The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-09-07
General Collecting.

| (Charles Cure in Collectors Club Philatelist)
 Aside from the interest in the Stamps themselves a General Collection it is called, of the stamps of all countries offers fund of information other topics It'is aid to- and stimulates the knowledge of history, geography, monetary systems and stand ards old and modern, national flags and coats o arms colonial possessions, national historical per sonages well knowledge of printing, engrav- ing, etc, how various papers are made and in gen. eral how various stamps have been produced. Who was Bolivar? Who Hidalgo, Rivadavia Don Carlos, Maceo? Who was Napoleon III o France2 How did be become Emperor, and wheni Who Vasco de Cana? When and how were the Kingdoms of Naples, Sicily and Sardina the Gand Dutchy of Tuscany, the Dutches of Modena and Parma and the Pal Provinces of Roman States and Romagna founded into the Kingdom of Italy? What part in this great event was played by Gari- baldi, the Great Italian Liberator? Who were the Princes Counts of Thurn and Taxis? What was the North German Postal District? How, when and by whom were the many Kingdoms Grand Dutchies Dutchies Municipalities and Free Cities that issued their postage stamps consolidated into the German Empire? How is it that Bavaria issues it's postage stamps today when Prussia and Saxony do not?
 While all of these questions and many others are not answered entirely by the collecting of post age stamps generally, the history and geography contained in the answers greatly assisted and remembered by doing, and the general interest in these events and personages as well as many others, is fostered
 The many Colonies of Great Britain, of France of Germany, of Italy, of Spain and of Portugal are la valuable and interesting fund of knowledge, and information as to their names locations and char acteriscs is gained and fostered by collecting their postage stamps.
 What is a Rix Dollar, Leva a Silber Groschen a Colon, Sucre, a Grano Soldo Sucdo a Dinar or. a Thaler? How much in American money IS Pastre, Lira, Lepta, Balboa Bolivar a Bani or Att? When was the Gorschen and the kreuzer of Germany superseded by the Pfenng and the Mark and why?
 These and other data and facts concernino
 the currences of the various countries are perhaps not important, but interesting add to ones gen. eral information.
 The National Ensgns and Coats of Arms of var
 ous nations as well as other data pertaining to the history, appear on many postage stamps and the general collector can learn much from them The names of the brave and liberty loving patriots whc fought for the freedom of Central and South American sister Republics; the long years of wal and trials to gain their liberty in fact the entire history of these countries is, unfortunately prac. tically unknown to the American boy or man today Our schools are remss in this Did we know then better, our relations with them would be closer
 The collecting of their postage stamps is an incentive to learn more about them and their history The] heroes ana many Of their important events are de. picted upon their postage stamps
 The various kinds of paper, and the process o1 printing and water marking which have been used III producing postage stamps, well as the devices useo 1o separate them are large field, and to "a General collector the incentive is greater to acquire knowledge on these subjects. In fact thi, knowledge may be said to be essential
 For the above reasons, am General Collector oomeuay, pernapS, may promote myself into the Specialist Glass, but not vet