The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-19
USE OF STAMPS
THAT COMMEMORATE SOME EVENT
 IN HISTORY.
All Countries Issue them.-Unites, States Was the First to Start the Practfce-Spains H0nors Author
 Of "DOn Quix0te..

l Washington Special--Issues of post iage stamps to commemorate some lgreat event or epoch in National his ltory, have become so common throughout the civilized world that these special series no longer excite tcomment even in the country of issue, The United States really started the movement twelve years ago when the 1. beautiful Columbian series was issued
 contemporaneous with the opening of the worlds Fair at Chicago. Since then the United States has given the lpeoplc the Trans Mississippi. or oma- :
 ha series. the Pan-American, or Buffalo series, and the Louisiana Pur- lchase, or St. Louis series.
 Great Britain issued special stamps when Queen Victoria had reigned sixty years: Portugal, Austria. Servia, Greece and many South American
 countries have bfought out special l stamps in honor of some anniversary of discovery or royal parsonage or statesman. but 1t remained for Spain to distance all other countries In the
 uniqueness of conception of a com memorative set of postage stamps. Spain has just issued a full series in honor of the author. Cervantes, known as the Don Quixote'' stamps. in which
 various weli-known episodes from tCervantes' immortal romance are de- picted upon postage stamps.
 1t is asserted by expert stamp col l lectors that this is the first time that | any perscn of literary not. has thus | been honored- Of Kings and Emper- ors, Presidents, warriors and states men there have been many, but never before har writer's likeness adorned d postage stamp. Now that Spain has set the pace other Nations may follow. although the inflexible rule that every stamp of Great Britain, of what ever denomination. must bear the like ness of the retnin monarch. esfectu- ally bars Sheakepcare from the list of sligibles. If the authors of the United states should be able to agree upon an American writer. deceased--no living person Is ever depicted on our stamps--it Is quite certain that when the next series of United States stamps IS issued the author selected would be honored with place upon the postal issues.
 Cervantes Stamps.
 The Don Quixote" stamps are much l larger than ordinary stamps. and por- tray ten interesting scenes, as fol- l lows: Five ceEtimos. the first setting | out of Don Quixote: 10 centimos tilt | ing at the windmills: IS centimos, tho | country woman; 25 centimos. tossing | Sancho Panza in blanket; 30 centimos, knighting Don Quixote; 40 centimos.. charging sheep with lance; 50 centimos, the wooden horse; | peseta, adventure with the lions: { | pesetas. Don Quixote conducted in a | cart; 10 pesetas, the enchanted lady.
 Tn general appearance the stamps | are very similar to those of the Omaha | commemorative set, the scene occu- | pying the center, surrounded by bor- der of artistic design. The stamps | arc printed in attractive colors, but | a-lA. oxtGx xaer which has characterized our comnen- | orative stamps, notably the Pan- American issue. is wholly lacking In | the Don Quixote stamps
 Baby Stamps.
 For twenty years, or since the birth | of King Alfonso, Spanish stamps have | been favorites with collectors. and par ticularly with the younger stamp | "fiends." Alfonso, the present mon arch. was born king. The tradi- | tions of the nation required that the | ruling monarch should be depicted upon all postage stamps, but the King ' was dead and his son had not reached | gency the wise Smeh declared that the likeness of the late King. Alfonso XII. should continue on the stamps of Spain and colonies. When Alfonso | XIII was 3 years old, however, the Spanish Director of Posts decided that lL was tune iOI d cHdhSo ohN - new issue of stamps was brought out bearing the likeness of the infantiie monarch. The stamps were known among collectors as baby heads" and were issued for all the colonies, in- cluding Cuba.
 Just prior to the outbreak of the Spanish American war the Director of Posts decided that the baby stamps were obsolete-Alfonso being then IF years old-and new series were issued portraying the young King as a cadet. Stamps for Cuba, the Phil- tppines and Porto Rico. bearing the face of the 12-year-old King, were about to be printed when war was de- clared When the war was over the Director of Posts of Spain had supply of colonial stamps on hand for which he had no use. An issue for the colonies was, however, printed the year before the war bearing the portrait of Alfonso XIII as frouzie- haired boy of 10 years.
 Alfonso XIII is now nearly ~ years of age and Is said to chafe under the constant use of postage stamps depict ing him as 12-year-old. Prepara- tions are now being made for the issue of a new series of stamps which shall bear the likeness of Alfonso as King. wearing his crown and robes of royalty. It is possible the issue may be deferred so as to appear contem- poraneous with the marriage or the spanish Soverign. The Department or
 Posts is considering She feasibility of issuing a special wedding stamp, on which shall appear the King and his bride, these stamps to continue Tn