The San Francisco call., 1895-07-19
A FORTUNE IN STAMPS. S.
Facts of Interest Regarding
w. II. CroCker's Collection
of Labels.
His Accumulation Pronounced the
Finest owned on the Pacific
Coast.

| San Francisco is fast winning foremost
| place among the cities that are known as
philatelic centers. How strong hold the
| hobby of stamp-collecting has on this com.
munity is shown to some extent by the
| fact that there are eight private collections
in this City that are alone worth in the
aggregate 100000. Among these the two
| most valuable are the property respect
lively OF w. H. Crocker, president of the
Crocker-W Woolworth National Bank, and of
his cousin H. J. Crocker president of the
Half-milllon Club. The formers is valued
at about $50, 600 and the latter's at 10000.
w. III. Crocker has been stamp collector
from boyhood, though his interest has
been more or less intermittent. At pres
ent, however, he is more deeply engrossed
with the task of trying to fill the vacant
space in his album than ever.
Speaking of his philatelic experiences, he
said: II have been interested in collect
ing stamps ever since [ was boy, and
have never been completely weaned from
the pastime, though there have been
periods, and long onces, when l have en-
tirely neglected my albums. But through
it all I have never felt the least temptation
to part with them, as some do when they
have temporarily lost interest in their col
lections.
"WhiIe most of my stamps have been
gradually acquired I have on few occa-
sions amalgamated other notable coIlec-
tions with my own. The most notable of
the collections which L acquired was that
of Mrs. Craig, who, up to about eleven
years ago, was in the business of selling
stamps and philatelic supplies to the local
members of the fraternity of stamp-col-
lectors. She accumulated one of the best,
,Ot he hos of etc
owned in this City or on this coast. Moth
ing could ever induce her to sell stamp
from this collection. She has been in the
business for many years, and in conse-
quence was the owner of many extreme
rarities.
sin 1884 Mrs. Craig got into financial
trou bic, and made up her mind to sell her
treasured collection in its entirety. The
result was that the album was submitted
to me for inspection, and it did not take
me long to make up my mind to pay her
the price she asked.
Among the extreme varieties was a
Brattleboro (Vt.) local, for which alone
was offered not long ago the sum of $780,
There were also United States Franklin
carrier stamp, many scarce United States
and British Colonials, including what are
known as Sydney y : the first issues of
New South Wales"
"What would be the value of such col
lection to-day?' was asked.
II don't suppose 1T could be duplicated
for $4,000.
Another unusual opportunity to make
notable addition to my collection came
in 1887. A Mr.. Fisher, who had been
dabbling in stamps as dealer, and who
possessed fine collection of Western ex-
press franks, entire stamped envelopes,
United States and foreign revenues in
cluding United States cigar and beer
stamps. offered to sell it to me for $3.50,
which offer promptly accepted"
Mr.. Crocker produced a number of small
cases measuring about 12x14 inches and
with depth of about three inches. The
franks were arranged on loose sheets of
cardboard that fitted intosthe cases. the en-
velopes being Tapped over one another in
such manner as to display both the Gov
ernment stamp and the private frank of
the different express companies that had
issued them in the early days on this coast.
The collection is pronounced remarkable
one by the initiated and contains some of
the rarest OF these interesting labels.