| Show po- po Uncle Sa Sam Sal Starts arts a New v Year With a New Presidential Series of Postage Stamps By ELMO SCOTT WATSON m It Western Ne Newspaper paper Union SALE Beautiful FOR steel engraved portraits of every President of th the United States from Washington to Coolidge at prices ranging from 1 cent to 5 Some of these have never before been reproduced in inthis inthis inthis this form nor offered to the public at this price Send in your order today or apply in person to toUNCLE UNCLE SAM That is a notice which your Uncle Samuel might well tack up in every everyone one of his odd post offices throughout the country at att atthe atthe t the h e beginning of the New Year For its it's literally t true r rue ruet u e t that hat h he e will L have for sale at that time acom acorn set o 0 of f these beautiful steel steel engraved engraved portraits of our Presidents These portraits are to be found on the new Presidential series of postage stamps which the Post Office department department de de- de h has a s bee been n issuing during the past year The last in m the series series- the cent 24 Benjamin Benjamin Benjamin Ben Ben- jamin Harrison stamp the 25 c cent e n t William McKinley the cent 30 Theodore Roosevelt and the cent 50 William Howard Taft were Taft were placed on first day sales In the post office of of- fice flee in m the national national na na- capital this month and 3 by the first of the year all of the stamps inthe in inthe inthe the series will willbe be available in m every post office of fice throughout the United States Its It's also literally true that some of these I portraits have never before been reproduced in this this this' form Up until until un til the time this new series was issued twelve of our Presidents Presidents Presidents dents have been denied the honor hon hon- or of having their portraits on our postage stamps They were John Adams John Quincy Adams Martin Van VanBuren VanBuren VanBuren Buren William Henry Harrison John Tyler James K Polk Millard Fill Fill- Fillmore 1 more Franklin Pierce James Buchanan An An- Andrew 1 drew Johnson Chester A Alan I a n nArthur Arthur and Calvin Calvin Cal Cal- vin Coolidge AU All of the others oth oth- others ers George Washington Thomas Jefferson James Madison James Monroe Andrew Jackson Zachary Taylor Abraham Lincoln Ulysses S. S Grant Rutherford Rutherford Ruther Ruther- ford B. B Hayes t James A. A Garfield Garfield Gar Gar- field Grover Cleveland Benjamin Ben Ben- jamin Harrison William McKinley McKin McKin- ley Icy Theodore Roosevelt William William Wil Wil- Wil- Wil William liam Howard Taft Tart Woodrow Wilson and Warren Warren War War- ren G G. G Harding had Harding-had had appeared on stamp issues at one time or another another another an an- other The same was true of such states statesmen a s Alexander Hamilton Henry Henry Hen Hen- ry Clay Daniel Dani l I. I Webster Wilo Wil Wil- o liam John Marshal Robert Livingston Living ston and Edwin Edwin Edwin Ed Ed- win M M. Stanton such military and naval heroes as Winfield Scott Oliver Hazard Perry William Tecumseh Sherman Sherman Sher Sher- man David G. G Farra Farragut ut and Nathan Hale and amI such historical historical his his- figures as Christopher Columbus Balboa Balboa Balboa Bal Bal- boa Capt John Smith and John Ericson B But u t these 12 Presidents Presidents dents were forgotten forgotten for gotten men so far as their portraits portraits por por- traits on stamps was concerned The same expanding postal needs which had brought prominent prominent nent Americans tt into our stamp gallery in past t years made it necessary t o 0 find lind some more Americans worthy of this gy honor So early this year Postmaster Postmaster Post Post- master General Farley announced that there was to be a general revision of our stamp issues arranging arranging ar ranging the Presidents in their chronological order In addition to the 29 former Presidents thus honored there is another of course Herbert course Herbert Hoover Hoover but but he is ineligible for a place in the stamp gallery so long longas as he is living two other notables notables nota nota- bles not Presidents Presidents dents are retained re reo re- re tamed in the r new s series e r i e s. s They are Benjamin Benjamin Ben Ben- jamin Franklin father of the American postal post post- al system and 6 Martha Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington the first woman whose portrait appeared on one of our stamps In fact the new series begins with these two Franklin who has always a appeared on the one-cent one stamp is now on the one half cent issue issue Is Issue is- is sue instead of Nathan H Hale a Ie and 11 Martha art h a Washington replaces replaces re reo places Warren G. G Harding on the one and one- one half halt cent stamp There is also a B 4 cent cent stamp which shows the White House the home of our Presidents Arranging the Presidents a chronologically has resulted in m some noticeable shifts Washington's Washington's Washington's Washing Washing- tons ton's likeness r has been on both the two- two cent and the three-cent three stamps in m past years He will now appear only on the one-cent one replacing Benjamin Franklin and yielding his place on thet the t red two-center two to John Adams and on the purple purple pur pur- pIe three three center