Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1916 — HOW RED CROSS SEAL IDEA CAME INTO BEING [ARTICLE]

HOW RED CROSS SEAL IDEA CAME INTO BEING

Originating In Norway, Method Was Taken Up Here Nine Years Ago. Over $3,250,000 has. been raised by Ried Cross Christmas Seals in pie-last eight years, and yet many people who will buy these holiday stickers at this ninth annual sale do not know how this idea originated. While Red Cross Seals really date back to the Civil War when “Charity Stamps” were first used, the first campaign to sell holiday stickers for the tuberculosis fight was only nine years ago in Delaware. Miss Emily P. Bissell of Wilmington, read an article by Jacob Riis describing stamps used for tuberculosis work in Norway, and she conceived the idea of a similar plan here. Single handed, she launched a sale which resulted in $3,000 clear money. When Miss Bissell tried to convince the American Red Cross that this idea should be made national as a peace activity of that society, she met with opposition, but finally persuaded the authorities, with the result that on an investment of a few hundred dollars $135,000 worth of Seals was sold in 1908 and the great national campaign was launched. Since then the sale has gone forward by leaps and bounds, until now the Red Cross Seal is an institution in the United States, and offers to every one a chance to help in the people’s fight against the people’s disease. year over 76,000.000 Seals were sold, and this year the American Red Cross and The National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis, who conduct the sale, are out for a 100,000,000 sale or $1,000,000 for the Tuberculosis War. The policy on which the sale is conducted is that the money, except for ifhe deduction of legitimate expenses, shall remain in the community where the Seals are sold.