The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-01-17
Ry ELMO SCOTT WATSON

~ from London that the
III worlds first postage
\ stamp had been placed
on sale in that city at
fc=mYy-1l tracted unusual atten-
III NsbD II ton not only from
lS@T stamp collectors but
IL TN from the public in gen.
| H.: lS..S eral, because it en-
phasiZed the fact that
this present-day common convenience,
millions of which are used every
day. is of comparatively recent adop-
ton For this stamp, an English one
bearing the likeness of Queen Victoria,
is still attached to the envelope on
which it was used and bears the post
mark Bath. May 2, 1870" This means
that the postage stamp in its present
form is less than a hundred years
old.
The first postage stamps in the
United States were put on sale in
New York on July I, 1S47. Previous
TO that time, postage stamps were is
sued by private companies doing
general express or local delivery serv-
ice of letters. On January 1, 1912,
the City Dispatch Post. otherwise
known as Greig's Post, was estab-
lished in New York city. and it is
said that this Post issued the first adj
hesive stamp used in this country.
But the use of these private stamps
proved such an annoyance to the gov
eminent that it was suppressed and
in its place the United States City
Dispatch Post was established.
In the early days of the United
States postal system the receiver of q
letter. paid for its delivery according
to the number of sheets of paper
which the letter contained. In 1915
this system was discarded and the
weight system was adopted with
lower rate. About the same time
came the envelope to give secrecy to
letters. Prepayment of postage and
the Csc of gummed stamps were put
into use in 1S47. During the first fis-
cal year of their use postmasters were
supplied with S60,3S0 postage stamps
to be sold to the public. Now, 50
years later. the Post Office department
is supplying some 14,0O0,OOO.O00
stamps every year to the $4,000 post
masters in the United States!
Since the first gummed stamps were
issued in 1917, there have been
dozen distinct series of regular post
age stamps with additions to each
after their issue. Only 16 of our Pres
idents have been honored by having
their portraits appear on our stamps,
while 10 other persons prominent in
American history have been thus re-
membered.
Washington and Franklin have been
honored in every regular series of
stamps from the beginning and JEFF
ferson and Lincoln have seldom been
omitted. The other Presidents pic
tured on various issues are: Madison,
Monroe. Jackson, Taylor, Grant,
Hayes, Garfield. Cleveland. Harrison,
Mckinley, Roosevelt, Harding and
Wilson. Memorial stamps also have
been issued for Lincoln on his one
hundredth birthday anniversary in
1909. for Harding shortly after his
death, and for John Ericsson. the in
ventor, on the occasion Of the unveil-
ing of statue to him in Washington
in 1926.
The other men whose portraits have
been selected for stamp issues are,
besides Franklin, Henry Clay, Daniel
Webster, Winfield Scott, Alexander
Hamilton, O. I'll. Perry, Edwin M. STAN
ton, William T. Sherman. John Mar
shall, David G. Farragut. Robert B.
Livingston, William III. Seward. Ma
than Hale. Capt John Smith. Christie
phar Columbus and vascO Balboa.
Only three women have had that
distinction Martha Washington was
the first. as was befitting the FIRST
Lady of the Land" and the other two
are Queen Isabella of Spain and POca-
hGntas. the indian princess.
Most interesting of all the stamps
sssued ny the government. perhaps.
are the special series issued from