Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-05-13

| TlgnC. ana CQey were not mace 1of
collectors, but for the use Of a rap
idly growing district on the north
| western coast of Borneo that an
Englishman with a vision had turned
from the savage ways of the jungle
to the peaceful pursuits of commerce,
mining and agriculture.
The stamps bore the portrait Of
the man who had wrought this trans
| formation and who at the same time
| had secured for himself the position
| of absolute ruler over domain some
5000 square miles in extent. The
English government had approved the
! independence of the little country
and had recognized the title of rajah
by including his name on the lists
| of similar dignitaries in the Far
East And so, after about two years
of argument, collectors included Sar-
! awak in their albums and the stamp
! with the initials JB-R-S-James
Brooke, Rajah (oD Sarawak-in the
corners took its place beside those of
other rulers"
The original rajah was succeeded
by his nephew, Sir Charles johnson
Brooke, who in turn passed the ter
ritory to his son, Sir Charles Vyner
Brooke.
More than a hundred stamps have
been issued by the sultanate, and
without exception each value has
shown portrait of the reigning head
of the state.
Discussing Paris balloon posts, Dom
aid E. Dickson, in Mekeels Weekly
Stamp News, writes: 1.-The first post
ally authorized regular airmail serv-
i've was that from Paris during the
siege of 1901. Due to the sur
rounding armies, mail could not be
taken in or out of Paris by the usual
means. Balloons, usually manned by
pilots, were used during this period
as the agents of communication.
Many thousands of letters we're flown
over the PruSsian lines into French
occupied territory, though few bal
looms were shot down and captured.
A number of especially printed letter
forms were used and these, generally
speaking, are more desirable than the
ordinary letter.
"A detailed record has been COM
piled, listing the various balloons, and
a letter from this period usually can
be assigned to its specific balloon by
date and arrival backStamping. Col
lections are made by balloons, by in
dividual dates and by the various local
Paris postal repositories and postal
markings, as well as by the forms Of
stationery used and rates. which diff
fered according to country of final
destination.
"a number Of special condensed
newspapers were published for balloon
distribution, and on some a space was
given for correspondence.
1T would be thought that these
letters would be major rarities, but
contrary to the conditions in the case
of the 1911-12 pioneers, these were
collected right from the start-in fact.
I have even seen a counterfeit made
! for the trade almost as soon as the
siege itself was lifted.
Balloon letters are by no means
common, but are available in sufficient
| numbers, and at prices moderate
enough so that a collector Of average
means can make quite fair showing
of this historical group"
Right Hon. Henry Fawcett, postmas-
ter general Of Great Britain from 1880
until his death, November 6, 1884,
was a blind mamie had lost his
sight in a hunting accident in his
youth.
The following story Is told Of his
kindly democratic manner: "At a
more formal reception to Fawcett, the
officials at the general post office
were mustered to be individually in
troduced to him, beginning with the
heads of departments, with each of
whom he shook hands. These were
| followed by officials next in rank. To
the first of these Fawcett was about
to hold out his hand, when the hint
was whispered to him, 1T is not usual
for Her Majesty's postmaster general
to shake hands with any one in the
otfice below the rank of head Of q
department. I suppose rejoined
FaWcett, that I am at liberty to make
what use I like of my own hand and
he went on shaking hands with every
one who was presented to him"
Another anecdote relates: "Fawcett
was asked by the head of the German
post Office to allow him to send an off,
clal to study certain points of admin
istration. Fawcett gladly gave the re-
CURED leave, and on reaching the Office
one morning was informed that the
German official had arrived and was
already at work in one of the depart
ments. Tell him. said Fawcett, that
1 should be glad to speak to him in
my room As a considerable time
elapsed without his putting in an ap-
pearance, Fawcett asked the reason
for the delay, and received the follow
ing answer: Directly We told the Ger
man gentleman that you wished to
speak to him, he put on his coat and
hat and left the Office, and we saw
him drive off In hanson cab This
seemed very odd way of behaving,
but the matter was satisfactorily
cleared up before long by the return
OF the German visitor in full official
costume and with all his orders on.
Fawcett, concealing his amusement.
expressed his regret that so much
trouble should have been thrown away
on blind man who could not perceive
the results"
OF the part Fawcett played in the
founding Of the British parcel post,
Miss Winifred Holt writes: LAS early
as 1893 Docwra originated the penny
post for London. 1t dispensed impair
TALLY bank boxes, tradeSmen's par
GELS and apothecaries' mixtures
but the high rate of postage put an
end to this. Though parcel post was
advocated by Sir Rowland Hill, the
Society of Arts, the Royal Commission
on Railways, and, though Lord John
Manners had opened up negotiations
with the various interests involved, no
working agreement had been arrived
at. When Fawcett took Office he be-
came keenly interested, and persisted