Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-02-17
ANOTHER STAMP CRAZE.
The New Columbia Issue Has Made the
Stamp Fever Break Out Vigorously.

Tie New Columbia Issue Has Made the
stamp Fever Break Out Vigorously.
The cd craze for collecting stamps
has received big impetus as the re-
suit OF the issuance of the Columbian
series of stamps. Collectors. and cSpc-
cially those in foreign countries, went
wild the moment these stamps ap
pcared. and interest in them material
ly Increased when it became known
that the issue would be continued dur
ing the Columbian year only. The
value constantly advanced. as the col
lcctors realized that the supply would
necessarily be very limited.
The issue in all is worth SIGH. and
the stamps are of the following de-
nominations: one cent. >. ;. I. >. Il. y.
10. H. n. 10. 81. 50. So. 81. 81, and Il
yellow lO-ccnt special delivery stamp
As these stamps depict various even =
in the life of Columbus. and are tai
ly different in every respect to al
previous sets issued by the govern
IN, Mt, the dealers are naturally NIT
anxious to lay in good supplies for
future use.
A downtown shipping broke. WITH
"NlcnSiv" connections abroad. >p T.k-
ing of the present demand for StilnaS.
sIid: our house has been lit r.! y
flooded with requests for stamps t. d:
Europe South America ana Asia. we
chef demand is for the Columbian -
sue. hut the stamp hunger is So W ~
n!s that almost anything Sat:S.i'., t.
\tarly all our European agnnfs ''''
written to usually the heads f
III, tir1s writing personal lrtt, il
h gG'ng us to send the C"lnmb, IL
stamps. In many instances the ent'r'
set was wanted cancelled. as canc l.
latiDn by the poSto office enhances tir
vHll and proves the authenticity {
the stamp. As the stamps of larg To-
nomination rarely circulate here. we
have repeatedly sent over envelopes
with Old paper in them. on which WAS
paste" the entire set. or at least h"lt
of it. In that way we are abb" to
have til" stamps cancelled. Almost
I'll our office boys wanted the stamps.
and We lot them have them. Until the
foreign demand became so great that
W" We're obliged to protect ourselves.
Now the mail boy cuts off all the
stamps and turns them over to the
chef clerk. who keeps Il list of the APP
pli,Ant.' and sends off Il batch by
every steamer.
Many years ag"-Somc thirty or for
~ pfohably-a paragraph appeared in
Hll die papers asking kindly -diSpoS d
p"rS - to save their old stamps and
send them to Il certain address in the
city. Ry degrees the story was circu-
lated that Il wealthy lady had offered
t" civ" Il young girl complete rGu-
cation if. by patience and pcrscvCr-
arr,. she proved herself worthy Of
such Kindness. The task set waS the
,,F 1
in one year. The stamps poured in.
but the lady failed to matcrinlizr
Then another story was substituted.
and it WIS said that when the 1.OOO,ODO
stamps were collected some charitable
prl'S,..4 had promised to give the young
5srl large sum of money, which she
wa% t. devote to foreign missions.
1t WAS also reported that certain I'M.
scrlplllouS persons had discovered Il
mt rs of removing the cancellations
AM were making quite Il fortune by
"Nllin% the stamps as new. Naturally.
III" poSt-otticc authorities We're alarm
cd when the rumor reached them. but
Il thorough investigation proved the
abSlirdty of the story
After that it was said that the Chi
n"se used them to decorate their
walls and that in their cagrrnrSS to
obtain the stamps they would oven
s.vc their babies to the missionaries
ior Il handful of them. The next
story circulated was that the stamps
were wanted to found Il Christian vii
lagc in Africa.
Ii is more than likely that the oligi-
nal million stamp story was the invciI-
ton Of some dealers brain. who. see
ing his supply of merchandise dmn-
iShing. imposed upon II crrdulouS pub
lie to repleniSh his stock
All over the world thousands of per
sons are gathering stamps for their
own private collections, and when
their appeals to friends and aculrn mt
anccs fail. they naturally turn to the
dealers to supply albums. As they
grow older the craze becomes intrnSi-
fled. and from paying Il few cents.
when boy. for missing stamp of Il
certain series. a man will give hun,
dredS of dollars for a little faded piece.
Of paper that the unnitiatpl would
throw into the waste paper basket
However. some of the stamp stories
are true. The report of the African
village to be built through til" sal" Of
stamps arose from an appeal from n
seminary i'll Licge. Belgium The
monks send all over the world aSkin.
for stamps. and receive cnorm MS
quantities without being obliged tn
pay for them. These they disp So Of
10 the different dealers and private
collectors. and the amount they realize
each yt,lr-which is conSidrr;blc-iS
devoted to mission work in Africa
New York World.