Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-13
DEMAND FOR GUAM STAMPS
Capt. Leary Makes Profit for the Govern
ment o $4,000.
Unusual Conditions Met by the Gov
ernOr of the Island General
Rush of the PhiIateiists.

Cant I.eary. governor of the Island Of
Guam. the largest Of the Ladrone group,
one Of the fruits of victory in the war with
Spain. has forwarded to the Post Office De
partInant p requstion for postage stamps
that indicates that the postal department
Of the far-aff American colony VIII soon he
declaring large quarterly dividends \
brief history of the earlier events respou-
sible for this late order for stamps will BIZ
Of general interest.
Early last spring. when Capt. Leary was
commissioned to take charge of affairs at
Guam. by advice of the Post Office Depart
ment ne carried with him small lot Of
postage stamps for use on the island. The
stamps were our ordinary enc, two and
fivC-ccnt denominations, with the word
Guam printed in black across the face.
The face value of the stamps amounted to
only a few hundred dollars. and doubtless
piled all ord nary and legitimate postal
needs in Guam for two years.
Just Capt. LeaTy was taking ship the
stamp collectors and dealers learned of the
surcharging Of the United States stamps
for use of Guam. and there was a VIII
rush to secure portions of the stock.
Checks. money orders and SreenbaCk$
poured in upon him: some OF the big deal
ers wanted To buy the entire lot. and the
prospective governor offered double
face value for the little batch OF stamps in
his vaise. All offerings We're returned.
however. and the captain sailed.
The stamp dealers id not ceas" their Eff
forts. thnv were r''0T" eager tan eyer anu
they literally camped upon Capt. Leary's
trail. Hundreds Of iett9r-. :ncios5ng "a n,
ordering lots of the stamps. followed by
first steamer. When these letters and the
Enclosures had been classified and aggre-
gated It was found that the demand ex-
ceeded the supply in the ratio of about ten
D. one.
7 Il,
only possessed strong desire to crafty
the passions of the stamp collectors. whose
letters were warm with fervent appeals,
but with an eye to W-EdWard, ne aSp-red
To give 4 good account al his stewardship
to Uncle Sam. To place the postal depart
nent of his ward upon diyidend-payin ing
basis at the outset would paGUTailv elevate
him to a high position in the ranks of men
of genius ana Capt. Lcary set his mental
machinery at work to untangle the situa-
ton ana place a handsome balance upon
the credit side of the ledger
The plan evolved was to retain the cash
sent until 4 requsiticn for q large supply
of stamps could be forwarded to Washing
ton and upon their arrival To fill orders.
As Capt. Leary worked upon the pr0posi-
ton its possibilities enlarged and instead
of ordering only the one, two and fve-Cent
denominations. he included the entire list.
UP to and including the 81 value and the
special delivery stamp His schedule was
as follows: 1-Cent. 15,OUN: 2-Cent, 15tsh}: );
cent. .''f. t-teill, b,I'Jr ''-tttlJ i-'.NiD, u
cent. $3.50: Scent 5000: 1N-cent. 10. 900: 10
cent. 5000: j3-cent. 1000; 81, 3,0G0; special
delivery, 1850.
The order amounts to about $1,000 worth
of stamps. at face value. sufficient to last
Guam's four or five hundred white people
for twenty years. and stamps of the fifty
cents and one-dollar derOminatio suffi-
cjeut for a hundred years
However Capt. Leary has not erred in
judgment. Every stamp Will be purchased.
and there will be calls for more; in fact, ii
i said by stamp experts that there are
dealers in the United States and Europe
who would take the whole requsition at
face value. provided the United States
government would agree not to Immediately
duplicate the order,
II appears that capt. Leary did fill a few
orders. as a certain dealer on the Pacific
coast Eas received a supply Some idea OF
the value placed upon them may be gained
from the fact that this dealer is selling tha
three surcharged stamps-one. two and
five-ccnt Values-fnr Si..sb for the three. and
has been swamped with orders al that
price.
Inasmuch as the 1j2.'4D stamps which the
Post Office Department will forward to
Capt Leary Will cost the government not
to exceed so. it will be seen that Guam
will yield to the government a cool $1,000
profit from postal receipts alone. as none
of the stamps Will ever be called upon To do
actual postal duty.