The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-12-21
AND A LITTLE
PENNY LEADS THEM
Editorial in Good Housekeeping
for December, 1929
WILLIAM FREDERICK BIGELow.

WILLIAM FREDERICK BIGEL0W.
Fifteen years ago, Miss Emily P.
Bissell, of Wilmington, Delaware, con-
ceived the idea Of raising funds to
help the anti-tuberculosis work Of
her state. She had read in the Out
look an article by Jacob Riis, in
which he told of a Christmas stamp
which was being sold in Denmark for
the support of a children's hospital.
At the time Miss Bissell was secre-
tary of the Delaware Red Cross
Chapter. With but forty dollars, Sc
cured from two friends, a. her cap
ital, she obtained the official consent
of her chapter and the post-offce au-
thorities to put a few thousand seals
into circulation. Stores, newspapers,
and women's clubs, attracted by the
novelty of the idea and heartily in
sympathy with Miss Bissell's pur-
pose, all supported her with great
enthusiasm from the first. Through
such generous and united effort, three
hundred thousand seals, to her a
number beyond all her dreams, were
sold that first year, and n thousand
dollars was paid on the site of the
first tuberculosis sanatorium in Della
ware, known as Hope Farm.
As a result of Miss Bissell's dem
onstration and earnest pleading, the
American Red Cross decided to take
up the enterprise on a nationwide
scale the next year, 1908. But the
parent organization was handicapped
by lack of funds, and again it was
Miss Bissell who found the necessary
hackers who shared her faith. She
also undertook the task of writing to
four thousand newspaper editors
throughout the country, asking them
to tell their readers that orders for
seals should be sent to the national
headquarters at Washington. The
result was a veritable flood of orders.
The 1919 seal was the first to carry
the double-barred cross, which spe-
officially symbolized the fight against
tuberculosis, and is the emblem of
the National tuberculosis Associa-
ton and its twelve hundred state and
local agencies. This years seal, with
mother and child, is symbolic of the
helpful guardianship of this cross
wei the children of our country.
What the Pennies Have Done.
So much for the seal itself, To at
tempt to account for the great ac-
complishments that have been real
lied through its sale year after year
would be impossible. Sixteen years
age the tuberculosis death-rate in
the registration area, which includes
only about seventy percent of the
country, was 200 per 100, 1000; today
it is but 100 per 100, 900. Here a
penny and there a penny, and a wall
has been built against this dread dis
ease that now results in the saving
OF 100000 lives annually. From the
economic standpoint this means the
saving of $780, 900 a year to the
nation.
The money secured by the sale of
Christmas seals has been and is be-
ing applied in eight different direc-
tons in the fight against the Great
White Plague. These are: C1) for
increasing the number of hospitals
and s~anatoria for the treatment of
tuberculosis, which have grown from
100 sixteen years ago to nearly TOO
with approximately 10000 beds; (2)
for establishing clinics and dispen-
s%aries, of which there are now more
than $50; (S) in paying the salaries
of $500 special tuberculosis nurses
who carry the fight against the dis
ease right into the home, ~instructing
mothers and their families; (4) in
research work; (5) for statistical
study: (6) for printed matter, of
which, during the past sixteen years,
approximately 1000, 900 pieces have
been distributed; CD for the Modern
Health Crusade, which has enrolled
nearly 5000, 900 school children who
are learning daily health habits; and
(S) toward securing over 300 open
air schools and p%reventoria. Be-
tween now and Christmas you will
have many an opportunity to pur-
chase more of the little stamps that
in past years have made possible this
truly wonderful work. Purchase them