggregate of $4,000.
Probably every one of our readers
well remember when the Red Cross
took on the role of a Christmas mer-
chant, for it was only a few years
ago that the Red Cross Christmas
stamp first made its appearance. Most
people who paste these gaudy dwarf
notices on their Xmas letters and
packages look upon the idea as an
American innovation. It seems, how
ever, that something of the same
scheme was tried in Europe quite a
while agO,-in the little kingdom of
Denmark to be exact. Jacob Riis,
who has done so much for the bet
terment of conditions among the poor
of New York City, gets credit for
having imported the idea to this coun-
try. and the Red Cross took it up and
developed it as 1t had never been
done in Europe in all the years they
had the plan before we took hold of
it.
What a large part this pretty
Christmas custom fostered by the Red
Cross has come to play in the lives
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11

flood Of letters is the postage due"
on the Sanity letters. 1t seems that a
comparatively small portion of
Santy's correspondents place two cent
stamps on their letters Many deem
a one cent stamp sufficient and a yet
larger proportion affix no stamp
whatever Now under the postal reg
ulations no person can have posses
sion of a letter on which full postage
har not been paid without making up
the shortage to the government. In
the case Of a person making apphca-
ton for only a few Santa Claus let
ters this postage due would be
trivial matter, but it might mean
Gdr zum to a charitable or benevo-
szzs organization planning to handle
hundreds of the letters
With the postal authorities wrest-
ling with the new scheme of finding
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11

acceptable proxies for Santa Claus
there was naturally recalled to some
of the officials a former experience.
The public has probably forgotten it.
but the Post ONCE Department made
one previous attempt to utilize the
Santa Claus letters as means Of do
ing good These childish appeals to
be remem bered at the season OF uni
versal good will have been crowding
the mail bags for Decem hers farther
back than the Oldest citizen can re-
call, and from time out OF mind there
have been suggestions that something
should be done to answer the prayers
of the poor tots who manifested such
sublime faith 1t was not, however.
until 1903 that a formal application
was made to the Post Office Depart
ment to divert these unclaimed letters
to such an end. Then the matter was
referred to the legal experts of tho
government who declared that in their
opinion no such action could be taken
without imperiling that sanctity Of
the malls Of which Uncle Sam Is so
proud.-that respect for the seal OF
the Post ONCE Department which pre-
scribes that not even a postmaster
nor yet the Postmaster-General him
self may open sealed envelope after
1t has been deposited in the mails. ex-
cept with the consent OF the intended
recipient
This veto of the project stood I'M
questioned until Mr.. Meyer. now
Secretary of the Navy. was acting as
Postrn aster-G General under President
Roosevelt. Organizations and indi,u
viduals in Mr.. Meyers home State.
Massachusetts,. and elsewhere appeal
ed to him to allow them to use the
Santa Claus letters as a medium OF
doing good and after obtaining from
the Attorney General OF the United
States an opinion that allowed him
some latitude in the matter he finally
issued in December. 1907. an order
very similar. but perhaps a tribe less
explicit than the one which has Just
been promulgated by Postmaster-Gen
eral Hitchcock The confusion and tur-
MOL that resulted at the postal head
quarters are almost indescribable.
The officials of the Dead Letter ONCE.
to whom it fell TO reply to the tele-
grams and letters that poured In
from postmasters who wanted instruc-
lions and advice. were almost dis
tracted. The climax came on Christ
mas Eve, when a telegram was re-
ceived from the Postmaster at Chica-
go. advising that 1900 letters ad-
dressed to Santa Claus were stacked
up In the Office there and asking what
should be done. Looking back upon
this initial experiment Mr.. Afeyeh
said feelingly Never again" and he
Issued the next year another order
revoking his former order ana di-
recting that Santa Claus mail be dis
posed of through the regular chan
nels as formerly. This order has bee,,
in force until Mr.. Hitchcock concluded
to make a try at allowing generous
folk to impersonate SANITY.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11
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he forces Uncle Sam to dispose Of
the Santa Claus mail as best he can.
Uncle Sam long ago gave up the
effort to locate Santa Claus perma-
nent address and forward thither his
unclaimed mail. Indeed some of the
prosaic officials at the Post Office De
partment being unable to get any clue
to Santa Claus whereabouts decreed,
these many years back, that he must
be regarded as a fictitious person
age" This puts his mail in the ''un-
claimed class" The regulations of
the Post Office Department which are
based upon laws passed by Congress
provide that all mail which cannot be
delivered because of undecipherable
or insufficient addresses or for any
other reason must be sent to the
Dead Letter once at Washington
where an effort is made by the gov
ernment's greatest experts to either
set these derelicts of the mails on the
right road to their destination or else
return them to the writer's. 1t is
further provided that when 1t is i'm
possible to ascertain the name or ad-
dress of the senders of mail addressed
to fictitious persons the postal waits
must be destroyed, and this has been
the unhappy fate of bushels upon
bushels of Santa Claus letters during
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11

