The history of the introduction and usage of these stamps is contained in the following extracts from two circulars, both dated at Post Office Department, Office of the Postmaster General, Washington, D. C., August 11th, 1885, and signed by William F. Vilas, Postmaster General. The first directed to postmasters reads as follows:
"Sir:—On the first of October, 1885, you are directed to establish at your office, a system for special delivery of letters, in accordance with sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Act making appropriation for the postal service for the current fiscal year (XLVIII Congress, Session II, Chapter 342, approved March 3d, 1885,) which are as follows:
Section 3. That a special stamp of the face valuation of 10 cents may be provided and issued, whenever deemed advisable or expedient, in such form and bearing such device as may meet the approval of the Postmaster General, which when attached to a letter, in addition to the lawful postage thereon, the delivery of which is to be at a free delivery office, or at any city, town or village containing a population of 4,000 or over, according to the Federal census, shall be regarded as entitling such letter to immediate delivery within the carrier limit of any free delivery office which may be designated by the Postmaster General as a special delivery office, or within one mile of the post office at any other office coming within, the provisions of this section which may in like manner be designated as a special delivery office.
Section 4 provides for immediate delivery between the hours of 7 a. m. and midnight.
Section 5 provides for the employment of special messengers and,
Section 6 the mode of paying them. The rest of this circular gives the details of the service which it is not necessary to repeat here.
The second circular after reciting the provisions of Section 3, of the Act of March 3d, 1885, and that it has been decided to introduce the system on the first day of October, at all the post offices permitted by the law; contains a description of the stamp prepared to carry out the law, which with some additions is as follows:
Special Delivery Stamp.
Issue of October 1st, 1885.
A line engraving on steel, oblong in form; dimensions 13/16 by 1-7/16 inches, color dark blue. Design: on the left in an arched panel, 10½ by 15½ mm., a mail messenger boy on a run, faced to the right on a hatched back-ground, and surrounded above by the words "United States," in curved line of colorless capitals. On the right an oblong tablet, ornamented with a wreath of oak on the left, and laurel on the right, surrounding the words, "Secures—Immediate—Delivery—At a special—Delivery—Office," in six lines of white capitals on a solid ground. The ground of the tablet above is composed of light vertical lines with colorless border. Across the top of the tablet, but above it, is the legend, "Special—Postal delivery," and at the bottom the words, "Ten Cents," separated by a shield bearing the numeral "10." The entire ground of the stamp is composed of fine vertical lines except the edges, which are so contrived as to appear bevelled.