Evening star., 1935-12-22
VS5l&N ~ IA
81
81 zess,

Use Jue OCCASION an attractive ldDeI
has been issued.
In the Library of Congress books
on postage stamps are classified under
HE-618l to HE-6185, inclusive; those
on collectors and collecting. HE-6187
| to HE-6230.
William T. Harris, retired postal
clerk, acquainted with many phila-
| telic patrons of the Benjamin Franklin
| Station, has returned from a motor
trip in the South.
David Wilkerson, IL, and Edward
Kislink, 10, pupils of the Hubbard
School, appeared in the Young
Washington" series of The Star Friday.
They are junior collectors of stamps
and covers.
Rear Admiral c H. T. Lowndes. a
skilled physician as we'll as "a first
class sailor man." is willing to admit
that stamp collecting may be dis
ease" But if so. he told the most
recent meeting of the Washington
Federation Of Junior Stamp Col
lectors, it is an ailment from which
the patient does not wish to recover.
''Philately." he declared, ''is an
'affliction' particularly Of CHILDHOOD.
A few sufferers of the pseuoo type
get Well but the genuine case never
does. The germ implanted in child
hood remains. There may be lorg
periods, even years, when there are
no apparent symptoms. Then, when
least expected, it breaks out sud-
| denly-and the victim is glad He
tells the world he is again a stamp
collector"
Admiral IoWndes explained that he
was only 10 years Of age when his
gang" was infected" Il shudder,"
he said, ito think of MY original coll
lection. 1t was poor. bad, with per-
haps few stamps which might be
called indifferent Specimens were
entered with lots Of mucilage. There
were no hinges.
My Hamburg locals were the envy
Of all the other boys 1 saved the
money to buy them-35 cents. In
1919, when I began collecting serious
ly, had no end Of trouble-not to
mention eXpense-finding those same
stamps again.
1T was an old album presented to
my son Bill that gave me the dis
ease for the second time. The book
was appropriated by Bills father.
AT the start I followed the advice
usually give young doctors-'do
general medicine and learn how to
do emergency surgery first. Keep
this up for a few years; then, if you
wish, become a specialist
collectors soon realize how vast
the whole field is Even those of
great wealth, ike the late Arthur
Kinds, never can hope to nave all
known stamps.
by general collecting you get a
working knowledge Of philately. You
learn the history OF the different
countries, their geographical location,
their people and their mode Of living.
These are important items in ap-
| preciating stamps. Gradually, as you
drift along, certain particular coun-
| tries will have special attraction for
| you and you will find that you wish
to specialize in their stamps.
For several years I was a general
! collector. I have a fair showing Of
United States stamps, but the early
issues are too expensive and the
watermarks nearly sent me to st.
| Ehzab abeth's
enc die+irc+iva ueo oLyreee ir Fo-
United States commemorative.
have them all. including shades and
many blocks, mint and used-52 COM
memorative issues in all, if I include
the National Parks stamps Of 1894.
But principally I have turned to
the countries, outside of my own,
where I have spent most time-China.
Japan and the Philippines.
The Chinese treaty ports issues
interested me because of my having
cruised in those waters. You may
remember that, by the benevolent
persuasiveness of European warships,
the Chinese graciously allowed for
eigners to live in certain cities. and
that most of these treaty ports are on
the Yang -tSe-Kiang. Their stamps
were listed in SCOTS Catalogue as
late as 1909, then were omitted on the
excuse that they were locals. As a
matter of fact, these issues did postal
duty from December, 1892. to Febru-
airy, 1897, when the Chinese Imperial
Post came into operation and the
Treaty Ports stamps were suppressed.
Those brought out by municipal
authorities we're: Hankow, Chinkiang,
Kew-Kiang and Annoy: by local con-
mittees, Chefoo, Ichang, Foochow ard
Nanking; and by individuals, Wuhu,
Wei -Hai-Wei and Chung King.
BY far the rarest and most valu-
able are the Wei-Hai-Wei stamps,
issued December 8. 1898. AS a pro-
lection against forgery, the postmaster
signed his name on the back of each
sheet, so that a portion of his name
should appear on each stamp. There
are two valueS-2 cents and cents.
1 have both
''Wei-Hai-Wei was taken over by
| the British, July /, 1899, but the Hong
Kong post Office refused to deliver or
collect mail there. Consequently. all
mail had to be sent to Chefoo. But
| that was inconvenient. So 1t was
decided to establish a courier post and
the local stamps were used until
January 8. 1900. when stamps of the
regular issue were obtained from
Shanghai"
Admiral Lowndes also told of his
interest in the Aguinaldo stamps of
the Philippines, used copies of which
are exceedingly rare; also of the
stamps of TERRA del Fuego, issued by
an American resident but suppressed
by the government of the Argentine
Republic.
The next meeting of the federation
will be held at the National Red Cross
Building, Seventeenth street, Saturday
afternoon at 2 O'Clock. Boys and girls,
10 to 16 years Of age, are invited to
attend.