The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-14
SHALL BOYS AND PosTAGE-sTAMPs.
The Collecting Fever Madness Not With
out Method or Usefulness.

The Collecting Fever Madness Not With
out Method or Usefulness.
Boston Advertiser.
Scientists and their imitators have suggested
that the young of any species betray during their
processes of development the instincts and habits
of their prehistoric progenitors. Apply this
theory to the small boy, and it becomes plain
that one of mans earlier states was that Of the
bower bird Restless, inquisitive and aequisi,
tive, the bower bird collects every brightly col
ored or oddly shaped object it can find, and with
this plumber, decorates it's bower So the small
boy at the bower-bird period wanders up and
down the face of the earth after birds eggs
stamps, coins, postmarks, newspaper headings
autographs monograms, buttons, advertising
cards and seals.
OF these various collections those of advertis.
ing cards buttons and monograms are simply
useless. They have not only no limit, but no
purpose. Postmarks and newspaper headings
are little better Coins are too costly and too
bulky. Autographs have no limit in number
but are instructive. Seals are not common
enough to be popular birds eggs are only within
reach of the country boy, but stamps are the
ideal object Of collection.
Their number has limit, so that interest in
creases as the collection grows complete. They
| come from all parts of the world, and are of
varied grades of 'rareness.' They are bright in
color, attractive in design, and by their
inscriptions and devices seduce the small
boy into an attentive study of many
elementary branches OF learning. His eye is
trained to detect coors and delicate shades His
fingers schooled to quickness and gentleness
of touch. He is forced to master words in many
different languages, to know at least the names
of the nations of the earth, to get smattering
of knowledge about their coins and to recognize
their flags emblems and rulers faces Finally
he comes to educate his eye to the detection of
bad workmanship in engraving and to the anay-
sis of delicate lines in the groundwork of the
stamps, as in the case of those of Alsace-
Lorraine, where in one issue the tracery in the
groundwork has angles pointing upwards and in
another angles pointing downwards.
1t is less than half a century since postage
stamps have come into use, but already col
lection of thousand or fifteen hundred stamps
can be made without thereby obtaining an out
line history of Europe since 1850. The English
and colonial stamps show Victoria at every age
The French, beginning with the Republic, pass
through the various stages of the third Napo-
Icons career, and return to the Republic. The
stamps of Naples, Parma, Tuscany Sicily
Modena and the Papal States reveal by their
dates the rise of Italy. Those of this coun-
try imprint upon the mind the faces of our
most eminent soldiers and statesmen, while our
official stamps tell in outline the story Of our
frame Of executive administration For the
past few years the small boy has not manifested
the same eagerness for stamps that he once did
Floods OF counterfets have chilled his zeal and
quenched his confidence in mankind But there
will come day when he will return to his first
love, spurn the dealers in uncanceled stamps
and. by his industry, lay the foundation Of a
new generation of STAMP educated men