Evening star., 1934-07-22
BY JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.

BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
Az announced exclusively in Tht
Star Wednesday records Of the early
history Of the Post once Department
lost more than two decades ago. came
to light when the department moved
from It's old TO its new home. The
md Is Of unparalleled significance tc
philately and may marx the begin
ming OF q new era in the study Of the
postal issues OF the United States.
Among the rediscovered treasures
are approximately 100 packages oi
correspondence dealing with various
phases Of the departments work, moi
only in Washington, but likewise ir
Boston, New York, Philadelphia
Richmond. and elsewhere Included
among these are letters and copies OF
letters TO and from the printing and
engraving houses engaged in manu-
featuring the first adhesiveS, l847
Also artists sketches, trial proofs and
approved proofs OF various early stamp
issues; letters TO and from several
Presidents and other high Government
officials. correspondence with Mrs
James A. Garfield concerning the
memorial stamp in tribute 10 her
husband. the second martyred Chief
Executive: department personnel lists
and other documents Of great his
torical importance.
With the papers is an old ledger
retrieved from a forgotten shelf in a
vault in the office of the Third Assist
ant Postmaster General. Covering
the period July /, lS47, to June 80
1888, the book shows the distribution
Of all the stamps issued in those five
years. The initial entry reads: New
York, July /, 1847; 10000, 10 cents;
$4,000, S cents-$5 900: r. H. Morris
postmaster" Boston and Philadel-
phia were the next cities served
Then follows the fourth entry: Wash
ington, July 0, l847: 1000, 10 cents
5000. S cents-$250; c. X. Gardner
postmaster" The metropolis was
flrst-day city because the stamps
were manufactured there. Later. new
isues invariably made their initial
appearance In the Nations Capita
until 1922, when commemorative
were allowed flrst-day honors at Spe-
cially designated places.
The handwriting of the ledger. is
q beautiful Italian style of script, the
ink faded brown but still plainly
legible.
Concerning the stamps in the ac-
cumulation no definite information is
available. but 1t is known that COM
plete, or nearly complete, sheets of
all the early varieties should be found
among the papers. In 1911 a de-
partment employe was indicted for
abstracting 800 specimens, which were
sold by an agent for $4,000. Those
not stolen are supposed to be in the
resurrected files. Deputy Third AS
sistant Postmaster General Roy M
North has said that search will be
made Immediately after the return
of Supt. of the Division of Stamps
Robert e. Fellers, now in the West in
connection with the first-day sales Of
the National Parks series. Mean
while, Acting Supt. Robert c. King
Is in charge of the treasures.
Michael l.. Eidsness, jr.. Mr.. Fellers'
predecessor, when informed of the
find declared: I'VE searched for those
records more than 90 years. They
disappeared in 1912, and one Post
master General after another tried To
locate them in vain, ! personally
worked on the problem when ! was
superintendent. The philatelic data
and the stamps in the collection are
without parallel anywhere in the
world. Their value in terms Of money
would run into five or six figures, and
hhatv 1dWn{Eaa,ana fefA
ments and relics is, Of course, ever SO
much greater"
Col. Charles S. Hamilton. president,
Washington Philatelic Society, ex-
pressed the hope that the entire ac-
emulation may go to the Smith
sonian Institution, where 1t may have
careful study by experts.
The first-day sale Of the 1-cent
National Parks tYosemitel stamp
Monday morning brought out three
different crowds of Washington phila-
teliStS. One battalion concentrated
on the City Post Office. Massachusetts,
avenue and North Capitol street; an
other at the Benjamin Franklin sta
ton in the new Post once Depart
ment, Pennsylvania avenue and
Twelfth street, and still another AT
the philatehc agency on the sixth
floor of the laSt-named structure.
Fortunate beyond all other early
corners was w. T. Raley. Universal
Ship Cancellation Society, who hao
the privilege of making the initial
purchase. He arrived at the City
Post Office Just in time to be at the
head of the line when the sale began
at 7:S0. william Shrader. president
Chevy Chase Stamp Club was the
second patron.
A formal ceremony was staged al
the Franklin station at o'clock, wher
Third Assistant Postmaster General
Clinton B. Eilenberger sold a first
sheet to Acting Director A. E. Dema-
ray OF the National Parks Service and
a second sheet to Miss Romona Ruth
North. Others present were Mrs
North, Miss Isabelle F. Story and Ger.
ard Ten Eyck Beeckman, Nationa
Parks Service; Albert F. Kunze ano
David H. Davenport, Washington
Stamp Club of the Air: Chester L
Lankford. president. Franklin D
Roosevelt Stamp Club, Douglas, Ga.
Philip Simms Warren. treasurer
Washington Philatelic Society; Mrs
Dorothy Rus. Collectors Club, anC
her son, Jan, John Quincy Adams
School Stamp Club; Henley Dodge
Stamps Junior Stamp Club; Clarl
Bates, Mrs. Louise Shawen and Mr.
King. Philatelic Agency; Mr.. Edsnesl
and Isaac Gregg, acting chief OF tht
Post once Department Publicit,
Bureau.
The stamp also went on first-da,