The Allan Goldberg Collection of United States Postal History continued...

VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE USE OF THE VISALIA AND LOS ANGELES STAGECOACH ENVELOPE IN CONNECTION WITH A TELEGRAPH DISPATCH FROM ST. LOUIS.

According to Thomas J. Alexander, "Reporters along the Butterfield Overland Mail Route carried information concerning events in the West. At the first telegraph office, the information was transmitted to newspapers in the East. When the Butterfield operations began, the National Telegraph Office in St. Louis was at the terminus, not only of the route, but also of the furthest westward extension of any telegraph line. Later, the wire was extended to Springfield, Missouri" (http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/statepostalhistory/Missouri- Western_Frontier.pdf). This stagecoach envelope was undoubtedly used by one of the news reporters to mail a telegraphic message from Fort Smith Ark. to St. Louis, where it could be sent electronically from the National Telegraph Office. The Alexander article illustrates two envelopes with similar printed addresses, which bear 3c 1857 stamps but were not postmarked because they never entered the mails.

Ex Baker, Grunin and Piller (Image Magnifier)