Year: 1873

lnasmuch as the postal card system is
about to go into operation in this coun-
try, in pursuance to the act Of Congress.
and must inevitably become a prom
inent feature in our post office arrange
ments, few words regarding it may be
opportune. Much misapprehension ex-
ISIS among the people as 10 what the
cards will be and how they will be used.
Many suppose they must be put in an
envelope, while others have an idea that
each card will require one of the one
cent stamps now in use. On the contra
ry, each card will be complete in itself.
They are to be printed on what is known
as bond paper" that is, paper which
is worked together in solid sheet with
out pasting. They will be five and one
eighth inches long, by three inches wide,
and are Of two shades of velvet brown,
bearing ON one side stamp with the
"liberty head" surrounded by the words
"U. S. Postage One Cent, in lathe
work, and having beside, the words
United States Postal Card" printed
across the face, lines for the address,
with the letters u. S, p. o. d., one and
half inches long, in a water mark
across the body of the card. On the
reverse side is a blank surface on which
can be written any message desired, or
1t can be used for printing business
card. The card will be for sale at every
post office in the United States, singly
or in quantities, the same as postage
stamps are low. A card will answer
all the purpose Of paper, envelope and
stamp, in case the message contains
nothing of private nature, and the
saving Of two cents to men and houses
sending out hundreds of letters daily,will
be no small item. OF course their use
will be restricted pretty much to busi-
ness correspondence OF general char
acter, their availability for confidential
correspondence not being such as 10
commend them to persons having secrets
to communicate, or who prefer to keep
their affairs entirely to themselves
Lovers, in particular, will not be likely
to improve this new plan for cheap
and ready mode of intercommunication
of ideas, cts. Envelopes, waters and
sealing-wax will continue to preserve
from public gaze Cupid's missives, ex-
cept in rare instances.


The Morgan Envelope Company,
Springfield, Mass, has the contract to
furnish these cards for the coming four
years, agreeing to furnish one hundred
millions the first year, or more if needed,
10000 to be ready May 1st. With re-
gard to the merits Of the postal card sys-
tem no doubt reasons may be adduced
for and against it. Some of the strong
est bearing against it are lis liability TO
abuse by being made a medium for per-
sonal spleen, and for black mail, as has
been the case to some extent in England,
where the system has been in vogue for
some time. But the present postal reg
ulations provide that any letter or pack
age having on its envelope gross or OBJ.
scene words shall be sent to the dead let
ter office, and this will apply to postal
cards. 1t may be SAID, however, that
very cutting remarks can be conveyed
on postal cards without transgressing the
above mentioned regulations. But in
view Of the speedy trial of the system,
it may be as well perhaps to forego fur
ther discussion as to its merits or de-
merits. A short experience will suffice
to demonstrate its utility, if useful it
really is, or its inutility, If it shall prove
a nuisance, as many contend Concord,
N. H., Statesman,