The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-12-12


although he could not know of an adj
ditional honor that was to come to
him, it Is probable that it was one
which he would have cherished above
all others. For the Danish Christmas
seal for 1927 bore the picture of Einar
Holboell, whose idea has spread over
the entire world and who has helped
make the victorious mark on the
Christmas seal an acknowledged fact.
The second country to promote the
idea was Sweden, where the postal d.
rector Immediately upon hearing of
the plan in 1904, sent postal repre-
sentative to Copenhagen to secure in
formation and instructions.
In 1906 Norway fell into line and
the Norwegian Women's Health asso-
citation adopted the idea. The first
year the seal brought net gain of
10000 kroner and there also the fu-
ture of the seal was assured.
The story Of how Miss Emily P. Bis
sells name came to be associated with
the Christmas seal was told in an ar
ticle by Leigh Mitchell Hodges which
appeared In The Survey last year and
which has been reproduced in PAM
phlet form by the National Tuberculo-
sis association. His story of 1.-THE
First Christmas Seal" follows:
December, 1907-the World war
seven years ahead, but a deadlier
war at flood-tuberculos taking
one-tenth Of all who died from dis
ease-folks everywhere wondering
what could be done to stem the tide.
Mid-morning, December 13 "a
ragged, dirty newsboy walked into
a Philadelphia newspaper office.
Reaching up to a marble counter
higher than his head, he put down a
copper cent.
Gimme one, me sisters got it."
(What he was given is the seal H.
Illustrated above directly under the
letters "Ch" in the title of this ar
ticle).
NoOntime, December 9, 1907. in
Wilmington, capital Of little Della
ware, two pretty girls in Red Cross
uniforms taking their place at a
table in the post Office corridor, ask
ing quarter each for little pay en-
velopes thus labeled:
25 CHRISTMAS STAMPS
One Penny Apiece
Issued by the Delaware Red Cross,
to stamp out the White Plague
Put this stamp with message bright
On every Christmas letter,
Help the tuberculosis fight,
And make the New Year better
These stamps do not carry any
kind Of mail, but any kind Of mail
will carry them.
Mid-morning, December IL, 1907,
eighteenth floor of the North Amer
lean building in Philadelphia, day
member Of the staff in his cubby-
hole. "a lady to see you," passing
card engraved Miss Emily P. Bis
SELL" us she good , looking?'
Sure" "Show her in"
Enter the secretary OF the Della
ware Red Cross on unofficial busi-
ness. She had come to ask favor
of the Sunday editor and thought
she'd pay her respects to the col
umnist, who hoped the Sunday edi-
tor had granted her wish.
He had not She had wanted him
to run a little story about this, TAX
ing a sheet of stamps from her hand
bag. Delaware was worried about
%,,hn
dollars to start caring for poor pa
tients. She had read Jacob Riis'
story about the Danish Christmas
Stamp in the Outlook, wondered if
Delaware couldn't issue one and sell
enough to build a small shelter
here it was, but she was afraid.
Downstairs went the occupant of
the cubby-hole, two steps at time,
to the Office of E. A. Van Valken-
burg, president and editor of the
paper that had been first to dis
please the DOCTORS by proposing pub
licity as the weapon to use against
the white plague.
Here's the way to wipe out tuber-
culosis," half-shouted the man from
upstairs, as he waved the sheet of
stamps under the editors nose!
"What the hell do you mean?"
A brief explanation. TELL Miss
Bissell the North American is hers
from today"
"How soon can we have $4,000 Of
the stamps" was asked of the lady
from Delaware. She gasped and
said she'd telephone from Whining
ton that evening. Fifty thousand"
she echoed as she left, Isn't that