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

OSCuE W dh
~ interesting story back of the
N&A addition of these little scraps
~ of paper" to the list of SYM
l- hols of Christmas time? And
do the names of Einar HOl-
boell and Emily P. Bissell
come to your mind when you stick one
of these gayly-colored little stamps on
a Christmas package and send it away
TO carry its message Of Yuletide cheer
as well as the message that you are
thus helping in great humanitarian
work? If not, they should, for it is
to Danish postal clerk and an Amer
lean Red Cross worker that we owe
the idea and development of the
Christmas seal.
Back in 1903 q man named Einar
fee at Copenhagen, Denmark, was
busy in the division Of outgoing mail.
It was Christmas week and he was
literally buried in cards and letters.
The faster he sorted the faster they
flowed in and the baskets were emp
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to him a never ending stream Of
Christmas mail.
He sighed heavily, almost bitterly:
All these Christmas cards and let
tiers could certainly be dispensed with
without damage or loss to any one.
They only destroy the postal en-
ployee's Christmas to such an extent
that few of US any longer remember
what a real Christmas is like. These
greetings are non-essentials and should
be taxed by special tax beyond or
binary postage"
For a moment he paused in serious
thought; then his face frightened.
"These Christmas cards and letters
should have an additional stamp-a
benevolent stamp or seal at small
price within the reach Of all. Why
not call it Christmas stamp?"
He became almost happy in the
thought and at once the piles of let
tiers and cards before him assumed
different aspect.
Even a two ore (about onefourth of
q cent? stamp on all these cards and
letters would create mighty sum if
the plan could only be realized. Christ
mas is time Of generosity and good
will, when we send a kindly thought
even to those whom we neglect the
whole year through. Two ore each on
every greeting would mean a sum to
be reckoned with-well then, to the
task!"
OF course, it was more easily
thought than done, and many difficult
ties loomed up, but the method Of at
tack was clear from the start. First,
he enlisted the interest of the head Of
the postal service and others with in
fuence and authority. And so, when
the first Christmas seal committee was
formed, including, among others, six
representatives from the postal de-
partment, the interest Of the postal
employees was insured from the start.
In 1904 the committee met to dis
cuss the purpose and use of the pos
sible income from the Christmas seal,
and it was decided that the first OBJ
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tubercular children, and, in general,
the income from the seal should al
ways be for the fight against tuber-
culosis, in one form or another.
Upon application to the then King
Christian TX, Holboell secured the per-
mission to have likeness of the de-
ceased Queen Louise on the first
Christmas seal, and the king became
30 interested that he himself selected
the picture which he wished used, and
and other details. With this approval
from the highest authority in the back
ground. it was simple task to secure
the cooperation of the various post
offices throughout the land.
Naturally, Mr.. Holboell and his COM
mittee felt some anxiety over the out
come of their first venture-an anx-
iety which proved to be without
foundation. The success was over
whelming. The first printing of 2,000,-
600 was Immediately increased to
100000 and over 100000 were sold.
Since that time a capital Of 3,OOO,-
600 kronen has been realized, which
has been used for the erection of large
number of sanitarias and convalescent
homes for tubercular patients. Hol-
came postmaster at Charlotten Fund.
near Copenhagen, and Danish cross
of knighthood was his badge of honor.