The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-12-05
CURIOUS POSTAGE STAMP LORE
Animals Pictures on Stamps In Sor1o
European Countries.

European Countries.
The postage stamp is a mighty
small thing to be made the subject
OF deep study, but there are men who
know more about postage stamps than
the average physician knows about
diseases or the general electrician
about electricity. Not a great many
people, though, are learned in postage
stamp lore For instance not many
have ever stopped to consider that
such of the postage stamps as at this
time fall in the way of the masses OF
the people for payment of mail tolls
are without representations of birds,
or beasts, or creeping things. In the
northwest corner of the postal card
there is inscribed an eagle, but 1t Is
purely an allegorical figure.
The United States government has
paid little attention to dumb animals
in the decoration of It's stamps, hav-
ing practically confined all efforts IN
this direction to the Mississippi
issue OF 1898, on various stamps of
few other domestic ANIMALS. This
country honors its great men by dec
Grating its stamps with their pic
lures; the faces of the sovereigns OF
Great Britain have long monopolized
the stamps of that kingdom but hap
PLY for the stamp zoo there are lands
which make a specially of animal
issues and these form one of the most
interesting and entertaining studies
Of philately.
1t will be surprising to learn what
a long list Of dumb creatures are por-
trayed in life-like representation on
postage stamps, and this, too, ex-
elusive of the mythical and conven-
tionalized characters. sucn as the
dragon of China, the seahorse of the
Barbados, the mermaid of Portugal,
the double headed eagle of Austria,
and a dozen others forming a class
to themselves.
A French Guiana stamp bears an
ant-eater, a Paraguay stamp lion,
Portugal camel, an African colony
the giraffe, the Congo Free State an
elephant, China a white elephant, one
of the Malay States stiger, North
Bornea a bear, New South Wales
leopard, North Borneo stag and
crocodile, Canada, a beaver, and the
srringbock from South Africa.
George Washington is a popular
stamp decoration. Not only on regu-
lar adhesive postage stamps has the
picture of Washington been emblaz-
oned but on local stamps, newspaper
stamps, revenue stamps and envelope
stamps. every revenue stamp issu-
ed during the Civil War period bore
the picture of the first president. The
first stamp ever issued bearing the
picture of Washington appeared in
1912, and was used for private pur-
poses. 1t was printed in New York
City for the City Despatch Post, and
carried letters and parcels through a
private carrier service at two and
three cents, according to weight, size
and other characteristics of the mall
ed articles. 1t was printed in black
ink on various colors OF paper and
specimens today are regarded as prizes.
The stamp was also used as provis-
ional issue of the New York postmas-
ter, the distinction being discernible
only through the cancellation. In 1S45
the postmaster at New York came
out with a provisional five cent stamp
bearing a much better picture or
work One of the choicest of Unit
cd States rarities in the stamp line
is he Millbury, Mass. provisional is
sue of 1S47, Ave cent black stamp on
blush paper showing the mead of
Washington. Few stamps OF this
country are more highly priced.