Newspaper Page Text
Uncle Sam Starts a New Year With a New
“Presidential Series” of Postage Stamps
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
© Western Newspaper Union.
FOR SALE: Beautiful
steel-engraved portraits
of every President of
the United States, from
Washington to Coolidge, at
prices ranging from 1 cent to
$5. Some of these have never
before been reproduced in
this form nor offered to the
public at this price. Send in
your order today or apply in
person to
UNCLE SAM
That is a notice which your
Uncle Samuel might well tack up
in every one of his 45,000-odd post
offices throughout the country at
the beginning
of the New
Year. For it’s
literally true
that he will
have for sale at
that time a com
plete set of
these “beautiful
steel-engraved
portraits of our Presidents.”
These portraits are to be found
on the new “Presidential series”
of postage stamps which the
Post Office de
partment has
been issuing
during the past
year. The last
in the series—
the 24-cent Ben
jamin Harrison
stamp, the 25-
ce n t William
McKinley, the 30-cent Theodore
Roosevelt and the 50-cent William
Howard Taft—were placed on
“first-day sales” in the post of-
flee in the na
tional capital
this month and
by the first of
the year all of
the stamps in
the series will
be available in
every post of
fice throughout
the United States.
It’s also literally true that some
of these “portraits” have “never
before been reproduced in this
form.” Up un
til the time this
new series was
issued, twelve
of our Presi
dents have been
denied the hon
or of having
their portraits
on our postage
stamps. They were. John Adams,
John Quincy Adams, Martin Van
Buren, William Henry Harrison,
John Tyler, James K. Polk,
Millard Fill
more, Franklin
Pierce, James
Buchanan, An
drew Johnson,
Chester Alan
Arthur and Cal
vin Coolidge.
All of the oth
ers — George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson,
James Madison, James Monroe,
Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor,
Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S.
tyrant, Ruther- ,
fbrd B. Hayes,
James A. Gar
field, Grover
Cleveland, Ben
jamin Harrison,
William McKin-J
ley, Theodore ;
Roosevelt, Wil
liam Howard 1
Taft, Woodrow Wilson and War
ren G. Harding—had appeared on
stamp issues at one time or an
other. The same was true of such
statesmen a s
Alexander
Hamilton, Hen
ry Clay, Daniel
Webster, Wil
liam H. Seward,
John Marshal,
Robert Living
ston, and Ed
win M. Stanton;
such military and naval heroes
as Winfield Scott, Oliver Hazard
Perry, William Tecumseh Sher
man, David G. Farragut, and
Nathan Hale:
and such his
torical figures
as Christopher
Columbus, Bal
boa, Capt. John
Smith and John
Ericson. But
these 12 Presi
dents were “for-
gotten men” so far as their por
traits on stamps was concerned.
The same expanding postal
needs which had brought promi-
nent Americans
into our stamp
gallery in past
years made it
necessary t o
find some more
Americans
worthy of this
honor. So early
this year Post-
master General Farley announced
that there was to be a general
revision of our stamp issues, ar
ranging the Presidents in their
chronological order.
In addition to the 29 former
Presidents thus honored (there is
another, of course — Herbert
Hoover—but he is ineligible for a
place in the stamp gallery so long
as he is living) two other nota-
bles, not Presi
dents, are re
tained in the
new series.
They are Ben
jamin Franklin,
father of the
American post
al system, and
Martha Wash-
ington, the first woman whose
portrait appeared on one of our
stamps. In fact, the new series
begins v*th these two. Franklin,
G. Harding on the one and one
half cent stamp. There is also a
4y2-cent stamp which shows the
White House, the home of our
Presidents.
Arranging the
Presidents
chronologically
has resulted in
some noticeable
shifts. Washing
ton’s likeness
has been on
both the two-
cent and the three-cent stamps
in past years. He will now appear
only on the one-cent, replacing
Benjamin Franklin, and yielding
000 for postage every year and
nearly half of this sum goes for
two-cent and three-cent stamps,
it’s likely that they are going to
be more famil
iar with the
looks of their
second and third
Presidents,
John Adams
and Thomas
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 mo-
not because of any superstition
in regard to that number or any
desire to avoid perpetuation of
the “23-skiddoo!” tradition. Grov-
er Cleveland,
who appears on
the 22-c ent
stamp, served
two terms in
the White House
but they were
not consecutive.
