El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-19

meeting at Springfield, MaSSac huSetts.
! beginning August 20. From Los An
geIes, San Francisco. the middle west.
as wels as from the north and south.
there will come hundreds of people.
/ drawn by the attraction of so small a
! thing as a postage stamp. Springfield
always has been a philateic center
so this year il was chosen as the host
of the annual meeting, which will
be in session for three days and be the
means, no doubt Of the sale or ex-
change of thousands of dollars worth
( of valuable postage stamps. The
stamp collectors assembled will have
ample opportunity TO inspect the phila-
! telic treasures of their brother col
lectors, as well as the large collec-
/ tions which have been loaned for ex-
hibition- There will be addresses upon
stamp values, given by experts in the
! stamps of the different countries of
the world. as well as consideration as
to the best means to still further in
( crease the interest in the collection Of
! postage stamps
Collections By Governments.
Few persons who have not themselves
become interested in the subject of
| philately, have any idea of its scope or
the numerous benefits it confers.
Stamp collecting is comparatively
recent hobby, but already it has ex-
tended to almost every civilized coun-
try. Every government OF Europe now
owns its private stamp collection.
some of which represent millions OF
dollars in value The one in Germany
is the most valuable on the continent
of Europe, although the collection OF
the French government is not lar be-
hind. There are several collections IN
England which are worth over a mil
lion dollars. King George is an en-
collection contains several OF the
most valuable stamps in the world
A great international exhibition IS
now being arranged for in LONDON:
/ he ne
its kind ever held Every nation IS
/ contributing and the exhibition, Wnlch
will be held in November, VIII ne one
of the subjects discussed at the meet
| ing of the American Philatelic Society
now in session. AS several OF the
| private collections of Americans De
1 longing to the society are acknoW!-
edged to be the largest in the world,
| the English stamp collectors are anx-
! ious to have them at their exhibition:
| There will not be great oedi
of time, however, for their ar
raneements and return, since they
must be in New York early in Febru-
airy for the American international
! Stamp Exhibition.
Collection Worth a Million
The most valuable stamp collection
| in this country is owned by George
| WorthingtOn Of Cleveland, ONO II
/ is worth considerably more than NIL
! lion dollars and is being constantly ad-
I ded to. In the eyes of many phllateI-
| lists il is the finest collection IN the
world. although that of Baron Fararri
1 of Paris. is said TO represent nearly
| ready willed his collection to the city
/ of Cleveland and provision has been
made TO keep it intact perpetually.
| There is scarcely an important city
| in the United states in which a phila-
\ telic society is not found. For the
past 25 years or more school boys nave
| been encouraged to collect postage
! stamps. but only recently has there
| come any general educational value
Fl, Now, however, many teachers are
] taking it UP and it is believed that
| stamp collection VIII soon form an I'M I'M
portant part of the equipment OF many
! public schools. There is no means Dy
/ which a knowledge OF geography ana
history can better be fixed in the miaos
! of school children than by making
\ them familiar with the different
| stamps issued by the various soun-
I tries The Brooklyn institute mas re-
| Gently established a chair of philateiy
and it is prophesied that in the near
/ future simi'1r chairs wi be estao-
lished in a number Of prominent cou =
I cational institutions. The interest
which children take in stamp collec-
I ton is frequently extended 70 their
parents. who provide them the meals
| of gratifying a passion which has so
! said that at the exhibition to be hello
! in New York next February there VIII
! be number of valuable collections
! owned by American school boys.
The United States government is be-
hind most of the other great nations IN
! its philatelic collections. Its collec-
! lions were exhibited at the St Louis
: exposition. after which they were
! taken to Washington, where for sew
I eral years they were upon eXnlollon
| in two rooms and part of the hall
1 of the third floor OF the postoIIlce
| building Nearly two years ago they
; were turned over to the National mu-
| scum, where they were stored away
- -
! withstanding the requests that nave
been made for them by visitors TO the
capital city. The Washington Phlla-
| telic society has endeavored to have
/ them placed in permanent exhibition,
! so far without result
/ The museum claims that it has not
4 the funds TO provide for their proper
arrangement and also that there is no
one upon its staff who is capable OF
[ undertaking the task. This matter is
/ an important one in the eyes OF all
| gentleman in New York who had been
contemplating presenting his collec-
/ ton to the museum, put would only do
so upon condition that II would be
/ placed so as to be accessible to the
This particular collection is one OF
/ the most valuable in this country and
/ includes in addition to postage stamps
! the finest collection Of United states
/ revenue stamps whicT has ever been
| made, and it seems especially fitting
| that 1t should belong 10 the natlonal
| government AS there are several in
| situations in New York and other cities
/ which are anxious to secure this col
/ lection, there is a strong possibility
! that it may be diverted from the ma
! tional museum unless some prompt &C
4 ton is taken regarding the collection
| already in its keeping. 1t is claimed
! that the governments of the nations
! should especially foster interest in
philately because il is only the stamp
: collectors who are apt to notice the is
suance of fraudulent postage stamps
which are from time to time placed in
! circulation.
Fabulous Prices For Stamps.
! The prices paid for rare stamps
| sound almost fabulous. For instance.
/ last year $4,000 was paid for a Balti-
more stamp of 1S45 issued by James
] Buchanan. Previous to the present
! system of supplying stamps from the
! federal government. provisional stamps
! were permitted to be issued by the gov
/ eminent TO a number of cities. Among
| the provisional stamps still in exis-
! tence and highly priced by collectors.
! are those printed in Alexander. Vir-
/ ginia in 1866 and those in Baltimore
/ and Annapolis. Maryland, and in Bat
! tleborough. Vermont and Milbury. Mas
/ sachusetts- Previous to the issuing Of
| stamps, letters were sent by mail and
I cit nv he sander ar