a bachelor and presumably not very
susceptible to childish influence, has
taken this same view of it. Most of
his predecessors saw in the law only
an obstacle that they couldn't get
around, but Mr.. Hitchcock has seem
tngly spied loopho for along about
the first week in November of this
year he issued one of the few official
orders which has ever been promul-
gated with reference to Santa Claus.
This order reads: "Postmasters are
authorized to deliver all letters arriv-
ing at their respective postoffices be-
tween December 16, 1911, and Janu-
airy I, 1912, inclusive, which are ad-
dressed plainly and Enthusiastically to
Santa Claus without any other terms
or expressions identifying the person
for whom such letters are intended, to
responsible institutions or individuals
in the town or city of address who
may desire to use them exclusively
for philanthropic purposes. In the
event that these letters are requested
by more than one such institution or
individual the postmaster shall dis
tribute them in such proportion as he
may deem proper (Signed) Frank
+. Hitchcock, Postmaster General
Seemingly the new scheme was
grand good thing and there was much
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11

this Christmas merchandising, been
doing much of its anti-tuberculosis
work through the National Associa-
ton for the Study and Prevention Of
tuberculosis, there being many
fresh air camps" and like institutions
throughout the country that have
been wholly dependent upon tho out
pouring of pennies at Christmas for
their upkeep. This alliance has now
led the Red Cross to put into practice
a new policy with reference to the
Christmas sale of 1911. 1t has been
nothing less than the transfer to the
tuberculosis Association above men
toned of all the details of the Christ
mas Seal campaign. The Red Cross
will continue to fix the general poll
cies to be followed in the Christmas
project; will decide upon the charac-
ter and quantity of Christmas seals
to be printed and will exercise a gen.
eral supervision over all the work of
placing the good will messengers in
the hands of the people, but the other
organization will appoint the agents
in every town and city up and down
the land and viii carry on the vol
luminous correspondence with these
representatives incident to the sale
of stickers that is in progress through
out the entire month of December.
No mention of the Red Cross
Christmas, or at least the Red Cross
Christmas of 1911. would be com
plete without mention of the very
valuable Christmas present which the
Red Cross is making to the whole
American people. This gift is what
is known as First Aid Car and its
function is to travel up and down the
railroads of the country (the railroad
companies generously transport 1t
free of charge) stopping at towns and
cities enroute to instruct volunteer
Red Cross workers in first aid
work. It might be termed a mis-
sionary car and Its advent seems es-
pecially appropriate at this season of
universal good will, for it will be the
instrument of rendering efficient
corps of Industrial workers who will
have the knowledge to extend emer-
gency relief measures to their fellow
toilers in time of mishap. The Red
Cross has had one of these First Aid
cars for nearly a year now and it has
been steadily employed in giving in
structions in first aid to the employ
ees of various railroad systems. The
second car that Is now provided will
make it possible to arrange this work
on a better basis, one car traversing
the territory east of the Mississippi
River and the other performing
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11

like service west of the Mississippi
While on the subject OF the rail-
road work of the Red Cross IL may
not be amiss to mention that an ad-
rnirer of the present President OF the
United States has turned over TO the
Red Cross the sum OF $1,000 which
he desires shall be known as the Will
liam Howard Taft Fund. The in
come from this newly-created fund
(Which might be characterized as yet
another Christmas presently is to be
paid in prizes each year to the rail-
way employees who perform first aid
work requiring skill and GOODNESS OF
an unusual character. -Four annual
prizes have already been established.
the amounts OF such prizes being re-
spectively $50, S25. SIS and $40.
The Red Cross Christmas has been
the means of heightening the holiday
pleasure OF a large number OF young
people in every State and Territory.
Reference is not made TO the legion
who derive a sense of satisfaction
from the purchase OF the stamps,
knowing that they are doing a good
deed thereby. but rather to the young
women and children who give their
services free OF charge for the sale OF
the Christmas stamps on the streets
and in the stores of hundreds OF
towns and cities
The little folks who essay the sale
of Red Cross stamps on the streets
are liable to have chilly task In
many localities. but that custom IS
rather discouraged now in favor OF
the better one OF selling the stampss
at specially arranged booths in store[
at church fairs, in hotels and IN short,
wherever the buying public congre-
gates. OF course the logical place for
a Christmas stamp booth is in tho
postoffice whence come the gift-givers
to mail their presents. In most towns
and cities where space will permit tho
postmasters have been very good
about allowing the Red Cross repre-
sentatives to have space near the let
ter and package drops and when tho
vendors are fortified in such position
he must be indeed a stony-hearted In
dividual who can run the gauntlet
with his parcels and emerge without a
sprinkling of the seals of unselfish-
ness The postal authorities OF some
of the foreign governments, notably
our testy friend John Bull. did not
take kindly at first to the idea OF the
Red Cross Christmas tokens when at
tached to letters sent abroad. but most
of them have somewhat modified thein>
opposition.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11