He was defeat
ed by Benjam-
in Harrison who served one, then
“staged a come-back” and was
elected for another four-year
term. So it seemed the logical
of the new “Presidential Series”
of stamps, 1938 has been a nota
ble one for the number of “com
memoratives” that have been is-
sued. Whether
1939 will be
equally rich in
these remind
ers of our past
remains to be
seen. Outstand
ing among the
1938“ comme
moratives” were:
The three-cent Constitution stamp
issued in connection with the
150th anniversary of the ratifica
tion of the United States Constitu-
3OOth anniversary of the landing
of the first Swedish and Finnish
colonists in this country. It was
first placed on sale at Wilming
ton, Del., on June 27.
The three-cent Northwest Terri-
tory Sesquicentennial stamp com
memorating the 150th anniversary
of the establishment of civil gov
ernment in the Northwest Terri
tory under the Ordinance of 1787.
It had its “first sales” at Mariet
ta, Ohio, on July 15.
The three
cent lowa Ter
ritorial Centen
nial stamp,
commemorat
ing the estab
lishment of the
territory of
lowa in 1838. It
was first placed
on sale at Des Moines on Au
gust 24.
The Post Office department has
announced four commemorative
who has always
appeared on the
one-cent stamp
is now on the
one-half cent is
sue instead of
Nathan Hale
and Martha
Washington re
places Warren
ternational exposition in San
Francisco and will be released
there February 18.
Two stamps are scheduled for
April 30, one
commemorat
ing the 150th an
niversary o f
George Wash
ington’s taking
the oath of of
fice as first
President at
Federal Hall in
New York city, April 30, 1789,
and the other will be for the New
York World’s Fair 1939.
The Washington inaugural
his place on the
red two-center
to John Adams
and on the pur
ple three-center
to Thomas Jef
ferson. Since
Americans
spend more
than $500,000,-
stamp will commemorate the
twenty-fifth anniversary of the
opening of the Panama canal. It
will be issued August 15 at a
first-day sale
point to be an
nounced.
The year 1937
was also rich in
special stamp
issues. Out
standing among
them were the
“Army -Navy
series” of one, two, three, four
and five-cent stamps. These
stamps were oblong in shape and,
in addition to the portraits of
ments if he
could have fore
seen that his
portrait would
appear on the
13-cent stamp!
It will be no
ticed that there
is no 23-cent
stamp. That’s
American scene.
The one-cent army stamp bore
a view of Mount Vernon, home of
Washington, in the center, flanked
by portraits of
Washington and
Gen. Nathanael
Greene of Revo
lutionary war
fame. The one
cent navy stamp
showed por
traits of John
Paul Jones,
commander of the “Bon Homme
Richard,” and John Barry, com
mander of the “Lexington," our
two outstanding sea captains dur-
thing to place
his portrait with
the dates of his
two terms on
the 22-c ent
stamp and place
Harrison on the
24-cent issue.
In addition to
being the year
Andrew Jackson and Gen.
Winfield Scott with a view of
Jackson’s home, the Hermitage,
near Nashville, Tenn., in the cen-
ter. The two
cent navy stamp
pictured Com
modore Stephen
Decatur, hero
of the War with
the Barbary Pi
rates, and Com
modore Thomas
MacDonough,
hero of the Battle of Lake
Champlain. The three-cent army
stamps pictured the Union
generals, Sherman, Grant and
tion by the
states. It was
first placed on
sale at the Phil
adelphia post
office on June2l.
The three
cent Delaware
stamp com
memorating the
and Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson of
the Confederate army and the
navy stamp depicted Admirals
Sampson, Dewey and Schley,
of the Spanish-American war.
