Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-05-22
TREASURE TROyE.
Stamp Collectors Rich Find in New Or
leans-SI5O for $4,000.

Visitors to Arman Hawkins creole art
gallery. in New Orleans, will recall hav-
ing seen in that shop museum a large
collection of postage stamps and paper
currency which the original collector
had roughly pasted upon large piece
of cardboard and framed in modest oak.
We should say at a hasty estimate that
there We're between 500 and 700 speci-
mens-may be l,00O-iu the collection,
nut they were so poorly mounted that
they did not invite particular attention,
and those who did scrutinize the collec-
ton We're of the opinion that $50 Ohe
price demanded by Mr.. Hawkins was
more than the lot was worth Mr. AL
llson Y. Armour, Of this city, had half
a notion TO buy the collection; he took
the mater under advisement, but while
ne was considering ii, along came Mr..
Latta, OF the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, and snapped up the prize
quicker than you could say Jack Robin
son.
Mr.. Latta ordered the frame and its
contents Grated and shipped to his adj
dress in Philadelphia. He was greatly
disgusted To find when the package
finally reached him that in the course of
transportation the glass in the frame
had been broken and that the pieces
thereof had scraped and otherwise
marred a number of the specimens to a
SrleNous extent. Ills disgust was deep
ened when an expert (whose advice he
solicited told him that the removal of
the specimens from the cardboard was
so delicate task that il would involve
large expense and might result in the
destruction OF many of the stamps. But
Mr. Latta determined not to be baffled.
lie said to himself; I'm attend TO this
job myself. If it results in failure no.
body else need know anything about IT,.
ana at the worst l can lose only the $l5O
l paid for this freak"
So Mr. I.1TTD lIIuppI nrI.
acquisition up to the family bathroom
threw it in the bathtub, turned on the
main water and let the card
board soak for three hours Then he
gathered together the floating bits
which had meanwhile become detached
from the cardboard. lie soon discovered
that in number of instances stamps
and pieces Of paper currency had been
pasted upon other specimens, which at
the time this collection was framed
were Of value unknown to the collector
but which now according TO the best of
Mr.. Latta's knowledge were quoted
high in the philatelic market. TO as
sure himself of the real richness of his
find, Mr. Latta gathered these curious
and neglected old stamps together and
forwarded them to an expert in New
York for examination, Presently came
back the CHEEKY Information that one Of
these stamps alone was worth 81 900, and
that the value of the whole collection
dor which the New orleans dealer had
demanded and received $l50 could fairly
be estimated at $4,000,
We can imagine what Mr.. Armour's
feelings We're when he heard of this de-
nouement We give the incident for the
purpose of illustrating several points.
one is that, in the ayocation of collect
ing, he who hesitates is a gone gosllng.
Another is that in the hunting and com
prehensiOn of antiques (so-called) there
are always certain possibilities that ex-
ceed what DIR, Sam Johnson was pleased
TO call the dream of avarice" But
the concpicuously amusing feature in all
this incident appears in the fact that
herein is vouchsafed the first instance of
Philadelphia's having stolen a march on
Chieago.-Chicago Record