, 1885-02-17
4 posrorFIce MYTH.


New York NAL and ExprsssI
IL Is believed by many that thare IL q
standing ofcr by the government or by a
benevolent gentleman Of a large sum Of
money TO be paid 10 any one who win dovots
himself to the collection OF a million can
cell.d postage stamps. The vitality OF this
absurd story would DO astonishing were IL
not for tho well known readiness FOR a large
proportion Of tho public 70 accept any state.
mcnt, however Incredible, which offers pc
cunihTy advantage to thomsalves Hardly a
week rns,cs that porsonai or erf.tolary in
qniries are not received at the poatonics on
this subject, aud II Is often diniouit to Gu
vinco the inquirer that wealth Is not to be a
quired by tho laborions exploration OF was >
baskets and the soaking Of OH envelopes.
As a hore the cancelled postage stamp
nlan or boy has come to be conslderri
second to none. The inttariug tale Of money
to bs gained varies somewhat in details.
Now 1t Is the postmaster general who, us
they have heard. has issued a proclamation
offering a certain sum (ranging from $40. 600
to siOO 10 the first who shall bring to tho
department the fruits OF this queer harvest:
again il Is a benevolent but eccentric old
party. male or female. who has held out as
an Endorsement t. tiii stamp-hunting, tho
promise to furnish a c~ollsglats education to
the entsrprising iniivilual who shall
first prove his or her industry
aud perseverance, by the collection of the
mythical million. then It Is another philan-
thropist who has offered TO dispatch a fully
equipped missionary to zululand or Pata-
gonna, or to give an organ to a Sunday
school on the same terms Many OF the
victims OF this delusion mako no inquiry a.
10 the truth OF tho tails that has reached
their ears, but, calmly assuming 1t to b
gospel, limit their inquiries to the exact nd
dress Of ths person to whom the stamps are
to be sent-whether there Is any restriction
as to the denomination OF stamps-whefher
foreign stamps will DO accepted, etc.
The sober fact is that cancelled postage
stamps with the exception OF certain ancient
issues priced by those afflicted with Tim
bromania1 have no value save as waste
paper, and the collection Of them Is simply a
waste Of time. One who has been at some
pains to trace the origin OF this ensnaring
legend reports that he has discovered It in
the fact that about forty years ago nn ad-
vertisement appeared In an English newspa-
per appealing TO the charitable to send the
cancelled stamps from their letters to a GER
tain address in Brighton to aid the efforts OF
a poor lad TO cover the walls Of his bad
room with those defacsd efigies OF
her majssty-the promise having been
made him that on the completion OF the
task the expenses Of his education would be
paid for by some wealthy crank The post
Office authorities took the trouble to invc a.
gnta the matter and found that the airer.
tiser was In fact a lad, but that hil educa-
tion-at least in one branch Of learning
was already complete, the stamps seat In re
sponset to his appeal being cleaned by some
process ho had discovered, and disposed OF
by him at a discount His unjust industry
was Of course quietly suppressed. and his
operations having opened tho eyes Of the
postofice authorities TO the danger OF exten
sive frauds, measures were taken TO guard
against it by the use OF fugitive inks, which
disappear when any liquid is applied to re-
move the cancelling marke-