The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-07-23
DID STAMP IDEA
COME FROM COMET?
Or Did the Comet Come From the
Stamp Collecting Art?
PhiIateIiSt Idea.

Il suppose as everything else has
been blamed on Halley's comet, that
its appearance IS years ago was also
responsible for the invention OF post
age stamps said Postmaster Genera
Hitchcock TO philatelist who called
Oh him last week.
cit 5 all a mistake writes H. n
Nudge, president of the American
Philateist Society, from Chicago, and
an authority on matters pertaining &c
stamps. = can I conceive how the
comet could have been responsible for
stamps any more than that stamps
were responsible for the comet"
At any rate, no class Of scientists,
aside from astronomers, has taken
more interest in the comet than the
philatelists. Besides turning their at
tention to those most interesting
stamps that illustrate the starry firm
ament, the temperance of the comet
is not unlikely to result in the issu-
aDce of new stamp that Will bear
a picture Of this heavenly wanderer. "
The only reason Halley's comet is
not illustrated On postage stamps,
says a phiIatelist, is that stamps were
not IN use when the comet made its
last appearance e-quarters of a
century ago. That was in 1885, and
it was twelve years later before the
United States Government went into
the stamp making and selling business.
Only TWO or three other countries
were ahead of Uncle Sam in issuing
the little postal stickers, and the
earliest Of these was three years after
the comet had appeared and disap-
peared. In those days postage was
paid in cash al postotfices when letters
were mailed and was graduated ac
cording TO the distance missive had
to travel
The temperance Of the comet this
year emphasizes the contention OF
devotees of the stamp science that
there is no field of learning into which
the study of philately does not lead.
For instance. there are numerous
stamps which portray the heavens
with their wonderful planetary ten
ants-the sun. the moon and the stars.
Among the most notable Of the
stamps of this class are those of Bra
I'll which show '.the Southern Cross, -
or CruX Australis. a beautiful constel-
lation with which all astronomers, anna
teur and otherwise, are familiar. This
is the most celebrated constellation in
the southern heavens and has found its
way into literature through an allu-
sion made to it by Dante
OF the five stars that compose it, one
Is of clear orange color, another very
red and the others white. HALEY s
comet did not favor the Southern Cross
with a very close visit on this trip
and will not likely do SO next time.
The study Of the Southern Cross
stamps leads the investigator into in
timacy with much Of the social and
political life of Brazil. for the consteI-
lation is the emblem of the people and
the symbolical basis of most exclusive
order, that, in its way. is akin to the
more ancient honorary and military
orders across the seas, the decorations
of which are so highly priced
IheTe are large number OF otner
stamps that show the important stars
of the heavens in groups and singly.
and now that the world has had Hal
ley's most wonderful comet brought
more wildly to its attention. it is
thought by philatelists very likely that
some enthusiastic little member OF the
postal union will issue a stamp depict
ing the celestial VISITOR making its
way across the heavens.