everybody understands that the Red
Cross does not make any profit, in
the ordinary sense of the term, from
its Christmas enterprise. All the in
come, aside from the actual expense
of printing and distributing the
stamps. is devoted to the cause of hui
mainly and SO conscientious is the
Red Cross in these matters that
whereas at the outset it required 20
per cent. of the gross receipts for
these necessary expenses, there have
been devised economies that now en-
able the conduct of the enterprise
with an outlay of only 1919 per cent
The idea Of the Christmas cam
paign ever since 1t was inaugurated
has not been to merely raise general
Red Cross funds,-money that would
be poured into the common fund to
relieve distress wherever found in the
wake of disaster. On the contrary the
especial object of this fanciful Christ
mas charity has all along been to
raise money for the fight against the
white plague" and as a matter of
fact all of the receipts from the sale
of stamps, except the 1919 per cent.
needed for printing, transportation
and other expenses, has been devoted
to anti-tuberculosis work throughout
the country,-each section or com
munity benefting directly in proper
ton to the volume of stamp sales in
rs own locality.
The Red Cross has, since 1t took up
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11

rejoicing over the order on the part
of tender hearted people everywhere
who had been panied by the thought
that any childish appeal to Santa
Claus should go unanswered. But the
subordinate officials at the POstoff1ce
Department soon began to have mis-
givings regarding the outcome, for
no sooner had the new order reached
the ears of the postmasters out
through the country than the Depart
ment began to be deluged with ques-
tions regarding it.
Moreover, no sooner was the ink
dry on Mr.. Hitchcock's new order
that it became apparent that some of
the unusual conditions governing the
Santa Claus mail had not been taken
into account. One factor that has
added to the perplexities of the new
scheme for handling this Christmas
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11

pective vendors from Maine to Cali
fornia would require not less than
fifty millions OF the seals and accord
tngly that has been made a first
order" with a strong possibility that
it will have to be increased later.
Every year new design is selected
for the Christmas stamps,=some of
the country's leading artists having
donated sketches for such use,=and
the one for the holidays of 1911 is
easily one of the handsomest that has
yet appeared. The stamp is resplend-
ent in red and green, the Christmas
colors, and has the main portions of
a red-rimmed circle devoted to a
wintry landscape with evergreen
trees and snow-covered cottage
from the windows of which come
rudy CLEANS In the sky is a con-
spicuous red cross while below in
green are the words Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year together with
the date. This years sticker is, in
effect. essentially a seal rather than
a stamp although the circular design
one inch in diameter is printed on
white ground and the perforations di-
vide these into squares just as in the
case with postage or other stamps.
the present Red Cross Christmas is
that the great organization of which
President Taft is the head has this
year adopted q new plan of dispos-
ing of the Christmas seals. OF course
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11
he past decade or two.


This year, however, IS to see
change in the disposition of the Santa
Claus mail All the people who have
ever had an opportunity to peep into
any of the Santa Claus letters at the
Dead Letter Office have been brought
to realize that many of these letters
are from children whose only chance
of a merry Christmas lies in an ap-
peal to Sanity. Most children, seem
ingly, write a Christmas letter to the
fur-clad gift-giver. Many Of the APP
peals show by the paper and en-
velopes used that they have been pre-
pared in comfortable or even luxuri-
Gus homes and we may suspect that a
fond father or mother was looking
over the shoulder of the young apph-
cant for Xmas boons. But there are
others which, as has been said, OBJ
viously come from poor children and
have been written without the knowl-
edge of their parents. These are the
letters which many kind-hearted folk
feel should be taken in hand by per-
sons who would see to it that the con-
tents were brought to the attention of
Santa Claus presuming that he is
too busy to read the letters himself.
The present Postmaster General of
the United States. for all that he is
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11

