The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-30
STAMP COLLECTING FAD
MOST POPULAR AND WIDEsPREAD
OF THE COLLECTING HOBBIES.
Origin OF the Postage stamp-Ita
Adoption Throughout the World
advantages OF Collecting.

~AASAb-huCu pJSldSc STAMPS WHICH the gov
eminent provides, and use as well the reve~
nue. stamps. about which there has been
SO much trouble lately, ere perhaps not
aware of the fact that to a certain con-
siderable class in the community ali these
labels form the objects Of a widely spread
collecting fad. This is called stamp col
lecting, or. in the language of a badly de-
rived and more pretentious Greek word
which has lately received the entree of the
standard dictionaries, philately. 1t consists
simply in gathering large a variety as
possible of the stamps, whether postage,
revenue or both, issued by our own or
foreign governments. Some collectors con-
fine themselves entirely to American
stamps. of which there are enough varie-
ties to make the quest almost endless as
well as very expensive il completeness be
sought. Some specialize in foreign coun-
tries or groups of them; others, again, with
boundless ambition reap the harvest Of
the whole worlds issues, now numbered by
many tens of thousands. A few collectors
with more enthusiasm and cash than the
average gather these stamps in unused con-
dition at vastly increased expense, although
the most of them are we'll content to have
Cancelled specimens. At first sight this hob
by no doubt strikes the layman as ridicu-
lous, not to say puerile. 1t has often been
criticised with the utmost contempt by OUT
siders, and yet it has gone on year after
year increasing the number of it's votaries
until it is undoubtedly to-day the most pop
ular of all collecting fads. A recent article
in widely circulated newspaper estimates
the number Of American collectors at $4,000,
but this is, as tried by known facts, an evil
dent understatement. A single firm devoted
tn the nuhlichino 0f rhfla or Nd
selling of stamps has, the result of ex-
tehsive advertising, the names OF more than
100000 persons on its books who are known
to be interested in stamps, and the total
number in the country must without doubt
be several times that great. In view of tine
fact that the United States supports at
least fifty periodicals solely devoted to the
stamp hobby, several of them with large
calculations, that there are here probably
two hundred firms that deal in these bits
of paper, some Of them employing large
capital and occupying imposing quarters in
the large cities, and that there are a num-
Der of national stamp societies, at least two
of which have over a thousand members
each, the estimate that there are more
likely half million philatelsts in the coun-
try does not seem unreasonable.
There should be no disputing about tastes.
While it may seem strange that large num-
bers of persons take supreme delight In
gathering bits of soiled and Cancelled paper
and in working with them, it should be re-
membered that half our other fads of the
day when impartially considered would be
found to have no whit more justification for
existence. Rather than let him be ridiculed.
let him be called blessed who delights in a
hobby of any kind, be it game or fashion
ol1 laE g.
scarcely do the world much good but at
least they probably keep their followers out
of much harm. Blessed then be he who col
lects old china. for he only squanders his
money, and likewise he who pursues strange
bugs, bringing them home to escape in the
house, for he merely keeps nervous people
in constant state of trepidation; but
thrice blessed be he who collects stamps.
for he does neither the one nor the other
yet revels in a satisfaction which he would
not exchange for that of any other collector
in the world. Stamp collecting is in general
cheap amusement. Unlike coin collecting,
its forerunner, even the schooIboy can af-
ford to indulge in it, for very small sum
OF money will put him in possession of a
fine representation of the worlds stamps,
although tens Of thousands of dollars may
be spent in seeking out rare varieties. A
packet Of four or five hundred varieties of
foreign stamps may be purchased for a dol
lar, and a thousand for S. TO IS. So in In
creasing ratio the collection increases
additions to it will cost more in proportion
until those supreme rarities are reached
which are worth thousands of dollars each
THE FIRST STAMPS.
The first postage stamps of which hiss
tory tells were issued in France in 1853
These were rude labels attached to getters
and indicating that postage had been paid.
They were not popular, and soon fell out OF
use. Only of two specimens of them
are known TO be in existence. Again in
1919 Sardinia used stamped paper for postal
purposes, but neither did this come into
general use, and was soon abandoned. May
/, 1S4O. is accounted the birthday of the
modern postage stamp, which was its In
PRODUCTION to Sir Rowland Hill. Before that
date the post office was. in England, rather
an exclusive than a popular institution,
and to write a letter was, for the common
people, quite an unusual event. The aver
age charge for a letter was Is cents, and
for longer distances it was much ssreater
There was in addition the ridiculous rule
that If it consisted of more than one sheet
of paper the charge should be doubled, or
if it exceeded one-half ounce In weight,
should be quadrupled. Such charges acted
as a virtual bar to popular correspondence
by post. But in consequence of the noto.
rious Thanking privilege, those who least
needed this concession were allowed to send
their letters free, permission OF which
they promptly took advantage, not only
for themselves, but also for their sisters
and their cousins and their aunts in addi-
ton. The results in England were, besides
the high rates. small revenues, and a total
failure to provide for the postal necessities
of the people. In this county a similar sys-
tenn prevailed. Letters were charged ac-
cording to weight and distances carried.
the average being excessive Then. too.
the Thanking privilege, which was more
widely extended than II is now. was to
far greater degree abused. 1t was plainly
seen by Sir Rowland Hill, who undertook
the reform OF these abuses in England. that
a great reduction of letter rates, with the +
abolition of franking privileges. would In
crease rather than diminish the postal reve-
nues, by giving all the ability TO use the
malls. He therefore advocated a uniform
charge OF one penny for any letter mailed
in the United Kingdom, regardless OF dis
lance carried or number OF sheets inclosed,
al