Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-02-05
PCSTOFFlCE MYTH.
Tho "Miiiion Postage stamps" Fraud
and Its Amusing Phases.

New York Mail and Express
Il is believed by many that there is a
standing offer by the government or By
benevolent gentleman Of "A large sum Of
money TO be paid to any one who will devote
himself 10 the collection Of a million can
cellei postage stamps. The vitality OF this
absurd story would be astonishing were it
not for the well known readiness for a large
proportion Of the public % accept any state
mcnt, however incredible, wlich offers pc
cunary advantage to then.s lives. Hardly
week passes that personal or episiolary in
quiris-s are not received at the postoilice on
this subject, AM it i often difficult to con-
vince the inquirer that wealth is not 10 be ac-
qured by the la .,UriOui exploration OF waste
| baskets and the soaking Of ola envelopes.
As a bore the cancelled postage stamp
man or 10y haS come l. be considered
second 20 none The flatterin-s tale Of money
TO be ganei varies somewhat in details
Now il /, the postmaster general who, As
they have heard, has issH +! proclamation
Offering a certain sum ,rars NJ from Sle,OJi
to SlOOj TO the first who sha bring to ths
department the fruits of TIL, queer harvest;
again it is u benevolent but eccentric Old
party, male or female, who has held out as
an inducement 10 this stamp hunting. the
the ontarprisins Individual vino shall
first prove his or her industry
and perseverance by the collection Of the
mythical million; then it is another philan-
thropist who has Offered 20 dispatch fully
equipped missionary TO Zululand or Pata-
gonna, or to give organ 10 a Sunday
school On the same terms Many Of the
victims this delusion make no inquiry rs
to the truth Of the tale that has reached
their ears, but, calmly assuming 1t 10 be
gospel, limit their inquiries to the exact adj
dress of the person to whom the stamps are
to lie se~'-whethcr there Is any restriction
a to the denominations Of stamps-whethcr
foreign stamps VIII b. accepted, etc
The Der fact Is that Cancelled postage
stamps with the exception of certain ancient
issue prizsl 10y those afflicted with Tim
hromania'l have no value save as waste
paI er. AMI the collection of them is simply
wa te Of time One who has been at soma
pains 70 trace the origin of this ensnaring
legend reports that he has discovered it IN
the fact that about forty years ago an adj
yer .i-em mt appeared in an English newspa-
per apDclIin, t. the charitable to send the
canc,!.e lamps from their letters 10 a GER
tain | Ire III Brighton TO aid the efforts Of
n poor a 20 cover the walls of his he l.
room Wit those defaccd efiigies Of
her ma T. ty-the promise having been
ma lie him that the completion of the
task the expenses Of his education would he
pail for ~ some wealthy crank. The post
Office authorities took the trouble TO invest
gat the matter and found that the adver-
tiser was in fact lad. hut that hi eduCa-
tiou-at least in one branch Of learning
was already complete, the stamp sent in re-
spon>e u hi' appeal being cleaned 10y some
proc,-5, Le Lai discovered, and disposed OF
by him at q discount. His -unjust industry
was Of course quietly suppressed, and his
operations having opened tie eyes OF the
pos:otiice authorities u the danger Of extern
siye frauds, measures were taken 10 guard
against If by the Use Of fugitive inks, watch
disappear when any liquid is applied to re-
move the canceilny marks