enter to Thomas Jef Jet ferson Person Since Americans spend more than for postage every year and nearly half of this sum goes for two-cent two and three-cent three stamps its it's likely that they are arc going to tobe tobe tobe be more familiar familiar famil famil- with the looks of their a second and third Presidents John Adams and Thomas 1 Jefferson than they have ever been before It is to be hoped that Millard Fillmore was not a superstitious man else it might have given him some uncomfortable moments moments mo mo- moments ments if he could have foreseen foreseen fore fore- seen that his portrait would appear on the 13 13 cent cent stamp I It will be noticed noticed no no- noticed that there is no cent 23 stamp That's not because of any superstition in m regard to that number or any desire to avoid perpetuation of the 23 tradition Grover Grover Grov Grov- er Cleveland t who appears on the c 22 cent 22 e n t a stamp served two terms in m inthe inthe r the White House but they were not consecutive He was defeated defeat p ed by Benjamin Benjam Benjam- in Harrison who served one then staged a come back and was elected for another year four-year term So it seemed the logical thing to o place e r t his portrait t with the dates of his 1 two terms on the c 22 cent 22 e n t stamp and place tk Harrison on the cent 24 issue In addition to being the year of the new Presidential Series of stamps 1938 has been a notable notable nota nota- ble one for the number of commemoratives commemoratives commemoratives com that have been is is- sued Whether 1939 will be t equally rich in w these reminders remind remind- ers of our past remains to be seen Outstanding ing among the 1938 commemoratives were The three-cent three Constitution stamp issued in m connection with the anniversary of the ratification ratification tion of the United States Constitution Constitution tion b by y t the b e states It was first placed on sale at the Philadelphia Phil adelphia post The three three- cent Delaware S s stamp tam p commemorating commemorating com com- the anniversary of the landing of the first Swedish and Finnish colonists in m this country It was first placed on sale sie at Wilmington ton Del on June 27 27 The three cent Northwest Terri Terri- tory Sesquicentennial stamp commemorating commemorating commemorating com com- the anniversary of the establishment of civil government government gov gov- in the Northwest Territory Territory Terri Terri- tory under the Ordinance tf df 1787 It had its first sales at Marietta Mariet Marlet ta Ohio on July 15 The t three three- h r e e- e cent Iowa Territorial Ter Ten Centennial Centennial Centen Centeno nial s stamp tam p corn commemorating ing the establishment establishment establishment of the thet t territory err it 0 r y of Iowa in 1838 1833 It f 3 P was first placed on sale at Des Moines on August Au Au- August gust 24 The Post Office department has ann announced four commemorative stamps as a apart apart apart 1 part of the 1939 1839 s stamp program r AU All are of three- three I cent denomination tion The first to be p issued will be in honor of the Golden Gate International International International In In- exposition in San Francisco and will be released there February 18 Two stamps are scheduled for i April 30 one 1 commemorating ing g the anniversary anniversary an an- o a f 11 George Washington's Washington's Washington's Wash Wash- ington's taking the oath of office of fice a as s fir first s t President at Federal Hall in m New York city April 30 1789 and the other will be for the New NewYork NewYork NewYork York Worlds World's Fair 1939 The Washington In inaugural augur n I stamp will be UNITED 1 placed on first first- STATES day sale in m New NewYork NewYork NewYork York but the point of release of the Worlds World's Fair stamp has not been de do- d. d The f fourth 0 u r t h stamp will commemorate the twenty-fifth twenty anniversary of the opening of the Panama canal It will be issued August 15 at a first day s sale a I e xa point to be announced an is The year 1937 r was also rich in special stamp issues Outstanding Outstanding Out Out- standing among among them were the Navy Army Army Navy series of one two three four and five-cent five stamps These stamps were oblong in m shape and in addition to the portraits of military a and n d R 1 naval heroes shown in hi ovals 1 r at the right and left they contained contained con con- tamed in m a middie middle mid mid- dIe dle panel a view of some patriotic patri patri- t otic shrine or orsome orsome orsome some historic American scene The one-cent one army stamp bore borea a view of Mount Vernon home of Washington in m the center flanked by portraits of Washington and a Gen Nathanael a Greene of Revolutionary Revolutionary Revo Revo- Revo- Revo Revolutionary war fame The one- one j cent navy stamp showed portraits portraits portraits por por- traits of John JohnPaul 0 tt Paul Jones commander of the Bon Boa Homme Richard and John Barry commander com com- commander mander of the Lexington our two outstanding sea captains duro dur- O ing the A A t i tion Between plc- plc i them was a Pica Pic Pic- 1 a ture Lure of typical t I of that I warships 4 1 period The two two cent cent 11 army s stamp tam p SI S1 r fc 1 1 1 displayed play por- por J. J 1 4 traits of of Gen Andrew