The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1915-11-11
POSTAGE STAMPS.
All Europe Laughed When Their
Use Was First Suggested.
LOOKED UPON AS A HUGE JOKE
Rowland Hill Was Ridieuled For His
Wild Postal Reform Idea, but He Per-
sisted and Finally Won the Day For
the Little Friend Of Humanity.

the little Friend OF Humanity.
Not since the days Of the discovery
Of printing had there come to human
beings such a boon as was launched
In England on May 6, 1910, when the
first postage stamps, the little friends
Of humanity, were used. That date
in history marked the beginning Of
popular communication, placing within
the reach Of the poorest peasant the
means Of writing to relatives and
friends. 1t put the people Of the world
into closer touch, it encouraged the
art Of writing as no other agency had
done. But. greatest Of all. it spread
civilization.
Millions Of people who today open
their mail scarcely glance at the little
stamp that adorns the wrapper. 1t but
represents to them the cost of trans.
porting and handling by the govern
ment.
Few indeed realize that thu. postage
stamp is a modern contrivnn,'. and
that Its great aid to modern life h1>
played a remarkable part in tile We: j!
development during the la~i iiir,t
quarters of a century.
1t was in 1910 that Rowland H.. ~
English schoolmaster, stirred nv 49,:
rope to laughter by leclarin- =.
James Chalmers and himself hn,! -"
vised a system whereby II two S!""
letter could be sent from L.olri'ii IL
Edinburgh for 1--we cents and vel .rd,.
the government q fair profit Oh i!Iy
! was 81 cents for that distance for {:
two sheet letter.
Such q radical idea as Hills seemed,
ridiculous to the public. which had
looked upon the sending Of communica
tons as an expensive luxury. And Sc
the joke Wen around. and the pool
laughed with the others ut the ide;
Of any means that would place them OF
a par with the aristocracy.
Hill persisted despite the ridicule. Fl,
worked diligently on his schedule, ant
when the time was ripe he flashed tn,
system on parliament and the public
Hill offered proof that was incontro
vertible that the actual cost of the gov
eminent for carrying each letter aver
aged only a small fraction of a cent.
He proved that the expense Of hirin;
men to figure out postal rates or tn
system then existing. based on dis
lance and the number Of sheets, wa
greater than the profit gained, and h
urged the adoption Of a fiat rate for a
letters under a certain weight. no maj
ter how short or long a journey the
were to make.
He originated the idea Of pastng
label on every letter, to show that th
cost had been prepaid to the govern
ment. and pointed out that this woul
save the expense and time of collectin
at point of delivery, which custom wa
then in general use.
The idea sprung by Hill and b.
friend, James Chalmers, gained FRIEND
after the first roars of laughter ha
died away. The government was pres
ed by not a few thinkers of the tin
W 0OOpL tuc sS SlcUu. Auu 81 Ou ma
6, 1910, postage stamps, or "stampe
labels" as they ere called at tt
time, were inaugurated. On the fir,
stamp was a profile picture Of tt
young Queen Victoria. The effect Q
the p%ostofice was instantaneous. Wit
in two years-and they were pan
years at that--the business of the pos
Office nearly trebled.
The postage stamp came into use
the United States in 1S47, seven yea
after Great Britain had adopted
Five and ten cent stamps We're the FIR
American postage stamps. and the
carried the heads Of Franklin al
Washington. Four years later the lie
ter rate was lowered to 3 cents. and
1883 to 2 cents.
Before the postage stamp was adol
ed the postal charges were more mo
crate in the United States than
England. Our rates were 6 cents +
thirty miles or less, 1871 cents up
$50 miles, 1874 cents up to 400 mil
and rs cents for every distance ov
that.
Hill, the discoverer Of posta,
) stamps, was knighted and received
gift Of $4,000. raised by public go
scription.-DetrOit Journal.