Evening star., 1933-01-01
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the birth of Jean Baptiste Constant
Moens, of Brussels. Belgium, one of the
greatest philatelists who ever has lived
His periodical, lie Timbre- Poste,'
founded on 1868 and continued for 38
years, was and still is 8 mine of rich
material for writers on stamps.
The 1.10oth meeting of the Chicago
Philatelic Society win be held Thurs
day evening. James A. zalud Is presi-
dent and Henry AIDES Fowler secretary,
A new philatelic society is being or
ganized at Buffalo, N. Y, under the
leadership of Frank Merget, Emil Auer,
Stewart Burdick and Marvin Garfnkel.
The new post Office at Chicago will
be opened tomorrow. 1t is said to have
cost S22 2,000,00 and to be the most
expensive building ever erected by the
United States Government outside the
District of Columbia" The new post
Office at Trenton, N. j., also will go
into service tomorrow.
Senator David I. Walsh Of Massachu-
sets has introduced a bill to authorize
a special stamp to commemorate the
150th anniversary OF the natural1za-
tion of Gen. Thaddeus Kosciusko as an
American citizen.
The President of the Argentine Re-
public has authorized a commemora-
tive series of stamps to mark the 50th
anniversary of the founding of the
City Of La Plata, capital of the province
of Buenos Aires. The values and sub
jects will be 3-cent Port of La Plata,
10-cent President Rocha. l5-cent Mu-
nicipal Palace, 20-cent La Plata Cathe-
dral Tin course of cof-struction), and
30-cent DR.. Dardo Rocha, founder of
La Plata.
Protests of collectors against ''use-
less" stamps are beginning to have
effect. The government of Lithuania
has announced that in the future 1t
will issue only one new set year.
A New York debutante of the present
season is Miss Louise Boyd Lichtenstein.
At tea and at dance in her honor
the principal theme of conversation
was not movies or bridge, but stamps,
for Miss Lchtenstein happens to pos
sess one of the most interesting collec-
tions of French issues extant and to be
an exceptionally brilliant student Of
the whole field of philately.
The automobile depicted on the A.
cent stamp of the Pan American Ex-
position series of 1901 was an electric
vehicle owned by the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad and operated over the streets
Of Washington.
Representative M. Clyde Kelly of
Pennsylvania, writing in the National
Republic, discusses "the first United
States airmail" He says: "A +*+
proof of Washington's faith and cour-
age in new ideas was shown in 1893,
flight in America. He accom-
panied Jean Blanchard, the French
balloonist, to the old prison yard in
Philadelphia, which thus became Amer
ica's first airport. Washington gave
Blanchard the first airmail letter in
American history. 1t was addressed
To all whom these presents may
come and read: The bearer hereof,
M. Blanchard, citizen of France, pro-
posing to ascend in balloon from
Philadelphia this day.
These are to recommend to all citi-
zens of the United States and others
that in his passage they oppose
no hindrance to the said M Blan-
chard; that they receive and
aid him, and thus render honor
W b1ici COulllly duQ JuSIlCc w
an individual so distinguished by his
effort to establish his art
49, in order to make it useful
to mankind" The letter was dated
under Washingtons hand and SEAL"
January 9, 1893. and thus becomes the
first airmail letter carried in this coun-
try. The balloon fioated to Woodbury.,
N. J., distance of Is miles, taking As
minutes for the flight.