Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-22
REAL ''BATTLE OF YORKTOWN
FOUGHT BY POSTAL CLERKS
Demand for Special Stamps
at SesquicentenniaI
SWamps Force.
Helpers in Small Quarters
Kept FuriousIy Busy
by Crowds.

The real Battle of Yorktown" was
fought by the postal clerks, according
to Michael L. Eidsness, superintendent
OF the Division of Stamps, who had
charge of the Post ONCE Departments
special arrangements at Yorktown dur
ing the recent commemoration Of the
famous struggle there. Mr.. Eidsness
returned to Washington yesterday. He
and his aides were the anonymous
servants of thousands of philatelists
who were interested to secure the beau
tiful new stamp issued by the depart
ment as its contribution to the celebra-
ton.
I'VE thought that we should have at
Yorktown something of repetition of
our experience when the Edison STAMP
was first placed on sale at Menlo Park"
Mr.. EidSnesS explained. But that was
a mere skirmish compared with what
happened at Yorktown Monday. There
was more curiosity and excitement
about the Yorktown stamp than there
ever has been about any other COM
memorative stamp issued in this coun-
try. Not the professional collectors
only, but people who never before had
ever thought about philately in any of
its phases suddenly, under the compul
sion Of the moment, became collectors
It was sight never to be forgotten
Soldiers, Marines, sailors from the AZ
ships in the Bay. little children. elderly
ladies and old gentlemen, policemen.
messenger boys. mere visitors. even
postmasters from other Virginia towns
whose allotments, had already been ex-
hausted stood In line at the window of
the little third-claSs Yorktown post
Office to buy the special issue and mail
it to themselves and to other people all
over the world. Everybody wanted an
envelope with the cancellation York
town, Va, october 10, 1881
Worked Long Hours.
One man stood at a little win low
shelf from early morning until late in
the evening licking and sticking until
We wondered that he did not collapse
Some of our customers came and went
again and again until we began to
think that we were seeing double
More tran a thousand collectors put
an entire sheet of so stamps on a single
envelope Many used blocks of two or
four. Anything, everything, in order
to secure the precious cancellation.
Such an envelope is called a first cover
and everybody seemed to believe that
in time to come they will be worth
more than their weight in gold.'
Mr.. Eidsness described the post office
building at Yorktown as consisting OF
two rooms. each only 20 feet square.
"Of course, we had to handle all the
parcel post mail of the occasion. Pho
tographic materials for the cameramen
on the scene, packages of printing and
novelties for the concessionaires, bum
dies Of clothing and other props for the
pageant cartons of commodities Of
every conceivable kind, including food
stuffs poured in on us until the build
ing was bursting with its burden. From
floor to ceiling these things were piled.
In addition we had the first-class mail
for the distinguished visitors. for whom
we maintained a special post Office on
the field; the f1rst-class mail for the
ships in the Bay. for the Army details,
for all the delegations and committees
attending and for the average people
who had simply come to see the show.
had never seen so many people gath
e-ed in one place at one time.
Little Chance to Watch.
But we did not have much oppor-
tunity to enjoy the spectacle. We had
taken down 10 helpers from Washing
ton, there were six from Richmond,
and the five who customarily serve
Yorktown, as well as eight or ten men
lent us by the Army for hauling the
mail back and forth When ordinary
trucks were found incapable of meeting
the need for transportation We pressed
private cars into service. Like President