The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25

them, for in the very box out OF winch
Bob had taken the other bundle of letters
they found quite quantity of the stamps.
| They concealed their discovery from the
porter who MADE his appearance later In
| the day, and who had forgotten the Incl
| dent of the previous afternoon.
| Draper and Berry met the next evening
| by appointment at the formers house to
| talk over the situation and arrange to sell
the 100 additional ''bear" stamps they had
secured, and, which at the rate they had
| received for the first nine, would mean
more than $50 for them. But would the
collector give this amount? This idea
worried them considerably, and they de-
cided to take counsel with their respective
brothers-in-law. This proved a wise pre-
caution, for Diapers brother-in-law sug-
gested that they dispose OF but few at a
time. He knew nothing about stamps,
but having much natural shrewdness
feared that wholesale offering might
spoil the market. He also suggested that
they visit printer named Hacker, who
displayed stamps for sale in his show
window. In accordance with the pro-
gramme fixed upon they called on Hacker
on the following Sunday. The printer had
considerable knowledge of stamps, and
when the four darkies called and displayed
to his astonished gaze dozen or so OF
their stamps he could scarcely believe his
| eyes. As soon as he gained his composure
sufficiently be asked his callers if they
had with them all they possessed. Their
countenances had already betrayed them,
and they were obliged to acknowledge that
there were others, but would not admit
| there were more than double the number
they exhibited. Hacker insisted that they
| bring all they had to him, and promised
| to give them $25 apiece for such specimens
as he would select, and the next evening
was appointed for a second meeting.
Meanwhile Hacker was in serious pre-
| dicament. He had promised to buy at
least $500 worth OF the stamps, but had no
| available funds. In his dilemma he re-
mem bered an acquaintance of means, who
was an advanced collector. He called on
him. told him the story and promised to
| sell him on a reasonable basis some Of the
stamps If he would advance him the neces-
sary sum of money. This was readily
done, as the collector was extremely
anxious to secure some of the long-wished-
| for rarities.
| True to their promise the party of four
| called on Hacker the next evening. and,
| to Hackers establishment, produced more
than forty of the coveted rarIties. He
| carefully selected the cream of the lot, as
| to the sellers it made no difference whether
he took s. 10 or 20 cent stamp. The
result of the transaction gave the stamp
sellers 1925 and Hacker thirteen of the
choicest of the st. Louis stamps, among
| them two of the 20-cent denomination,
| and from the sale of which he subsequently
made net profit of nearly $4,000.
| Their peculiar and fortunate experience
| induced the two janitors subsequently to
seek the counsel of well-known collector
| and prominent business man of Louisville,
| in whose employ they had previously been.
He proved real friend, and on his advice
| they paid visit to New York with por-
| ton of their possessions. Here they dis
posed of nineteen stamps for $4,000, and
| subsequently other sales were made to
| New York and Boston dealers. Forty-two
| stamps were thus disposed of within q
short time for sum less than $4,000.
| At this stage the st. Louis firm came on
the scene and by shrewd and generous
| dealing succeeded in obtaining all the re-
naming stamps in the hands of Draper
and Berry. some ninety-fve in number. at
a total outlay of about 500, 600. The total
number of stamps brought to light was
1877, consisting of seventy-ive of the cent,
46 OF the 10 cent and sixteen of the 20 cent.
| Altogether Draper and Berry realized in
the neighborhood of $4,000 from their
find, which was equally divided between
them, and Bob, the real discoverer of the
great bonanza, was made happy by lib
eral gift.
| IL may be interesting to know further
that all these stamps were found on
envelopes addressed to Messrs. Tyler &.
Rutherford OF Louisville, KY, and were
from the firm of William Nisbet & Co. of
.St. Louis, and that their aggregate value
to-day is not less than 100000
~ y