The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-03-27
A HosTOFFICE MYTH.
The " Million Postage Stamps" Fraud
and Its Amusing Phases.
fNeyy York Mail and Exnraas

The ".fillion Postage Stamps" Fraud
and Its Amusing Phases.
New York Mail and Expressl
1t is believed by many that there is q
standing offer by the government or by q
benevolent gentleman" Of a large sum of
money to be paid TO any one who will devote
himself to the collection of a million can
celled postage stamps. The vitality OF this
absurd story would be astonishing were IL
not for the well known readiness for large
proportion Of the public to accept any state
ment, however Incredible, which offers pc
cuniary advantage to themselves. Hardly q
week passes that personal or epistolary in.
quiries are not received at the postoffice ON
this subject, and it is often difficult to con-
vince the inquirer that wealth fs not to be ac-
quired by the laborious exploration Of waste
baskets and the soaking of OH envelopes
As a bore the Cancelled postage stamps"
man or boy has come to be con sidered
second to none. The fattering tale Of money
TO be gainei varies somewhat In details
Now 1t is the postmaster general who, as
they have heard, has issued proclamation
Offering certain sum (ranging from SIC. 900
to Sl00) to the first who shall bring to the
department the fruits of this queer harvest;
again it is benevolent but eccentric old
party, male or female, who has held out as
an inducement to this stamp-hunting, the
promise to furnish a collegiate education to
the enterprising individual who shall
first prove his or her industry
and perseverance by the collection Of the
mythical million; then 1t Is another philan-
thropist who has offered to dispatch q fully
equipped missionary TO Zululand or Pata-
goDia, or to give an organ to Sunday
school on the same terms Many OF the
victims of this delusion make no inquiry as
to the truth Of the tale that has reached
their ears, but, calmly assuming 1t to be
gospel, limit their inquiries to the exact ad-
dress OF the person to whom the stamps are
TO be sent-whether there IL any restriction
as to the denominations Of stamps-whether
foreign stamps will be accepted, etc.
The sober fact Is that Cancelled postage
stamps with the exception Of certain ancient
issues priced by those afflicted with aTim-
bromaniaD 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 1t in
the fact that about forty years ago an ad
vertisement appeared In an English nawSna-
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
q poor lad to cover the walls Of his bed
room with those defaced effigies of
her majesty-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 inve IT,
gate the matter and found that the adver-
tiser was in fact lad, but that his educa-
tion--at least in one branch Of learning
was already complete, the stamps sent in re-
sponse to his appeal being cleaned by some
process be had discovered, and disposed Of
by him at discount. His unjust industry"
was Of course quietly suppressed. and his
operations having opened the eyes OF the
postoffice authorities to the danger Of exten.
sive frauds, measures were taken to guard
against II by the use Of fugitive inks, waich
disappear when any liquid is applied to re-
move tho cancelling marks