The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-12-12

e2&f3 addition of these little scraps
of paper" to the list OF SYM
~ bOls 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
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 a Danish postal clerk and an Amer.
lean Red Cross worker that we owe
the idea and development Of the
Christmas seal.
Back in 1903 man named Einar
Holboell, postal clerk in the post Of
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 taste hey
flowed in.
For a moment he paused in bus
thought; then his face brigh he'd.
'.rhese Christmas cards and II ters
should hfye an additional stamp-a
benevolent stamp or seal at small
price within the reach of all. Why
not call it Christmas stamp?
seven two ore (about one-fourth Of
cent? stamp on all these cards and
letters would create a mighty sum If
the plan could only be realized. Christ
mas Is time Of generosity and good
will, when we send kindly thought
even to those whom we neglect the
whole year through. Two ore each on
every greeting would mean sum to
be reckoned with-well, then, to the
taskl''
He went with his plan to 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
Ject-was the erection Of hospital for
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.
81 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
so interested that he himself selected
the picture which he wished used.
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.O00,-
600 was Immediately increased to
100000 and over 100000 were sold.
Since that time a capital of 3.OOO,-
900 krOnen has been realized, which
has been used for the erection of large
numbers of sanitaria and conyalescent
homes for tubercular patients. Hol-
boell, the modest postal assistant. be-
came postmaster at Charlotten Fund,
near Copenhagen, and Danish cross
Of Kuighthood was his badge offhonor.
He died Of heart trouble in his sixty
second year on February %. 1927. and.
az was fitting, the Danish Christmas
seal for 1927 bore the picture of Einar
Holboell. whose idea has spread over
the entire world.
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 lh The Survey last year and
which has been reproduced in pam