The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1896-01-24
HUNT FOR RARE STAMPS
Secretary Herbert Has a Fine
Collection Of Them.
HOBBY OF HIGH OFFICIALS
Prof. L. o. Howard of the a Agricultural
Department, Lieut.. Sutherland of
the Navy and Others Are Enthusi-
a>tic Searchers for the Ancient and
Rare Issues.

II is not often that one finds people who
VIII offer several hundred dollars for a small
| bit OF paper not an inch square, whose orig
| inal cost did not exceed ten cents or shil-
| ling, yet the stamp collector does not hes
itate To pay such large sums when there Is
an opportunity of securing what he calls u
| rare bargain in stamps.
A few years ago a great craze swept over
the country which induced almost every
schnolboy 10 engage his pastime in gather.
ing together various kinds OF government
| aud foreign stamps. Recently the idea has
assumed another and mere developed form.
Men have taken hold of IL, SO thai now stamp
collecting, instead of being plaything for
children, has merged into a successful bust
uess ami taken its place alongside the vari-
Gus pursuits of TIE day. Thousands of dol
lars have been invested in stamps which for
merry had little or no commercial value
whatever.
So extensive has the business grown that
there are now publishe in the United States
no less than thirty journals devoted exclu-
siyely Ia the stamp trade. Some Of these
are issued monthly, others weekly, and
would do justice TO almost any trade indus
Try, aLd one four-page sheet is published
daily at st. Louis and is devoted in its en-
tirety To stamp collections.
THOSE WHO HAVE THE FAD.
Many prominent men have been seized
with the fad, If fad IL should be called.
Secretary OF the Navy Herbert maintains
a large and valuable collection, which he
takes pleasure in exhibiting 10 those of
his visitors who may be thus interested,
and his private secretary, Mr.. Finney, not
TO be outdone by his chief in this respect,
also boasts of Il fine collection of Tie unique
specimen.
Mr.. PAX Yany Kin, the Korean minis
inter, is the proud possessor or an assort-
ment that no small amount OF geld could
purchase, and the diplomat when not
weighted down by The cares of state finds
much enjoyment i'll perusing his ool!ec-
ton and exchanging specimen with his
fellow-stanIp gatherers.
To he a good and competent judge OF
stamps much experience in handling them
is necessary, and skill is thus acquired the
same as in any other line, and ane expert Will
spot a counterfeit as readily as Il bank
teller can detect a bogus Treasury note,
and when it is known that there are in
existance upwards OF $4,000 different
kinds OF stamps OF all nations and coun-
tries, varying in denomination, SIZE,
shape, color, shade and value IT Will be
seen that the kno Wedge of the expert must
cover a wide range of his subject Age
does not necessarily attach as much value
TO a stamp as lis rarity, though, OF course,
old stamps are often worth large sums
and prices range from l cent TO $1,000,
and some cannot be had for that amount.
Among the more valuable stamps of our
own country are some issued In the South
ern States just at the beginning OF the Civil
war, when each large post-office issued
its own stamps. Some of these are ex-
trenIely rare, and fabulous sums are paid
for them