Year: 1873

There has been something published in this
jornal and in other papers of the country in
reference to postal cards, but what has been
written on the subject was previous TO the
official notice and instructions Of the Third
Assistant Postmaster-G General, f. w. Barb
er, dated April 10th, 1873, regulating the
whole matter. He states that the necessary
appropriation having been made for the pur-
pose, the department will on the 1st Of May
commence the issue to postmasters OF the
postal cards authorized by law of Congress.
We give below in condensed form the pith
and substance of everything that is necessary
to be known or observed in using this new
mode of communication so far as the United
States is concerned, but which has become
familiar to the people of Great Britain;


The card adopted is five and one-e'ghth
inches in length and three inches in width,
and is made of good stiff paper, watermarked
with the initials U. S. p. o. ID. in monogram.
The face of the card is engraved, surrounded
by border of scroll work, one-eighth Of an
inch in width The one cent stamp printed
on the upper right hand corner is from
profile bust of the Goddess of Liberty, look
ing to the left, and surrounded by lath-
work border, with the words "U. S. Post
age" inscribed above and Zone cent" below.
On the upper left hand corner are the words
"United States Postal Card" with direc
tions to "write the address only on this side
the message on the other" Underneath
and occupying the lower half of the card are
ruled lines on which to write the address,
the top line being prefxed with the word
"To-" The back of the card, in
tended for the communication, is entirely
plain, being devoid even of ruled lines.
In color the body of the card is light cream,
the printing velvet brown. No variation
in size, shape, color Or in any particular
will be made from the regular style to
accommodate special cases; nor will the
department do any printing on the card be-
yond the engraving specified in the descrip-
tion.


The postal cards will be sold for one
cent each, neither more nor less, whether
in large quantities or in small.


The object of the postal cards is to facil-
itate letter correspondence and provide for
the Transmission through the mails of a re-
duced rate of postage of short communica-
tions either printed or written in pencil or
ink. They may therefore be used for Or
ders, invitations, notices, receipts, acknow-
edgments and other requirements of bust
ness and social life, and the matter desired
to be conveyed may be either in writing Or
in print, or partially in both. In their treat
ment as mail matter they are to be regarded
by postmasters the same as sealed letters,
and not as printed matter, except that in
no case will unclaimed cards be sent to
the dead letter office.


An ordinary printed business card may
be sent through the mails when prepaid
by one cent postage stamp attached !;
but such cards must contain absolutely
no written matter except the addres 9th
erwise it will be treated as not fully pre-
paid, and refused admission into the mails.
All cards different from those herein de-
scribed bearing embossed or printed post.
age stamps and purporting to be United
States postal cards are counterfeit, and
| the manufacture of such cards or the at
tempt to use the same will subject the Of
fender to fine of $500 and imprisonment
of five years. (Sec. 17S, Postal Code)
Postmasters will not under any circum-
stances be permitted to reduce or exchange
postal cards that may be misdirected spoiled
in printing, Or otherwise rendered unf
for use in the hands of private holders
The department will not furnish less
than five hundred cards on the order Of
a postmaster. individuals desiring posta
cards will purchase them of a postmaster
as in no case can they obtain them upon
their application to the department. Sac
Union.