Only four women have had the
distinction of having their por
traits appear on our postage
stamps. Since Martha Washing
ton was the first “First Lady of
the Land,” it was fitting that she
should be the first woman to be
thus honored.
She also has the
distinction o f
being the only
woman whose
portrait con
tinues to appear
on our postage
—it is on the one
and o n e-h a1 f
cent stamp in the new series.
The other three women who
share the honor with Martha
Washington are:
Isabella, queen of Spain, patron
of Columbus. In the first com
memorative stamp series ever is
sued by the Post Office depart
ment—the Columbian Exposition
set of 1893—one of the stamps re
produced the familiar picture of
Isabella pledging her jewels to
aid the Italian navigator.
Pocahontas, the Indian “prin
cess” who saved the life of Capt.
John Smith and later married
John Rolfe, a Virginia planter.
Her portrait appeared on a stamp
in the Jamestown commemora
tive series of 1907.
Molly Pitcher, the heroine of
the Battle of Monmouth in the
Revolution. A picture showing her
serving a cannon, after her ar
tilleryman husband had been dis
abled, appeared on a stamp in
1928 commemorating the sesqui
centennial of the Battle of Mon
mouth.
Incidentally, there are six wom
en in the United States who can
send personal letters through the
mails without paying postage
on them—something which not
even the President of the 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
Bolling Galt Wilson, and Mrs.
Grace Goodhue Coolidge—all of
whom enjoy a special franking
privilege.
In the first year of the 19th cen
tury, congress granted such privi
lege to Martha Washington, then
a widow. This frank was to last
until her death, and Mrs. 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 post
age, are rare, despite the fact
that Mrs. Washington had a wide
acquaintance.
The “charming Dolly Madison”
was the second widow of a Presi
dent to receive this special frank.
She wrote the word “free,” and
most of the later privileges fol
lowed her example.
Anna Harrison, wife of the
short-lived President William
Henry Harrison, used her frank
for 23 years; Louisa Catherine
Adams, wife of John Quincy Ad
ams, four years. Sarah Polk used
her frank the longest of any Presi
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
Lincolnian specimens are very
difficult to procure.
Lucretia Randolph Garfield en
joyed her frank the second long
est, 26 years and two months.
Julia Dent Grant used her privi
lege for 16 years and 10 months.
Frances F. Cleveland Preston
received her frank in 1909 and
is still using it. When she married
Mr. Preston in 1914, the postmas
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
Land”; she married President
Harrison four years after he had
left the White House. She is still
iving and using her frank.
One of the most common speci
nens to be found in the mail is
hat of Edith Carew Roosevelt,
who has made much use of her
irivilege.
Mrs. Harding had the shortest
ise of her frank, 10 months, iack
ng three days.
Mrs. Wilson received the frank
ng privilege several weeks after
Mrs. Harding received hers, al
though she had proceeded the lat
ter in occupying the Executive
Mansion. Mrs. Wilson is the only
one of the Presidents’ widows to
tse a facsimile, which she does
o the disappointment of the col
ectors.
stamps as a
part of the 1939
stampprogram.
All are of three
cent denomina
tion.
The first to be
issued will be in
honor of the
Golden Gate In-
stamp will be
placed on first
day sale in New
York but the
point of release
of the World's
Fair stamp has
not been de
termined.
The fourth
military and
naval heroes
shown in ovals
at the right and
left, they con
tained in a mid
dle panel a view
of some patri
otic shrine or
some historic
ing the Revolu
tion. Between
them was a pic
ture of typical
warships of that
period.
The two-cent
army stamp
displayed por
traits of Gen.
Sheridan and
the navy stamp
Admirals David
G. Farragut
and David Por
ter.
The four-cent
army stamp
honored Gen.
Robert E. Lee
—" —
"•—^IMPROVED
UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY I
chool Lesson
By HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST. D. D.
Dean of The Moody Bible Institute
of Chicago.
C Western Newspaper Union.
Lesson for January 1
Lesson lubjects and Scripture texts se
lected and copyrighted by International
Council of Religious Education; used by
permission.
