The Washington herald., 1908-05-17

very long before he found that the sur
charged stamps Of the world tell some OF
the most interesting history OF modern
times.
Looking over a little group OF French
stamps. the attention Of a lawyer was
attracted TO the discrepancy IN the in
scTiptions, now indicating the existence
OF a republic now an empire, and now
again a republic. He realized at once
that here was a reflection Of the wonder
fuI vicIssitudes OF the French nation in
the processes Of evolution TO its present
form Of government. Delving q little
deeper into the stamps OF that country,
the now fully interested gentleman dis
covered that the story the French stamps
tell covers not alone the nations internal
disturbances, but its modern wars with
sister lands.
And so It is IN the cast OF nearly every
stamp-issuing country on toe globe Their
stamps constitute an index to their his
tory. A study OF their stamps unravels
the story Of their progress or decline,
their wars and revolutions, their victories
and defeats, the extension OF their do
mains, or the curtallment Of their pos
| sessions.
Philately interests, because It is an ex-
| haustless purveyOr Of information and
useful instruction. The most common
! place stamps have a story to tell. Every
/ field OF learning Is covered. Geography
politics, the arts and sciences, mythology,
/ language and literature, Christianity
/ Judaism and heathenism. astronomy
/ zoology, mechanics, and all conceivable
divisions and subdivisions are opened "
to the student Of the bits Of paper that
are now or have been used to carry the
worlds mail.
It is not strange that once a man OF
woman has a taste of the attractions Of
the sclence-for It has been officially de-
creed that stamp collecting is a science
| he or she should become enamored of 1t.
| 1t is interesting 10 know what classe:
Of people are fascinated by stamp collect
ing. II we glance over the roll Of new
me1rosrs of the big collectors organiza'
{ ton OF this country-the American Phila.
tsIic Association-we VIII find among tht
scores who have Joined within the pas
few weeks the following: A Washington
D. c., merchant, aged fifty two: q De
troit physician, aged twenty-seven; De-
Moines real estate agent, aged thirty-five
a Milwaukee foreman, aged thirSy-nine
a New York banker. aged sixty-six; {
Philadelphia cashier, aged thirty-hve; Z
Boston fireman. aged forty; a Chicago
stenographer. aged-welI. the records
don't show, but It is presumed TO b
sixteen; a Minneapolis editor. aged forty
four; a Jacksonville lumbeTman, egeC
thirty-nine; Baltimore student, aged
seventeen; a physician. q coal dealsr, anC
a banker, all Of New Bedford, Mass, {
Norwegian vice consul a master me
ehanic, a shipping clerk, a telephone
agent. a milliner. a lieutenant in Uncl,
Sans army, a teacher, a schoolboy, anC
a miscellaneous array OF others from
walks exalted and humble.
This merely shows that philately IN th'
exercise OF its powers OF fascinating Il
no respeeter Of persons. And what s.
more to the point, it viii be testified t
by those who have come within its infiE
enee. and who have applied themselves 4
getting out OF it the good that It ofIers
that 1t is worth while to be fascinated.