The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-14
WAS IT A STAMP FACToRYi
MINY CANCELLED PosTIGB STAMPS
FOUND IN a CHEMICAL WORKS.

MANY CANCELLED POsTLGB STAMPS
FOUND IN a CHEMICAL WORKS.
me scvsey city Pouce Think tire Ink was -
M Removed by Means or A~cids-Post Once
inspectors Are Investigating Lets OF
Folrus Collect Caneenoa Stamps, However.
The Jersey City police believed yesterday that
q postage stamp factory had been discovered In
their town. and last night half q dozen Jersey
detectives and two New York Post Once in
s~poctors woro at work trying TO solve what they
believed was q mystery. They did not solve the
problem that they were at work on, 20 they will
take another hack ct IL to-day.
On Monday night two buildings known az the
Jersey City Chemical Works woro partly do
stroyed BY fire, and in the debris several thou.
sand cancelled postage stamps wero found BY
John Speicher, superintendent OF Jersey City
fire alarms. He reported the find to Insurance
AdjuBter Dorr, and also to Jersey City's Post
master, Robert 8. Jordan.
Mi. Dorr notified Chief Of Police Murphy and
Postmaster Jordan notified tho Post Office in-
s~pectors, whose offices arc in tho Federal build
ing in this city. All Of the officials who had
been informed Of the matter believed that some
one connected with the chemical works had boon
using the postage stamps for experimental pur-
poses to SEQ what effect certain acids would have
in removing the Government cancelling ink and
thus making old stamps now.
The chemical works were owned by Erik Emo
quist, who 10 now in Europe. The principal acid
manufactured at the works was hydro-chloric
acid. which Is used for glass-etching work. The
concerns plant Ia situated in the heart Of Jer-
sey City, on o plot Of ground through which
Brunswick street will run when tho street IL
opened from Montgomery street to Grand street.
On the ground floor. in the end Of the main
building, the office was situated.
AkIn,on 1t,1a,I Afn-la- rtrhk AsA lt~-
covered in the building, and tho flames quickly
spread to tho adjoining building. Tho fremen
were unable to save the burning building, and
when the fire died out tho fire companies re-
turned to their respective quarters. Before they
got home another alarm was turned In, as the
smouldering ruins set fire to the adjoining build
The iremen returned to the scene Of the fire
and worked all night, in extinguishing the
that there was something suspicious about the
double. fire, and an Investigation was made by
Fire Alarm superintendent Speichsr early yes
He examined the ruins. and where the office
had been he found several boxes filled with can
In a drawer Of a partly burned cabinet no found
9 quantity of stamps that bore no capcellation
appear G new. He 0 called the attention Of
t thsa sool A sT q 8. Y Boxed 70 n lie % %is6 b saS
kinds Of stamps. which were turned over TO
h hod' been scc sSfasn BY the the s is9%es B BUTT they ss' w aae
put In q neat package and forwarded to the
Post ofice inspectors In this city I Jersey City
will be put under a microscopical examination
by Washington experts. and IN the mean time
works had been in tho habit Of selling largo
A SUN reporter Visited the scene of tho fro
yesterday. and found o dozen children carrying
SunSls sun %ess 81 lett me ss Sanseis sow s . and ait thy
Waterman who had been left in charge Of the
ruins said that he had no obtections to any one
taking the stamps, as they were OF very little
Tho only uncancelled stamps that could have
which had been purchased It the Post oficc to
mail letters with. The cancelled stamps were
sSeS. aS S' W my D ons ' Of the those G msn who n 's ssred
mp old postage stamps, and was In the
he he''i received co H"sdiNnfi In the " caurse sS''et business T n
don't know what no collected them for or what
dispositi9n he was in the habit Of making Of
kept In his office desk. and when the Office was
know about it"
Hugo 4 , I ...a ss IN ms ~s,s vet Of the h,as sse e7 cal
1t is ridiculous to think that any. one con-
use Of Government stamps; The business car:
ried on at the works Is the manufacture Of
It stored in one Of the buildings Of the plant. Il
was stored in lead receptacles. as this kind OF acid
cannot be kept In glass carboys, as other acids
are kept. soms Of the Jersey folks thought this
celled postage stamps. which comprised a colleo.
ton such as is made by thousands of collectors
throughout the country. The presence Of 80
caused some people to think the stamps were
' WSo believes sHe = sS% this T Is a fgoo purpose but any one
The stamps that were found were tied M In
bundles Of loo. each bundle being tied with linen
thread. In each instance a portion Of the en-
yelope was attached to the stamp, just as is the
case when cancelled stamps are forwarded to
Europe for decorating purposes.
came epidemic about seven years ago. From
February, 1892, until September, 1898, the
Catholic mis- sionaries of tho order known as the
Immaculate Heart OF Mary gathered 40. 900. 900
old postage stamps and obtained for them sufii.
ctont funds to begin the foundation of a Chris.
tian village on the Upper Congo in Africa. So
far they have got enough money out Of old
stamps to eroct q church. a dwelling house for
object In founding the village Is to free the
slay yes Of the Upper Congo.
The Catholic Seminary of LEGO, Belgium. Is
the headquarters of the religious stamp collec-
The articles made from tho old stamps are tho
work OF members of tho religious order in vari.
GUS European converts. The work is sold, and
stated. fhe Rev. William simeon. who is in
charge of the Catholic Seminary In Belgium.
appointed two agents in the United States to
collect old stamps for the order.
These agents are the Rev. Mother NJ. Anna,
villa Maria. Lawrence county. Pa. and Patrick
Carroll Of 915 Kent avenue, Brooklyn. Mr.,
Carroll was not at homo when a Sun reporter
neighbors said that he received on an average
1000 old stamps every day, and that many OF
them came from collectors who lived In Jersey
City.