PETER CALLED TO SERVE
LESSON TEXT—John 1:40-42; Luke 5:1-1L
GOLDEN TEXT—Come ye after me, and
I will make you to become fishers of men.—
Mark 1:17.
As we embark on the New Year,
we gather in our Bible schools to
take up an interesting series of
studies on the life and work of
Peter. The life story of any great
and useful man is worthy of our
careful study. The life of Peter has
peculiar interest because he was so
intensely human, and yet so glori
ously used of God.
Our lesson for today starts at the
right point, for we meet Peter when
he as Simon first met the Lord. He
was a mature man by that time,
successful in business and “settled”
in life, but with him (as with us) life
did not really begin until he met the
Lord Jesus.
I. He Was Brought to Christ (John
1:40-42).
Andrew, of whom we know but
little, is a character greatly beloved
because having found the Christ he
at once set out to bring his brother
to Him. He probably did not know
that in bringing his rough fisherman
brother to the Lord he was bringing
one of the leaders of all time. The
important thing is that he brought
him.
The history of the Church abounds
with the stories of humble men and
women who have been used to win
others to Christ, who have in turn
been greatly used for Him. Think
of the humble man who led Spur
geon to Christ, the Sunday School
teacher who dealt with Moody, the
simple but earnest Moravians who
won Wesley—and be encouraged.
You may have someone near you
who may be awaiting your word to
bring him to Jesus.
11. He Was Given a New Name
(John 1:42).
Simon, meaning “to hear,” is
changed to Peter, which means
“rock.” The blessed Lord who in
His omniscience knew what the
change in Peter's heart was to
mean in his life, gave him a new
name to fit his new character.
What a blessed truth it is that God
in Christ can and will take the blus
tering fisherman and transform all
of his good qualities into power and
usefulness for Himself. Thus God
who knows just what we are is
ready and willing to make us what
we ought to be in Christ. Have you
gone through the experience of hav
ing Christ say: “Thou art . . . thou
shalt be?” It may mean that you
have passed through or will pass
through the pressing experiences
which are needed to weld together
your characteristics into a “rock,”
but if it is God’s hand that makes
the change you will find it to be all
joy.
111. His Occupation Was Changed
(Luke 5:1-11).
Christ had chosen Peter as one of
those who should forsake all and fol
low Him, as one of his disciples in
the inner circle of the Twelve. Note
how graciously He carries out His
purpose. One day as He stands to
teach on the shore of the sea of
Galilee the crowd presses Him, and
He steps into a boat and asks the
boatman to put out from the land.
And it “just happened” to be the
boat of Simon, who had about a
year before met the Lord and re
ceived the new name of Peter.
Such things do not “happen.” The
destinies of men are in the hands
of God. The day and hour for
Peter’s call had come, and here he
was to be taught by Jesus through
a miraculous draught of fish that
he was to be a fisher of men. God’s
clock always runs on time. Remem
ber that, and also be assured that
if you are His child not even the
simplest “happening” in your life
is unknown to Him. He who num
bers the hairs on our heads, He
who observes the fall of a sparrow,
is not lacking in loving interest and
care for His children.
Had our lesson been deliberately
chosen for a New Year’s message
it could hardly have been more ap
propriate. To the one who knows
not Christ as Saviour there is an
invitation to begin the New Year by
coming to Him. To the Christian
there is the admonition to do as
Andrew did—bring your brother or
friend to Christ. We are not all
called to leave our daily work and
become full-time Christian workers,
but every believer should be a soul
winner. To the one who has heard
the call of God to leave his nets
and follow the Lord in full-time
service, here is the urgent renew
ing of that call. Step out in faith
now and follow Him. To the church
or religious worker discouraged by
the failure of a social or ethical
program here is the lesson and ex
ample of a life changed by personal
contact with the Lord Jesus. The
New Year may be blessed and fruit
ful indeed, if we each one heed the
lesson of the day.
Human Nature
When we are most filled with
heavenly love, and only then, are
we best fitted to bear with human
infirmity, to live above it, and for
get its burden.—Maria Hare.
