Page 12 - Demo

THE CHICKEN STAMP CENTENNIALOn September 9 in New Haven%u2014the First Day of Issue%u2014a total of 1.1 million stamps were sold, with 475,000 First Day Covers processed. Because September 14 had been incorrectly reported as the First Day of Issue in a number of articles, the New Haven Post Office used its first-day cancellation die for all orders they received that were posted up until the 14th. The stamp went on sale across the rest of the country on September 10, and was withdrawn from sale on April 12, 1949. THE CELEBRATIONOn the evening before the stamp was released, cocktails and a dinner were served at New Haven%u2019s Duncan Hotel. Naturally, chicken was served, consisting of delicious New Hampshire broilers. The local Postmaster, Patrick J. Goode, was General Chairman of the program, and he opened the Post Office at 7:00 am the next morningFirst Day Cover dealers had arrived early to set up stands on the lawn outside the Post Office, but because none had a vendor%u2019s license, they were promptly arrested. Fortunately for them, Postmaster Goode intervened, and they were allowed to sell their covers. Goode said he%u2019d had to hire over 100 temporary employees to handle the huge volume of mail. Since there wasn%u2019t enough room for them all to work in the Post Office, they overflowed into a number of other Federal facilities, such as the Bankruptcy Court and the Civil Service Examining Room, opening orders, affixing stamps, then cancelling them.The main ceremony was held on the historic New Haven Green at 4 o%u2019clock in the afternoon. An Invocation was given by Father Edward J. Donnelly of St. Brendan%u2019s Roman Catholic Church, and a Benediction by Rev. C. Lawson Willard of the Trinity Episcopal Church. The event was broadcast live on WNHC radio.Among the 200 attendees was Dr. Stanley Hitchens of the New Haven Philatelic Society. Congressman Sadlak was also there to say, %u201cSo seldom do we count our blessings [and] the importance of certain segments of our food processing sources. The poultry industry is a good example.%u201d And that was why he%u2019d been such a strong promoter of the new postage stamp.Robert E. Fellers, the U.S. Superintendent of Stamps, came from Washington, DC to stand in for Postmaster General Donaldson, who wasn%u2019t able to attend. During the ceremony, he presented commemorative souvenir albums, each containing a sheet of stamps, to dignitaries, such as Dr. Hutchens, Congressman Robert E. Fuller (center), Superintendent of the Division of Stamps in Washington, DC, presents the first sheets of the new chicken stamp to Congressman Antonini Sadlak (right) and Paul Ives.