The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-03-18
POSTAGE STAMP HAD BEGINNING
 IN CT. BRITAIN

Who started the postage stamp? Where and how did the idea origi- nate? The stamping and posting of a letter is such an ordinary occurance that to the mind of the average per- son it might have existed always. But at some time it had a beginning and an interesting one at that. Trac- ing the custom back and crediting the records obtainable, the IaureIs for the original idea for a postal service go to that interesting monarch, Louis XIV.
 True to his undeniabIe talent for starting things, in 1853 he issued to Comte de Norgent and Sieur de Vi- lager, Masters of Requests a forty year monopoly for the establishment or 8 local post One of the condi- tions was the setting up of number of boxes in different parts of the city; from these boxes the letters were to be collected at least twice a. day and taken to a central office in the Court du Palais for distribution, Printed instructions to the public stated that every communication was to have fastened to it, wrapped round and slipped inside it, billet costing two sol and inscribed Port Pave.
 The records suggest that the public in its entirely may not have taken kindly to the system for only too fre- quently the official boxes were found to be invaded by mice, much to the detriment of the letters entrusted to them. That the blame was placed on people of malicious dispositions is matter of history, but continued attempts at reform were unsuccessful.
 The first suggestion for an adhe- sfve postage stamp came from Great p ~ | before the Commissioners of Post Office Inquiry, suggested using Ca bit of paper just large enough to bear the stamp and covered at the back 1 with glutinous wash, which the 1 br1nger might, by application of wa i ter, attach to the back of the letter i so as to avoid the necessity of re- directing it" A practical basis was ! given to the idea by Joshua Bacon, bank note engraver and printer of l Fleet street.
 Adopting the process of Jacok | Perkins, native of Boston, U. S. A l the method was improved to the end that the engraving might with facility be transferred from steel to steel, thus multiplying the plates to be printed from so that the number of perfect impressions obtainabIe was practically limitless His desiens were accepted by the Treasury the drawing entrusted to Henry Corbou1d and the engraving to Charles Heath. who, not quite trusting his old eyes, turned it over to his son Frederick The first issue was on May 1, 1S4O. It was a penny stamp and printed in black and was followed by a two- i penny stamp in due.
 DIes Of these were used practically unchanged for forty years The only events claiming interest were the change of color of the penny stamu from black to red in 1S41 and the introduction of perforations in 1854.
 It is interesting to note that the first country to follow Great Britain in issuing adhesive postage stan7Ds was Switzerland. In that progressive
 little country the Cantons of Zurich and Geneva each issued stamps in i IS45, followed by the Canton of Basel in 1845. Brazil took it up in 1S4a
 and the United States in 1S47. France
 Belgium and Batavia followed in 1849
 In the latter part of the mast cen
 tury new process of printing was
 adopted. The use of hand engraved plates passed and the commercfal
 point. of view entered Thongh r7o9