Double Bedspread ^
of Luxurious Taffefe
By RUTH WYEI H SP EAr ,
“OEAR MRS. SPEARS V
book, SEWING fo r
Home Decorator, has helped 1
with so many problems that r
hoping you will give me som ' e ^
cial advice now. For a
I have been wanting M
spread for a double bed is I
. that, if I can make one
! yards of 39-inch taffeta i J
cost about half as much as on 1
the same quality ready made d
you be good enough to tell J
i how to cut the material so O
. will be no waste? This is ^1
tant as I must economize MM
Here are cutting dimensions J
' a double bedspread of 39 ^'l
; inch material. You will rP JI
; little less than your 10 vaP j|
■ 9% yards will be enough, and fid
• ‘ W*#* JAyA I
RUFFLES t——. ' I
' * । l —I
RUFFLES —I i ' I
,Y ' I
I material „ n I
I LEFT after A I
4 5A CENTER T I
4 » PANEL 4’Ml
* IS CUT ^^l
A
CUTTING a /■
DIMENSIONS /I
Bayards I
OF39INCH IrSSSHisSNii! I
taffeta 7 Ihl
REQUIRED -I
—- k I
makes the spread long enougi®
; cover the pillows nicely. Cut " 3
center panel first, then divide 3
. material that is left as shoß®
the upper diagram. Join the J
pieces of ruffle material to n 3
; one long piece, then divide®
. evenly; for the two ruffles. Thal
cutting dimensions allow genetj
seams. Enough material maybl
taken from the seam edges til
cover cords for welted seams«
desired. A very narrow machal
stitched hem should be used bl
' the bottom of the ruffles. I
Full directions for making weit-l
ed seams are contained in Book 11
offered herewith. There are alii
directions in this book for mah®
bedspreads of 36-inch cotton a]
terial. Today’s lesson is not in
either of the books offered hen®
so be sure to clip and save it™
reference. I
NOTE: Mrs. Spears’ Bock J
Gifts, Novelties and Embroide™
has helped thousands of woofl
to use odds and ends of materi™
and their spare time to dS
things to sell and to use. Bock!-®
SEWING, for the Home De J
tor, is full of inspiration for en®
homemaker. These books a®
delightful gifts. Mrs. Spears »■
autograph them on reouaM
Crazy-patch quilt leaflet is iod®
ed free with every order for tafl
books. Books are 25 cents eadfl
Address Mrs. Spears, 210 S. Dal
plaines St., Chicago, 111. I
Climbing Mount Everest■
Englishmen are the only pa®
who are permitted by Tibet ®
climb Mount Everest, asserts 0®
lier’s. Despite the fact that t®
odds are 50 to 1 against
reaching its peak, at least Sui®
000 have been spent on
successful expeditions and «■
flight since 1922. ■
Beware Coughs I
from common colds I
That Hang Oil
No matter how many
you have tried for your
cough, chest cold, or broncM^™
tation, you may get relief
Creomulsion. Serious trouble
be brewing and you cannot
to take a chance with any
less potent than Cn
goes right to the seat of
and aids nature to sootne
the inflamed mucous merrjww™
and to loosen and expel
^ven^if other remedies hare f^®
don't be discouraged, try <
sion. Your druggist is author®«™
refund your money if yw
thoroughly satisfied with tne
fits obtained. Creomulsion «
word, ask for it plainly .see
name on the botue is
and you'll get the ■
and the relief you want. J ■
Beautiful Modesty Ip
How beautiful is modesty' m
winneth upon all I ■ '.^rs,»»
word or a glance may des
pure love that hat:: heeu l jt'
-Tupper. KI
ccc]
WJ “ g
Try "Rub-My-Tism -«
— — ’
WNU—7 .
ADVEB I«*jJ#
® ISM^I
E to business uis ^’B
R growing crops. It “^B
keystone in the arch B
« successful: icrchantW ■
| Let us show you ho*°B
N apply it to your busi»*B|
G —