Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-14
The Postage stamp Myth.
RACES IN ENGLAND AND BOTHERs THE EDITORS


THERE AS IN AMERICA.
Our correspondents continue to send us ques-
lions and declarations as to the practical value
OF Of used postage stamps The questions are lit,
as for the declarations, in no solitary instance
do they put it In our power to test their accu
racy. However near we may seem to be to some
grand diSc0yery-the postage stamp Ell Dorado
1T inevitably dissolves into thin air, and the
mirage OF fiction reveals the desert OF fact
Yet still women cling to the fond idea, and keep
on collecting old stamps by all means, begging
included; nor does it seem possible to persuade
them that their labor will all end In smoke
We know case Of a lady who took some
twenty years to accumulate her million of
stamps In the hope OF bene1ting some poor Or
phan or rescuing some poor victim from chi
nese or Japanese child-slayerS. The lady died
and ana her million which we have seen within
these few days, Is now lying in sack to be
solo, II buy er can be found at $40. Think OF
this, ye friends OF remunerative work for wo
men, We. friends OF charitable enterprise.
Twenty years labor to result In bag OF old
stamps, for which no customer has turned up;
and for which twenty only are asked! One
pound per annnm for twenty yeaIs But this is
doubtless much less than was actually realized
for the stamps are now in the hands Of dealer
and the price we have named is his price.
We have also been offered the old stamps at
Cd. per thousand In large quantities, nu nbers
10 be determined by counting one thousand, and
weighing the others by it. Surely there Will De
great impetus given to the stamp-collecting
into shop and purchase one thousand for six
pence. And yet is it not sad to think that not
a few women equal to better things are read.
to devote their energies for weeks to the procur-
ing OF fewer stamps than they can buy for SIX
pence without any labor at all. Talk OF wo-
mems rights! This is one beyond disputlng,
since not man In the empire would assert 1t:
the privilege OF working for less than penny
day is consigned to the women who choose to
avail themselves of it.
We may as well make a clean sweep OF it
While we have the broom In hand, so we Will re.
a A
lady writes to us, and She says her friends is
never herself, but her frIends-have BY collect
Ing Old stamps secured the admission OF Child
into an orphan asylum. Wehave not In a single
case during the last twelve years been able to
verify these statements. At last, however,
there seems to have come clue into our hands,
Just enough to Justify us in saying " It's some
tnlng, noth1ng!" We are informed, under the
rose, that some benevolent persons, who wish
the objects OF their charity to do something for
what they get, and who wish to stimulate tie
energies Of the needy-encOurage them to col
lect Stamps. procure SO many, they say, "and
we will do so and So" The stamps are or are
not collected; suppose they are collected; they
are then handed over to my Lord Bountiful,
ana then the promise made by him is fulfilled
"A rev hours later the precious stamps are In
ner I'LL they disappear anyhow.
mus lar our explorations In the great me.
tropolls, and our notes In these columns, have
never discovereda solitary baby saved from the
Oriental demon OF infanticide, solitary Chi,
nese room papered with obsolete postage stamps
purchased with avidity in the markets Of Utopia
OF solitary orphan who has found a happy
Hill for this!' We have to thank Sir Rowlan1
for new superstition, which like all other de-
luSlonS, Is easier ScOtched than killed. The
PAPER machie market; and even the waste pa
per trade soon came to standstill: The post
age stamp snakes are the only abiding realities
We have stumbled upOA and they are childish
toys.-LOndon Queen.