of the people of the United States
was eloquently attested by the ava
lanche of protests that poured into
Washington a few weeks ago when
it was enormously reported that the
Postmaster-G General was going to put
a ban on the Santa Claus seals. The
only basis for the rumor WAS an Of
fetal edict that the stickers must be
placed on the backs OF envelopes and
not on the address side. It had been
found that when the public had free
rein to place the Christmas seals any
where 1t chose.-even in the upper
right-hand corner that is supposedly
reserved for the regular postage
stamp, confusion was certain to re-
suit and consequently 1t was decided
that the Red Cross stamps and Uncle
Sans stamps must not be allowed in
closer proximity than opposite sides
of the envelope.
And, speaking of the hold of the
Christmas seals upon we sentirn entail
lists yule-tide it may as we'll be con-
fessed that the Red Cross officials
themselves rather expected that the
use of the stickers would prove a fad
in which public interest might subside
after a year. In reality this has not
proven the case and if anything en-
thusiasm seems to increase rather
than diminish. When those in charge
of laying in a stock of Christmas seals
for the holiday season Of 1911 re-
ceived reports from the agents
throughout the country who attend
to the marketing of the tiny trophies
they found that to supply all the pros
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11

~ ISTMAS.-meaning in this
instance not merely the day.
= but the whole holiday season.
~ marks. literally as well as
figuratively, the elimination of the
years activities of the American Red
Cross. Rather odd, is 1t not? 1t seems
natural enough that the interval in
December that rounds out the twelve
months should be the busiest of the
whole period for shop keepers and
store clerks and delivery men and
letter carriers and all the others in
our national community whose serv-
ices are essential to the conduct of
the annual merrymaking. But no per-
son who had not looked into the mat
ter would be expected to guess that
the yule-tide is a time Of high ten
sion at the headquarters and branch
Offices Of the great humanitarian or
ganization-
The experience of the past few
years would seem to warrant the as
sertiOn that the Christmas preclude
IS actually the busiest season of the
year with the Red Cross. Perhaps
that is too strong a statement to make
unqualifedly, however, for the Red
Cross in the role of a good samaritan
ever ready to rush to the aid of the
needy In any part or the world can
never predict what season of the year
will bring 1t the heaviest responsible
ties Famine, floods. hurricanes, war
fare and pestflence are destructive
agents that seldom give warning of
their coming. Yet to undo their
havoc is a task which this great hu-
manitarian organization must under
take at a moments notice. But, even
with an eye to the unexpected. it may
be said that under normal conditions
and in so far as routine work is con
cerned Christmas Is a time of top
speed in Red Cross activities.
First and foremost of the causes for
the hustle Of the Red Cross Christ
mas is that familiar bright-hued
token. the Christmas Seal. It seems
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-11

- ANITA CLAUS is becoming a reg
ular hoodoo to Uncle Sam. In
~ possible, uuthinkab1e. unbeliev-
able and high treason, you
declare holly in defense of the kindly
old fellow, but 1t is a fact, neverthe-
less And the worst of it is that the
patron saint of our merriest holiday
bids fair to prove more of a bug-bear
to our Federal guardian at this
Christmas season of 1911 than he has
ever done in the past,-with one pos
sible exception. Even as this meets
the eyes of readers there are soreIy-
tired officials in Washington who are
cudgeling their brains and f1guratively.
IL not literally tearing their hair be-
cause of the way in which Santa
Claus upsets routine in certain gov
eminent offices.
OF course all our readers appreciate
that the great governmental institu-
ton which we are all wont to IA
miliarly dub Uncle Sam is a very
complex organism and by this same
token it follows that in most spheres
only a minor and indirect influence is
exerted by Santa Claus. In one do
main. however, he does play hob and
that one is the Post Office Depart
ment, which IS far and away the big
gest business enterprise under the
government, having on its payroIIs
upward of one third of a million peo-
pie or several times as many as are
enlisted in our army or navy. Now,
for everybody in the postal army
from the Postmaster General to the
mail carrier on the most isolated
rural route, the Christmas holidays
bring extra work.-added response
bihtes that may even somewhat mar
the personal enjoyment of the yuIe-
tide. Yet 1t may surprise you to learn
that ii is not this rush work that is
putting dear old Sanity into the role
OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES so this
year.
1t is Santa Claus personal mail
which is just now causing some of the
captains of the postal cohorts to lay
awake nights Now the bewhiskered
driver OF the reindeer team gets a
tremendous volume of mail during
the fortnight before Christmas. In
deed there are posted to him every
day during that interim dozen times
as many letters as are addressed to
the President of the United States,
who, under ordinary circumstances
is supposed to receive the heaviest
personal mail OF any individual in the
world. And Santa displays a lament
able inability to handle his CORES
pondence. Perhaps it IS not to be
wondered at. considering what del
uge of missives are dispatched to
him and how busy he must be with
his other duties at this time of year.
but be that as it may the old fellow
has never been known to formally ac-
knowledge the receipt of a letter,
much less to answer it in the ordinary
way. Worse yet, he will not even
call for the accumulation of mail that
f. waiting for him at every post
once I'D and down the land and thus