The morning call., 1894-01-21
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

purchasing capacity OF the members pres
emit. Among the latest prizes thus secured
was block of four 81 Columb ians.
NOT less than 100 dealers in stamps re-
| side within the limits of London
An arrest was recently made in Ohio
OF man who advertised to sell ten steel
engraVlngs, tinted. representing different
events in the discovery ,Of America by
| Columbus, for So He filled his orders
| by sending set of the Columbian stamps
from l to 80 cents.
| 1t is quite the fashion to abuse postoffice
officials for their lack of desire to please
collectors. That such indifference is not
general was pleasantly proved to a young
collector of this city. His father received
| word from the dead-1etter office at Wash
ington that there was a large package
| there addressed to him which was held for
postage. The son forwarded the necessary
amount III high value Columbians and
asked the authorities to cancel them
| lightly, as he wished them for his collec-
ton. When the package arrived here
there were no stamps on it, but by the
same mail came Postoffice Department
envelope. In which were found the Colum-
ban stamps which the collector had for
Warded. They were Cancelled with light
pen strokes.
England and the large cities of the Con-
tlnent are the acknowledged pbilatelic
| cities OF the world, and so great has the
| business of dealing in stamps now become
tnat IL Is nothing unusual for half dozen
or more American dealers to make trips to
Europe each year to replenish their stocks.
france is soon to adopt an interesting
| innovation IN the postal-card line. The
cards will be issued in the form of check
| DOCKS with stubs. The sender of the pos
! tal-caFd can make memoranda of its con-
! tents on the stub and can have this
stamped at the pOstoffice before the card
| Is detached. 50 that verified record of the
correspondence can be kept.
| Not the least OF the MANY peculiar deyel-
| opments brought about by the issuance of
the Columbian issue of stamps was the
scheme of Jonathan Staunhope, farmer,
living near Richmond. Ind, to paper the
parlor of his home with them. He desired
stamps only of the l, and cent denomi-
/ lions. and presented a check for $500 TO
the local Postmaster for their purchase.
Snch an amount was not on hand. and
| Farmer Staunh0pe insisted ON leaving the
! check, with the understanding that the
stamps be Immediately sent for
Quite rage has sprung up for the use
OF Columbian stamps for decorative pur-
| poses. A gentleman in Michigan is re-
| ported to have completely covered a cane
with them in an artistic way. and lady of
Oswego, n. Y, has treated a chair in
similar manner She devoted two weeks
to the work, aud used all kinds of postage
stamps of different denominations. the
value OF which, it is stated. is in the neigh
| borhood OF S25. The en- tire number Of
stamps used was 1000.
| There was recently on exhibition in tho
Chamber Of Commerce at Los angeles,
Cal, an Interesting piece of work of this
Kind from the hands of an invalid lady of
that city. 1t was flag 10x6 feet. The
red stripes consisted OF United States two
| cent stamps of the 1890 issue and the
white stripes, 3 inches wide, were of silk.
| The stars were also white silk on back
ground of United States one-cent stamps
OF the same issue. Surrounding the blue
no 1T,,1 1f -.
| cent stamps and also line of the blue
special delivery stamps. All the stamps
were Cancelled and aggregated 10,013 This
uniqne emblem was afterward sold for the
benefit Of the lady who made il by means
OF sealed offers TO the highest bidder
The Duke OF York was, at bis own re-
guest, elected a member of the London
| Phllatellc Society, and was shortly after
appointed honorary vice-president. He is
an enthusiastic stamp-cOllectOr and is the
second member of the royal family of
Great Britain who is connected officially
with this society. the Duke.of Edinburgh
being its hon orarv president
c. Whitfield King of the well-known
London stamp firm of Whitfield King 81
Co. has hit upon a novel method of utiliz-
Ing some of his surplus stock, which is as
| striking as expensive. He has had one of
the front rooms of his residence, used as a
study. entirely papered with unused
| foreign postage stamps.
The room which has been thus decorated
measures Is feet by 49, but two sides ars
nearly hidden by large bookcases, behind
which no stamps have been affixed. A
sklllfUl workman of a well-knoWn firm of
decorators was employed and by wav of
commencement was supplied with 10000
stamps from which to select those most
suitable. The plan of adornment was
arranged by the head Of the decorating
firm. The decorator was engaged eX-
cluslvely on this task for three months,
working eleven hours a day The total
number Of stamps utilized was 406S; their
face value was about $500, and their
actual market value was about $500.
Forty eight varieties were used, the coun-
tries represented being Argentine, Samoa,
Bergedorf, Lubbock. Hanover. Servia.
Cuba, Roman States, Philippine Islands,
Alsace- LoT raine ana Sardinia, with few
English slXpenny stamps.
The many tintS of these ''morsels of mo-
sale" were so Skilifully harmoniZed that
the general effect is said to he extremely
pleasing and effective. the oddly of the
thing giving an overmastering impression.
The dado and border above it consist of
the stamps of the Papal States worked in
a quaint pattern in seven colors. The
frleZe is composed of Argentine stamps in
three cOlOrs, red and blue predominating,
worked in Greek pattern, and the inter-
mediate wall spaces between frieZe and
dado are filled in with panels of different
sizes and designs 10 suit the structural
divisions of the room. Over the manteI-
piece, for example, the year 1889 is
worked in large figures made OF small
square blue stamps-those of Bergedorf.
Large yellow stamps Of Samoa form the
background of the figures; around these
are blue, red and green Sandman stamps.
and the rest of the panel is filled In with
red-browD Cuban stamps with little squares
of six-penny English stamps to accentuate
the design. In other panels the curious
neutral stamps of Alsace- Lorraine, which
represent the transition stage of these
provinces from France to Germany, are
largely employed. Altogether the room is
said to present very attractive appear
ance even to the uninitiated, and among
collectors it is much talked of as valuable
aud artistic study in stamps"