Jackson and Gen Winfield Scott with a view of Jacksons Jackson's home the Hermitage near Nashville Tenn in m the cen cen- ter The two two- n 1 cent navy stamp h r pictured Commodore Com Corn f t. t I Stephen I Decatur hero if I of the War with the Barbary Pirates Pi rates and Com Corn Commodore t mod ore Thomas Thomas 2 lt Ih MacDonough hero of the Battle of Lake Champlain The three-cent three army stamps pictured the Union generals Sherman Grant and Sheridan a and n d iJ r the navy stamp 5 Admirals David 4 a G. G Farragut 1 I 1 ter and David Por Par The four-cent four army stamp CS honored Gen iIi Robert E. E Lee Gen Stonewall Jackson of the Confederate army and the navy navY stamp depicted Admirals Sampson Dewey and Schley of the Spanish American war Only four women have had the I distinction of having their portraits por por- portraits traits appear on our postage stamps Since Martha Washington Washing ton was the first First Lady of ot the Land it was fitting that she should be the first woman to be thus honored She also has the distinction o a f being the only woman whose portrait continues continues con con- to appear on our postage It it is on the one and o one half n h e-h a 1 f cent stamp in the new series The other three women who share the honor with Mrtha Martha Washington are arc Isabella queen of Spain patron of Columbus In the first commemorative commemorative com com- stamp series ever issued is sued by the Post Office department depart depart- ment the ment-the the Columbian Exposition set of 1893 1893 one one of the stamps reproduced reproduced reproduced re re- re- re produced the familiar picture of Isabella pledging her jewels to aid the he Italian navigator Pocahontas the Indian princess prin princess cess who Nho saved the life lite of Capt John Smith and later laLer married John Rolfe RoUe a Virginia planter Her lIer portrait appeared on a stamp In the J Jamestown commemorative tive ive series of 1907 Molly Pitcher the heroine of the he Battle of Monmouth in the Revolution devolution A picture showing her serving a cannon after her ar ar- husband had been disabled disabled disabled dis dis- dis- dis appeared on a stamp in 1928 commemorating the sesquicentennial centennial of the Battle of Mon Mon- mouth Incidentally there are six women wom worn en in the United States who can send personal letters through the mails without paying postage on them them something something which not even the President of the United United United Unit Unit- ed States nor members of his household can do They are the widows of six of our Presidents Mrs Frances Folsom Cleveland Preston Mrs Mary Scott Lord Dimmick Harrison Mrs Edith Kermit Carew Roosevelt Mrs Helen Herron Taft Mrs Edith 11 Boiling Bolling Galt Gait Wilson and Mrs Grace Goodhue Coolidge Coolidge all all of whom enjoy a special franking privilege In the first year of the century century cen cen- tury congress granted su such h privilege privilege lege to Martha Washington then thena a widow This frank was to last until her death and Mrs Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington used it for but one month over two years when she died Letters with her signature on the outside instead of the usual postage postage post post- age are rare despite the fact that Mrs Washington had a wide acquaintance The charming Dolly Madison was the second widow of a President President dent to receive this special frank She wrote the word free and most of the later privileges followed fol lowed her example Anna Harrison wife of the short-lived short President William Henry Harrison used her frank frankfor frankfor frankfor for 23 years Louisa Catherine Adams wife of John Quincy Adams Ad ams four years Sarah Polk used her frank the longest of any Presidents Presidents President's Presidents President's dents dent's widow 41 years and seven months Mary Lincoln used her frank for 16 years and five months but because of the demand for specimens are very difficult to procure Lucretia Randolph Garfield enjoyed enjoyed en en- joyed her frank the second longest longest long long- est 26 years and two months Julia Dent Grant used her privilege privilege lege for 16 years and 10 months Frances F F. F Cleveland Preston received her frank in m 1909 and andis is still using it When she married Mr Preston in 1914 the postmaster ter general informed her that as the frank was for lifetime use she could continue the privilege merely adding Preston to the name Mary Lord Harrison wife of Benjamin Harrison received her frank the same day as Mrs Cleveland Mrs Harrison was not actually a First Lady of the theLand theLand theLand Land she married President Harrison four years after he had left the White House She is still living and using her frank One of the most common specimens spec spec- mens to be found in m the mail is that of Edith Carew Roosevelt who has ma macje e much use of her privilege Mrs Harding had the shortest use of her frank 10 months lacking lack lack- lacking ing three days Mrs Wilson received the franking franking frank frank- ing privilege several weeks after Mrs Harding received hers although although al al- al though she had the latter lat ter in occupying the Executive Mansion Mrs Wilson Is the only one of the Presidents' Presidents widows to use a facsimile which she does I to the |
