The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-15
Many Stamps
Being Sold

Altogether, 1OO, 900 or $1,000 worth
of Red Cross Christmas seals nave
been given out so far this season In
Fargo by Mrs. Elizabeth O'Ne1l, To-
cal Chairman for the sale OF the seals.
If is Anticipated that all OF these and
even more of the seals VIII be sold
in Fargo before the holidays arrive.
So many different groups OF people
and individuals are assisting in the
selling this year that 1t Is din1cult 10
estimate yet the success OF the
drive" which has been on this week.
The Fargo high school Girls Booster
club will not report until next Mon
day as its members are finishing
their canvass Of the residence dis
tricts today. The same Is true OF the
Horace Mann high school girls ana
boys, who are selling seals at all OF
the local movies and other theateTs
today.
The Boy Scouts too have been do
ing excellent work in selling the seals
this week, and three st. Johns hos
pitaI nurses had good success Fri
day in canvassing the business Of
fees. Other nurses were out selling
the seals earlier in the week. As
sisting the nurses in their Held or
work, the downtown district, were
Mrs. ]. E. Rockwell and Mrs. O'Neil,
while at the postof1ce Mrs. T.. J..
Thompson and Mrs. q. w. Haggart
were in charge OF the sales a part OF
the week. High school girls, who also
helped part of the time in the post
office sales, are stationed there all
day today. Someone will be stationed
at this central point every afternoon
this coming week, to dispose of the
seals. which are as gay and orna-
mental as any Christmas insignia
obtainabIe. ON Monday Mrs. Earll
Briggs will be in charge.
History of the Seal.
The idea OF the Red Cross Christ
mas seal originated nine years ago
with Miss Emily p. Bissell. VII
mington, Del, a well known social
worker who knew from personal ex-
perience that the only way to fight
tuberculosis was by means of a popu-
lar campaign Of education, which she
also knew could not be carried on
without money. The idea Of raising
such money at Christmas time when
the spirit Of humanity is at its
height, occurred TO Miss Bissen after
she had read an article by Jacob
Riis, in which he described the
stamps used by the Norwegians IN
their fight against the disease.
Miss Bissell, arguing that IL the
could raise money in
this way 50 could Americans, con-
suited with her friends. secured con-
siderable publicity and launched the
It was wonderful sue
cess, thousands Of Christmas par
GELS bearing the gay little seals, with
which people were delighted. BY
Christmas that first year Of the plan,
81, 500 had been raised. Miss Bissen
was elated and saw a great future
for the seals and their mission, but
had difficulty in making others see
It.
Hard to convinee.
When Miss Bissell therefore app
pealed to the Red Cross authorities
TO make the sale of the seals q part
Of their national program, they were
not at first convinced OF the plans
However, Miss Bissel
proved to them that fighting tubeF
cuIosis by means of attractive
Christmas stamps was worthy peace
time propaganda, and with some mis-
giving and at. slight cost. the Red
Cross printed the seals for the sec
ond years campaign. The result more
than justified Miss Bissell's expecta-
tions, for s1S5,0O0 worth Of seals
was sold in 1908, Christmas seal be-
coming a national institution. The
management OF the sale was turned